Response of pups to modified-live canine parvovirus component in a combination vaccine

Twenty-eight pups from a general pet population were vaccinated for canine parvovirus (CPV) with a combination vaccine every 3 weeks until the pups were 11 to 16 weeks old. Canine parvovirus antibody titers were measured by serum neutralization before each vaccination and greater than or equal to 2 weeks after the final vaccination. Eighteen pups that initially were seronegative for CPV seroconverted after 1 to 3 doses of modified-live virus CPV vaccine administered when the pups were between 8 and 16 weeks old; 16 of 18 seroconverted after the 1st dose. Of 10 pups that were seropositive for CPV at initial examination, 7 did not develop protective titers after 3 doses of vaccine, with the last dose given when the pups were 14 to 16 weeks old. Maternally derived antibody was the primary cause of vaccination failure.