Lyme Vaccine

[Guest ProudGreyMom]

I was just wondering how many of you use the Lyme vaccine for your greys. I have never had my dogs vaccinated for it - I use a preventative for both fleas and ticks, and they do not go in tick areas such as woodsy areas.

 

Grrrrrrr, I made this as a poll but the poll didn't show up. Oh well, the posts will do.

Edited April 28, 2008 by ProudGreyMom

[Burpdog]

No. People on tick list are adament about not giving. I think there is a discussion going on now about vaccine induced lyme.

[Guest ProudGreyMom]

I wil have to check that out. Thanks.

[Guest brandi007]

Old Country Vet did a nice write up on it - he says it's a money sink

 

http://www.oldcountryvet.com/index.html

 

He had a more in-depth one on it....but I can't find it, sorry!

 

Vaccination for Lymes disease: None of the 27 veterinary colleges in

the U.S. recommend vaccinating for Lymes disease and only 8 will

even do it if the pet owner insists. The other 19 refuse to even vaccinate

for it according to a recent survey. Minnesota is an endemic state (where the

disease is found) but the University of Minnesota diagnostic lab told me they

see only about one case a year. It is very easily treated. I haven't seen a case

in over a decade. Why would you vaccinate for this or test for it?

[gazehund]

Cheryl I did once. When I was a new owner (1999) and trying to do the "right" thing by my new dog.

Poor Future had a very violent reaction to the vaccine. None of my other hounds have ever gotten it nor will any future hound get it.

[Trudy]

Nope. I've not had a vet yet that thinks it is worth doing.

[dmswartzfager]

Old Country Vet did a nice write up on it - he says it's a money sink

 

http://www.oldcountryvet.com/index.html

 

He had a more in-depth one on it....but I can't find it, sorry!

 

Vaccination for Lymes disease: None of the 27 veterinary colleges in

the U.S. recommend vaccinating for Lymes disease and only 8 will

even do it if the pet owner insists. The other 19 refuse to even vaccinate

for it according to a recent survey. Minnesota is an endemic state (where the

disease is found) but the University of Minnesota diagnostic lab told me they

see only about one case a year. It is very easily treated. I haven't seen a case

in over a decade. Why would you vaccinate for this or test for it?

 

Interesting - I can think of at least ten dogs who have tested positive for Lyme at our clinic within the last year....

[Guest brandi007]

I'm not saying what he says is right, I'm the owner of a Lyme positive dog with no symptoms though.

[Fiona3]

We live in an area where Lyme disease is very common. I myself have had Lyme twice. Some of our dogs were testing positive when blood was drawn so we started on the vaccines for all of them. Although they don't go in the woods or tick-infested areas, they have picked it up in our backyard. So far we've been lucky that there have been no reactions. We do daily tick checks during the season and try to stay ahead of it.

[Guest Ola]

We're fortunate not to have Lyme in our area, but I have to say that I've heard many negative things about the vaccine over the years.

[BootsyCollins]

We get it for our dogs (and cats too, I think, but I don't know). The only negative I've ever heard is that it's not 100% effective. I've never heard all this other stuff. I've also never had a dog have a negative reaction to it.

[turbotaina]

Cheryl I did once. When I was a new owner (1999) and trying to do the "right" thing by my new dog.

 

Here, too. My current vet doesn't recommend it, even though we live in a tick endemic area.

[BootsyCollins]

Huh. Now I'm wondering if maybe he doesn't get it. I can never remember what shots are for what - I just take them in when I get the postcard in the mail. But I think he does get it. Now I'm going to have an anxiety attack that I'm killing my dog.

[GeorgeofNE]

I do!

 

Serious, serious problem with Lyme out on Nantucket where my family lives. While my vet admits it is not foolproof, she feels that its better to give it than not.

[PatricksMom]

I do--my vet sees several cases of lyme around here a year. I don't know that it's the right choice, but Patrick's never reacted to it. I hate these decisions

[patricia]

This is the first year that our vet has told us that we need it...they have had quite a few documentated cases in our area. So this year we got it...Flash goes back Thursday morning for the booster.

[Guest budsmom]

I did the first year I had my guys, but I haven't since, and I live in a major tick area. My vet said it's only about 60% effective, and that as long as I Frontline (or other flea/tick stuff), that that is probably more effective than the vaccine would be. Neither of mine had a reaction to it, but I'm just trying to only give them vaccinations that are really effective for stuff that is difficult to prevent otherwise. We live in the city, and my guys are rarely around other dogs or outside our yard, so their tick exposure risk is about as minimal as it can get. They don't get the bordatella vaccination for much the same reason. My vet told me that that one is sort of like a flu shot for humans, it only works on certain strains, and if your dog is an otherwise healthly adult, they will probably not get it much worse than a cold, if they even get that much.