Vaccinations/Heartgard

[jocoyn]

Now this one is interesting. Several puppies actually died during the study before being exposed to the bacteria but after immunization but it was not attributed TO the immunizaiton. The one tested her has no adjuvants which are the primary source of vaccine reactions.

A novel tetravalent Leptospira bacterin protects against infection and shedding following challenge in dogs -- Klaasen et al. -- Veterinary Record

Do note the pups were challenged a mere three weeks after immunization.

[RoxyGirl2012]

Jocoyn, thank you for taking the time to post these informational Web sites about Leptospirosis. That is very much appreciated, as it is great to gain information from those that have done research on this.

Gosh, it is such a tough call...I don't know how I am going to decide this one. I do not like the idea of giving a vaccine every year...

What is the approximate cost for titer testing?

[Courtney]

I was quoted $115.00 per titer by my vet. As of right now I will only titer for distemper and parvo. The cost varies by region.

Here's a past link:

Titers Test Costs

[jocoyn]

The lepto is and will continue to be a challenge for me as my dogs work in the areas (swamps, urban areas, etc.) where lepto is likely to occur, rats and other vermin exist (human remains - dog is cadaver dog on SAR team), and the climate is condusive (warm muggy South Carolina).

It is a real struggle about what to do, and I do keep a close eye on my dogs and would not hesitate to test and flood them with antibiotics if they developed symptoms. I am cautiously using a homeopathic approach using nosodes (another thread) but there are stories of their effectiveness in Cuba and Haiti for humans........but I just don't know......but you can't advise someone else on what to do there!

It would be nice if it was all black and white. We are facing a whole lot of emerging diseases and we can't immunize our way out of it, I think. (Start reading about ticks!)

[RoxyGirl2012]

I have decided I would like to follow Dr. Dodd's Vaccination Protocol. I think I will then be leaving out the Leptospirosis vaccination...

[arycrest]

My vet will NOT give the lepto injection unless the dog is going to visit an area that has the disease and even then she's hesitant to do so.

My guys get vaccinated every three years with the rabies and other vaccinations being separated by a year to 18 months. My seniors only get rabies.

[jocoyn]

I actually have a bottle of lepto nosodes (homeopathic) that I am going to start this month. It has been a tough decision for me but I feel that way I won't mask the infection and CAN get a test result if my dog is infected but it means judicious monitoring. You can run regular tick panes for the dogs but not for lepto

The human lepto prevention protocol is 200mg of doxycycline once a week and not a vaccine......no known doxy resistant strains..... Makes you wonder.
CDC quit tracking lepto as well this is an old report though and I have heard those NOT in the canine 4 way vaccine are more frequent now.
http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/12/3/pdfs/05-0809.pdf

Good article on tick borne diseases - lots of nasty stuff out there to protect from no immunizations against tick disease. Some protocols call for single dose doxy for humans after a tick bite regardless.

Tick-Borne Disease FAQ