Do you vaccinate your dog/dogs?

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zeusandzena

Discussion Starter · Mar 31, 2004

Do you vaccinate your dog/dogs?

1 - 20 of 463 Posts

griz

· #2 · Mar 31, 2004

I have recently started looking more closely at how we vaccinate our animals. I will do Rabies per law, but as for the other vaccines, I would like to do titers to determine his immunity. I don't belive that at 364 days the dog is immune and 365+ 1 day the dog is suddenly at risk for disease.

LaciesMom

· #3 · Mar 31, 2004

I get what the law requires (rabies & distemper) and, until this year - didn't bother with the bortadella (man, that sucks - IN the nose! Poor puppers) - but *if* we ever need to go away overnight withut the pups - the vets won't board the crew unless they have it - so I had them give it ...

I should add that I 'learned' to be careful about vaccinations when my son was born - 2 months before I got pregnant - I stabbed myself in the hand and had to get a tetanus and 6 months before that, had an MMR update so I could go back to school - since my doc knew it - they did the titers on him when he was born and he was FINE, didn't need the vaccines for either of them ... the pediatrician told me he was practially immune to both because of me! So I started having second thoughts about ALL vaccinations (refused to let him have the chicken pox one too) for people and pets!

BRIASMOM

· #4 · Mar 31, 2004

Since Bria has a low thyroid and this means her immune system is already a little compromised, I now only give her the 3 year rabies and will titer her for the rest. I also only titer her for heartworm every 6 months, so far negative. I will not give her anything she does not need. Since she is not around other dogs and is very seldom outside without us, I do not feel she needs vaccination.

amackinpitt

· #5 · Mar 31, 2004

2

I had to answer that I do as my Vet suggests. However, I DO add my input, I just happen to like our Vet.

I had a bad experience years ago with my prior doggie. She was not vaccinated against kennel cough since we never left her at a kennel, nor was she around dogs other than our neighbor's and my parents' dog. WELL, I took her to the Vet I was using at the time for a bath & nail clip (most expensive and "best" <ahem! Yeah right> in the area) and she came home with kennel cough!!! Then the #@%# wanted to charge me for the meds to heal her!!

Needless to say, that did NOT happen. (Of course afterward we promptly changed Vets.) Since then, I air on the side of caution.

My current Vet has been a dream with my rescue! HE called me at home more than once to check on Bear in the early days

--she came to me quite sick & had a spay related infection from the rush job they did at her shelter.

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Unbridled Brunette

· #6 · Apr 1, 2004

2

Originally posted by AmyM:
I took her to the Vet I was using at the time for a bath & nail clip (most expensive and "best" <ahem! Yeah right> in the area) and she came home with kennel cough!!! Then the #@%# wanted to charge me for the meds to heal her!!

Needless to say, that did NOT happen. (Of course afterward we promptly changed Vets.) Since then, I air on the side of caution.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">You wouldn't happen to live in north Georgia would you?

I was a vet tech for two years and that was the exact kind of crap my boss would pull. My female labrador retriever had entropion (a genetic problem where the lower eyelid rolls inward and rubs against the eye). The idiot assured me he could fix it...instead he mutilated her face so badly she has had to go through FIVE reconstructive surgeries from a *competent* vet (sadly she will never be the same beautiful dog she was). Needless to say, I quit that job without notice.

My new vet is great. I'm planning on discussing the 3 year vaccination plan with him when I take Koby in to have her stitches removed on Friday. According to recent studies most dogs achieve complete immunity to distemper/parvo/lepto/ect. after the first year's complete round of puppy vaccinations. For those who haven't it's been found that vaccinating every three years as opposed to every year will achieve the same degree of immunity. This is especially great since they have 3 year rabies shots...thereby reducing the amount of pokes Koby would have to receive to the single stick for her HW draw. Also, it reduces the risk of innoculate-related sarcoma. But I want to check with the doc before I make any decisions.

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rosey516

· #7 · Apr 1, 2004

I had such a bad experience that I won't give any shots after the first year except for rabbies,and even then I would separate the shots. Especially when the dog is a senior. It's just so sad that you put all your trust in the vet, especially for your first dog I did that, Well when Buster was 4 the vet told me to give him the heartguard shot that lasts for six months. One week later he was having Grand Mal seizures. In my heart I know the shot caused it, the vet told me no. You really have to be your own doctor. To boot I live in Brooklyn where there are no mosquitos! I am going to get a puppy in due time and It's really sad that I had to make all the mistakes with Buster to learn for the next. I think you have to take everything into consideration with all these shots, where you live, if the dogs around other animals, etc..

Roe & Buster

G

· #8 · Apr 1, 2004

Rabies = nope, dont need them on the island. In TN it would be the only one I would get every year but only by law. On the island, the only time a dog needs the rabies is when it is leaving or comming to the island.

The standard question for a vet down here when you are taking a dog off island 'has the dog ever had rabies'

Everything else I pick and choose

GSDBESTK9

· #9 · Apr 1, 2004

Is there any other shot required by law besides the rabies?
Do you feel the corona shot is necessary?

G

· #10 · Apr 1, 2004

Originally posted by GSDBESTK9:
Is there any other shot required by law besides the rabies?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">In the states, rabies is the only one that I know of to be required by law. At least in TN

Do you feel the corona shot is necessary?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I prefer a vodka shot myself, a mixed fruit shot for Bailey

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angelaw

· #11 · Apr 1, 2004

I give all my own shots except for rabies since it's the only one by florida law you can't give yourself.

Kayos and Havoc

· #12 · Apr 1, 2004

Although I don't like to I make sure mine get everything within the veterinary guidelines. I do this because we are mobile Deptartment of the Army Civilians and are subject to move overseas at any time. If the animals are not current on vaccines they may be denied entry. For some places like Hawaii, you have to show proof that the vaccines had not been allowed to lapse at all.

I agree there are sometime concerns but I don't want to have to leave them behind either.

I knew my old girl would not live to make another move with us, so I quit giving hers the last 2 years of her life. She had almost no risk of exposure and we over vaccinate anyway. She passed in Jan 03 and we moved in Oct 03.

agilegsds

· #13 · Apr 1, 2004

Just rabies, distemper/parvo and bordetella, except for Star. I did titers on her this year for distemper/parvo because she has PF. Vet said bordetella was OK for her. I'd like to do titers on all of them but my vet says they're high risk because of the foster dogs and because they come in contact with so many dogs at trials, so she recommended continuing with the vaccination. I'm still considering going the titer route because I no longer have room for fosters. I'll always get the bordetella because it's so easy for them to pick up bugs at indoor trials where there's hundreds of dogs in tight quarters. I realize the bordetella sniffer only covers a few strains but I can't take the chance on a houseful of hacking dogs.

I've been concerned about over-vaccination since we lost three dogs (non-GSDs) to cancer within two years. They ranged in age from 1.5 years to 8 years when they were diagnosed. So now, I'm trying to achieve a balance between reducing vaccinations and giving them the protection they actually need.

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Branca's Mom

· #14 · Apr 1, 2004

I have given Lexi her puppy shots, but nothing since 15 weeks. Well, Rabies of course at 1 year as required by law. Luckily, our state is a 3 year state.

Branca has had one set of shots but I will titer her and Lexi both every year or so. Though I understand the titer's can not tell us everything, I am afraid we really over vaccinate our dogs.

zeusandzena

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 1, 2004

Michelle,
That is what I have decided to do with Zeus and Zena. My old vet wanted to beat around the bush about it so, I found a new vet that lets me call the shots (arguing with me and even wanted to give them vacc.'s every 6 months) on the vacc.'s.

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spiritsmom

· #16 · Apr 1, 2004

Hey did we have the same previous vet! My old one was the same way, he freaked when I told him I took my dogs to work at the shelter with me and then wanted to give them shots every 6 months. When I told him I wanted to do every 3 years he told my mom that I was endangering my dogs' lives and they might contract a disease that will kill them. My new vet is all in favor of not vaccinating every year, she was even surprised that I told her I do every 3 yrs and supported that decision fully - I am so glad I found this new vet!

zeusandzena

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 2, 2004

Lol! Yep! New vet is like as long as you do what is reguired by law and your dogs are not at dog parks, etc. then all is well....but, ya know Zeus has a vet phobia so maybe that is what made her say that. LOL! Atleast I don't have to argue my point everytime I go in there like the old place.

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playfo1

· #18 · Apr 2, 2004

One had just puppy shots then rabies scheduled every three years. Even with the puppy shots I stretched them out. The other was vax up until we got the pup and decided to back off. They both just get rabies every third year.

spiritsmom

· #19 · Apr 2, 2004

Well I am vaccinating every 3 years. I give them their puppy series and then 1 adult booster and then after that we do every 3 years. But they go to the vet every year for their physicals and when needed.

Maedchen

· #20 · Apr 2, 2004

Nope. Never again. And if I would ever spend money on buying a puppy it would have to come from unvaccinated lines.

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