Vaccines

[Guest greydogluvr]

I bet this has been discussed in other threads but I wanted to know what Vaccines you all routinely give your greyhounds and if an age has been recommended where it is felt they are more harmful than helpful? I know this is a general question and probably varies based on many factors. The more information the better.

[Guest HeatherDemps]

My greyhound just turned 12 and my IG is almost 6. The only vaccine I routinely have done anymore is the rabies shot- every 3 years. I don't board my dogs ever though, so I don't have to deal with what those facilities require. I live in Central Illinois in case that also helps.

[Greylover97]

Rabies every three years (required here) and DHLP every year, for now. Jake is seven and Carolina is five, when they get older they will only get rabies.

[Hubcitypam]

Rabies every 3 years per law. Buck and Poodle are both about 8 and their next DHPP (on the 3 year plan) will be the last. I am on the fence about just lepto every year as Rogue at work died a nasty death from it last month. My vet (that I don't use for shots) said a few years ago lepto was very important and it really hit home with Rogues case. Some of it my depend on where you live.

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Frank, who is 8, was due for his yearly vaccinations awhile back and our new vet recommended a three-year DHLPP instead of the yearly, because of his age. We went with that and his regular 3-year rabies. I don't know if the 3-year DHLPP is available everywhere, I had not heard of it except from our new vet.

[Hubcitypam]

I don't know if the 3-year DHLPP is available everywhere, I had not heard of it except from our new vet.

As far as I know it's the same shot, just different vet protocol. It drives me crazy at work when we call for vaccination records. There can be three vets on three different corners and one will say DHPP is good for one year on adult dogs, one will say two and the other will say three. It is totally subjective as best I can tell.

 

We do tell the people whos vets insist on annual rabies for adult dogs they need to question their vet on that.

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Here's an interesting article about vaccines:

 

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/family/2045487/detail.html

 

Annual Dog Vaccines May Be Unnecessary

Study: Overvaccination May Jeopardize Dog's Health

 

POSTED: 4:27 pm EST March 17, 2003

 

 

Once a year, Ronald Schultz checks the antibody levels in his dogs' blood. Why? He says for proof that most annual vaccines are unnecessary.

 

Schultz, professor of pathobiological sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, has been studying the effectiveness of canine vaccines since the 1970s; he's learned that immunity can last as long as a dog's lifetime, which suggests that our "best friends" are being overvaccinated.

 

Based on his findings, a community of canine vaccine experts has developed new veterinary recommendations that could eliminate a dog's need for annual shots. The guidelines appear in the March/April issue of Trends, the journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

 

 

Every year, when we take our dogs to the veterinarian's office, they could receive up to 16 different vaccines, many of which are combined into a single shot. Four of these products protect against life-threatening diseases, including rabies, canine parvovirus type 2, canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type 2; the rest protect against milder diseases to which only some dogs are exposed, including Lyme disease.

 

But, as many veterinarians are realizing, overvaccination can actually jeopardize a dog's health. Side effects can cause skin problems, allergic reactions and autoimmune disease. And in cats, tumors have been reported at the site of vaccine injections.

 

"These adverse reactions have caused many veterinarians to rethink the issue of vaccination," Schultz said. "The idea that unnecessary vaccines can cause serious side effects is in direct conflict with sound medical practices."

 

For 30 years, Schultz has been examining the need to vaccinate animals so often and for so many diseases.

 

"In the 1970s, I started thinking about our immune response to pathogens and how similar it is in other animals," Schultz said. "That's when I started to question veterinary vaccination practices."

 

Just like ours, a canine's immune system fires up when a pathogen, like a virus, enters the body. The pathogen releases a protein called an antigen, which calls into action the immune system's special disease-fighting cells. These cells not only destroy the virus, but they remember what it looked like so they can fend it off in the future.

 

It's this immunological memory that enables vaccines, which purposely contain live, weakened or dead pathogens, to protect against future disease.

 

But, as Schultz points out, vaccines can keep people immune for a lifetime: We're usually inoculated for measles, mumps and rubella as children but never as adults. So, can dogs be vaccinated as pups and then never again?

 

While evidence from Schultz's studies on both his own dogs and many other dogs from controlled studies suggests the answer is yes, Schultz recommends a more conservative plan based on duration of immunity and individual risk.

 

Schultz said that core vaccines, or the ones that protect against life-threatening disease, are essential for all dogs, yet he does not recommend dogs receive these shots yearly. He said that, with the exception of the rabies vaccine, they should last at least seven years. Rabies shots, ont he other hand, have shown to last about three years.

 

For these reasons, Schultz suggests that dogs receive rabies shots every three years (as is required by law in most states) and the other core vaccines no more frequently than every three years.

 

Some less serious vaccines, on the other hand, have a much shorter duration of immunity, lasting around one year. But, as Schultz points out, not every dog should get these types of vaccines, because not every dog is at risk for exposure.

 

Today, many vaccinated dogs receive a shot for Lyme disease. But Schultz said that the ticks carrying the Lyme disease pathogen can be found in only a few regions of the United States.

 

"The vaccine can cause adverse effects such as mild arthritis, allergy or other immune diseases. Like all vaccines, it should only be used when the animal is at significant risk," he said.

 

Another common vaccine that Schultz says is unnecessary protects against "kennel cough," an often mild and transient disease contracted during boarding or dog shows.

 

"Most pet dogs that do not live in breeding kennels, are not boarded, do not go to dog shows and have only occasional contact with dogs outside their immediate family, rarely need to be vaccinated or revaccinated for kennel cough," he said.

 

Schultz said it's important for veterinarians to recognize an individual dog's risk for developing a particular disease when considering the benefits of a vaccine. Giving a vaccine that's not needed creates an unnecessary risk to the animal, he said.

 

Schultz admitted that recommending that dogs receive fewer vaccines may spark controversy, especially since many veterinarians rely on annual vaccines to bring in clients, along with income.

 

But annual visits are important for many reasons other than shots.

 

"Checking for heartworm, tumors, dermatological problems and tooth decay should be done on a yearly basis," he said. "Plus, some dogs, depending on their risk, may need certain vaccines annually."

 

Rather than vaccinating on each visit, veterinarians can use a recently developed test that checks dogs' immunity against certain diseases.

 

Schultz said veterinarians who have switched to the three-year, instead of annual, vaccination program have found no increase in the number of dogs with vaccine-preventable diseases.

 

"Every day, more and more people in the profession are embracing the change," Schultz said. The new vaccination guidelines are supported by the AAHA, along with the task force members representing the American Colleges of Veterinary Internal Medicine, Veterinary Microbiology and the American Association of Veterinary Immunologists.

[NeylasMom]

I just posted this in another thread, you may find some helpful info here:

http://www.caberfeidh.com/HHC.htm

 

I personally only do titres for DHLLP, rabies we do every 3 years as required by law. However, I am currently preparing to talk to my vet about whether she'll consider only titres for rabies as well for my senior girl (she's 9, my male is 3), and writing a letter to put on file with the county so I can still get her licensed.

 

We don't do bordatella or lyme vaccines at all. I don't think either is effective enough to warrant the risk. My dogs are also rawfed, which I believe gives them a stronger immune system to fight off infections like kennel cough.

 

[Guest greyvettech]

In Florida, the distemper (seven in one) da2pl/cpv/cv is given once yearly...there are a couple clinics that claim there is a two or three year distemper combo vaccines- but it is not recognized in the state of Florida....but that doesn't stop some clinics from administering it or saying it's effective for three years.(there was a big article on the dvm's liability of giving da2p only once every three years in the last DVM magazine)I also think it's a matter of what the Veterinarian's opinions are and they all differ.I think it's too important to give only once every three years..At work, we recommend once yearly for adult dogs..rabies is a three year and bordetella is also one year..We live in an area with a large tick population and we also carry the lymes vaccine which is given upon request....

Edited March 19, 2008 by greyvettech

[Jiffer]

My blood donor pups get their vaccines annually, including bordatella and lepto.

 

Atlas goes every two years for his and I skip the bordatella and lepto.

[Burpdog]

Most of the vets now acknowledge we have been over vaccinating for years. The latest guidelines:

 

http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php?showtopic=128246&hl=

[Guest Amy_Bee]

Question-- I don't board Gretchen but do take her to dog parks. Is the bordatella vaccine needed?

[Guest EmilyAnne]

One of my dogs has epilepsy, and the other is 13, so were not vaccinating at all anymore. They are currently up to date on shots.(we just recently learned about over vaccinating) When 3 years has passed, I will have to be careful about exposing my dogs to others. I doubt Riley will still be around by then though. I am not against vaccinating altogether. It just depends on the whole picture.

[NeylasMom]

Question-- I don't board Gretchen but do take her to dog parks. Is the bordatella vaccine needed?

 

There isn't a cut and dry answer to that. I believe it's possible to contract bordatella at the dog park, but less likely than at say a boarding kennel. I personally believe my dogs have the immune system to fight off kennel cough if they do get it. With a puppy or a dog with a compromised immune system, I would think about this more (or avoid putting them in situations where they could potentially contract it).

 

Anyway, I don't believe the risks are worth the potential reward so I don't do it. It's also worth noting that some dogs do have symptoms of the illness when vaccinated. My friend gave up on vaccinating her lab after he experienced them two vaccines in a row (spaced over the recommended period of time though). I personally don't choose to get the flu vaccine for myself for similar reasons.

 

I am not against vaccinating altogether. It just depends on the whole picture.

 

I think that's the best way to think about it. Educate yourself, discuss it with your vet, and take your own dog's situation into consideration to make a final decision.

[Hubcitypam]

I only give it to Buck because he has to have it to go to work and play. I agree that fat happy house dogs that are not stressed would be very unlikely to catch kennel cough at the dog park. Add to that it only works about 1/2 the time.

[Batmom]

I get kennel cough (bordetella) vaccine if I'm going to any gh events or classes with the dogs, or if I think I'm going to have to board them. You want to plan ahead and do it @ 3 weeks before the event. My mom did have an experience with a dog getting symptoms from the vaccine years ago; her vet believes that happens much less often these days. I on the other hand have had an unvaccinated dog get kennel cough and it was seriously not fun for several days ...... I would consider not vaccinating Zema, but wouldn't you know, that's one she doesn't seem to react to, at all, ever.

 

All our other vaccines (except lepto) are commonly done on 3-year rotation at my vet's.

[Greytlady94]

This is what I do for my greyhounds who are Renie- almost 10, Lucy 9 and Teddy 8. We are doing titres annually except for intranasal bordetella which they are given every 6 months. Their vet is fully supportive of this decision.

[Mystella]

Stella is almost 12 now and my vet has started rotating her vaccines, instead of giving them annually she will do it every 2 to 3 years now.

 

 

Our City bylaw does require an annual rabies vaccine, my vet thinks this is BS since the same vaccine is good for 3 years in the US, so she gives me a certificate saying Stella is under a vet's routine care and is protected from rabies.

 

[Guest EmilyAnne]

Stella is almost 12 now and my vet has started rotating her vaccines, instead of giving them annually she will do it every 2 to 3 years now.

 

 

Our City bylaw does require an annual rabies vaccine, my vet thinks this is BS since the same vaccine is good for 3 years in the US, so she gives me a certificate saying Stella is under a vet's routine care and is protected from rabies.

Your vet sounds really cool!