Vaccinations and holistic vets ... opinions please

[jmk83]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering what experiences everyone has had with holistic veterinarians? We are getting our first GSD pup in January (yey! so excited!) and normally we see a regular veterinarian for our cats but I'm considering switching. I've also been reading a lot of pros and cons about yearly vaccinations. Any opinions? I can't imagine not vaccinating a puppy but I'm curious about adult yearly vaccines. I know our regular vet has just changed the distemper vaccine to every three years when it use to be every year.

Thanks for your opinions!

[cshepherd9]

I go to a regular vet but my vet gives a 3 year rabies shot and then after the age of 2 the dogs get their vaccines every other year. I remember when I first started going to him he had a long clinical explanation of why he does it this way but that was 7 years ago and I don't remember exactly what he said.

[Emoore]

I can't speak about holistic vets since I know nothing about them, but I stopped vaccinating Rocky this year. From now on he'll only get rabies as required by law. After receiving shots for the last 8 years he'd better be immune.

[Jax08]

If you look up the vaccination guidelines from the AAHA, you will get alot of your answers on vaccinations. Some vets still vaccinate every year. I follow the AAHA guidelines.

As far as holistic vets, I"m sure there are good and bad. I think you need to find a happy equilibrium between modern medicine and holistic medicine.

[BlackPuppy]

I go to a holistic vet. I get only rabies vacs. They titer for distemper every 2 years just so I can have something in case I need to kennel them.

Any other vet is going to really push you to get yearly vaccinations. After I switched vets, I'd go to my old vet's office to weigh my dogs. I also use them as an emergency back-up vet. Anyway, whenever I weigh my dogs the receptionist starts pushing me to make an appointment for vaccinations.

I also had one of the vets there try to convince me to vaccinate my sick dog because it will help make him better. Um, really?! I don't think so. I think that was the last time I took any of my dogs there.

[LisaT]

Originally Posted by jmk83

I can't imagine not vaccinating a puppy but I'm curious about adult yearly vaccines. I know our regular vet has just changed the distemper vaccine to every three years when it use to be every year.

There is no question nowadays that annual vaccinations are unnecessary and dangerous.

Vaccination - GermanShepherdHome.net

[vat]

I have a vet that is holistic but she practices both. When I took Max as a pup I interviewed her. I asked her opinion on titers. She said it was more costly than the shots but she was happy to do that. Max will be 1 this month and will go in the spring for his shots. We will discuss then if he needs all of them one more year or we test.

My last vet gave my 14 month old all of his shots at once and then heartworm. He knew this pup had bad kidneys, needless to say I lost him 1 month later! Take your pup to the vet your thinking of using for your pup's first visit. Talk to the vet, ask questions and observe how he/she checks your pup over. I was so impressed by our first visit, none of my other pups ever got checked over so well.

Remember you are paying the vet for a service, you have the right to be informed and choose the care you want. And never let them take your dog to the back without you unless it is for surgery.

[crittersitter]

After the first year I titer test if I have concerns, otherwise it's just rabies by law for us. I have seen too many links to chronic disease and cancer to over vaccination. I've used several holisitic vets. If you can find one in your area go for it! Also, no more vaccines for those kitties. Cats are VERY sensitive to over vaccination :-)

[Stosh]

I used to go to a vet that was primarily holistic- he was very conservative in vaccinating and left it up to me. As our gsd got older he stopped giving anything but rabies, which is required by law.

[sable123]

Originally Posted by jmk83

Hi everyone,

Just wondering what experiences everyone has had with holistic veterinarians? We are getting our first GSD pup in January (yey! so excited!) and normally we see a regular veterinarian for our cats but I'm considering switching. I've also been reading a lot of pros and cons about yearly vaccinations. Any opinions? I can't imagine not vaccinating a puppy but I'm curious about adult yearly vaccines. I know our regular vet has just changed the distemper vaccine to every three years when it use to be every year.

Thanks for your opinions!

Don't confuse limited vaccine protocols with holistic medicine. Every vet school in the country teaches some form of the Dodd/Schultz research and protocol.

If your vet still pushes annual vaccination and ones you don't need like corona and, for most, lepto them you just need a more hip and less greedy conventional vet.

Most of the holistic vets are just quacks and you will spend more money and get worse results, including death, with them.