What Shots Do They Really Need?

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

After reading the post about the sweetie who has the e-coli and the reaction to shots,it got me to wondering, what do they really need to have, other than rabies?

[duncan41]

According to the internist who treated Suze during Feb's ARF episode - it's basically a cr*p shoot. He (and his wife, who is also a Vet) have never vaccinated their indoor cats and titer their two dogs for everything else. He doesn't give Lepto because it doesn't cover all the strains and the potential reactions to the vaccine outweigh the benefits. He did qualify his statement by saying that the very first case of Lepto he saw while in Vet school was in a pocket Yorkie who had never been outside! His words: "..........so unless an infected animal came in the house undetected and peed in the dog's water bowl, no one was able to figure out how the dog contacted the disease."

That being said, our county shelters have just recovered from a second distemper outbreak within a year. Because my dogs do M&Gs at Petco just down the road from "ground zero", I had them vaccinated for distemper only this year (their 3 year rabies booster is due next year), but only because their titers indcated that their immunity was almost non-existent. Bottom line; rabies every three years and titer for everything else every year.

[Guest Energy11]

Mine are all seniors 7-9. I do ONLY Rabies (3) yr and Bordetella once a year. (*I do that, because if they go into the vets, I want them protected). Even when I worked at the vet, I did just the above. I was EXTREMELY careful to bleach my shoes, and change out of my scrubs before coming home.

 

 

[CaliforniaGreys]

Only Rabies done here, and that's just because it's required by law.

[Trihounds]

On Thursday, my new vet (we just moved) said she would titer the dogs for everything yearly and consider rabies in 6 years. If we need to board the dogs, she'll write us a note indicating their titer levels/health and that they are not candidates for vaccination. This after she believes Bumper had a rare reaction to vaccinations and is now living with the effects of an autoimmune disorder.

[Burpdog]

All the universities have gone to every 3 years. Some are of the opinion that no boosters are needed after the first yearly after puppy shots.

 

I'll bump up the vet guidelines thread.

[Guest Downtownhoundz]

I had Ben vaccinated against distemper and was gonna take Bernie in for his until I read that one post...now I don't think I will. What kind of titers do you ask for? The boyz don't go anywhere other than a walk around the neighborhood.

[Batmom]

Depends on your area and what's prevalent there. We do lepto annually and a 3-year rotation for everything else; bordetella if the dogs are going to be going places with lots of others.

 

I hear a lot about lepto being a vaccine dogs frequently react to. Maybe the only one my reactive dog *doesn't* react to .

 

As to why I would continue to vaccinate a dog who has some reactions .... So far the only reactions have been goose egg at the site, and this has been well-controlled with antihistamine/steroid premedication. There's a lot of crud here in my area. Frequent rounds of parvo, distemper, etc. thru the shelter/community, and lots of people who don't vaccinate (which means all the more need *to* vaccinate for the rest of us; *sigh*). Also a lot of lepto cases.

[GreyKarma]

I do the 3yr protocol for DHPP & Rabies. Bordetella can be every 6m or annual depending on exposure. Doing titers is a good thing.

 

I just got Molleigh her first Canine Flu VX on Thursday, with a boost in 2-4wks. We do a lot of M&G's at Petsmart and the local SPCA's sometimes are there. This flu is highly contagious like kennel cough...

 

The reason I decided to go with this vx is that we have had cases in our area local shelters. About 3yrs ago we suspected cases coming from the Petshop/Puppymill stores.

 

This vx is made by Intervet/Schering Plough. In the almost 20yrs that I worked in the Vet industry and seeing thousands of vaccines given, I can say I rarely saw any reactions from Shering Plough vaccines.

 

My other fear is that this flu virus which was first discovered at the Greyhound tracks could get worse in our area. We still see a number of Parvo cases each year, they have had to close our SPCA this year on a couple of occassions because of it.

 

Canine Flu is a mutation of the Equine Flu and is called H3N8.

 

No VX is 100%, but it will support the immune system and help lessen the symptoms of the virus.

 

Sadly I have not gotten my Flu vx yet because of low supply...keeping my fingers crossed.

[greytluck]

Depends on your area and what's prevalent there. We do lepto annually and a 3-year rotation for everything else; bordetella if the dogs are going to be going places with lots of others.

 

This is what I do as well. Hobbes had lepto from just leash walks so from now on every dog I own will have this shot.

[Guest Energy11]

I do the 3yr protocol for DHPP & Rabies. Bordetella can be every 6m or annual depending on exposure. Doing titers is a good thing.

 

I just got Molleigh her first Canine Flu VX on Thursday, with a boost in 2-4wks. We do a lot of M&G's at Petsmart and the local SPCA's sometimes are there. This flu is highly contagious like kennel cough...

 

The reason I decided to go with this vx is that we have had cases in our area local shelters. About 3yrs ago we suspected cases coming from the Petshop/Puppymill stores.

 

This vx is made by Intervet/Schering Plough. In the almost 20yrs that I worked in the Vet industry and seeing thousands of vaccines given, I can say I rarely saw any reactions from Shering Plough vaccines.

 

My other fear is that this flu virus which was first discovered at the Greyhound tracks could get worse in our area. We still see a number of Parvo cases each year, they have had to close our SPCA this year on a couple of occassions because of it.

 

\

Canine Flu is a mutation of the Equine Flu and is called H3N8.

 

No VX is 100%, but it will support the immune system and help lessen the symptoms of the virus.

 

Sadly I have not gotten my Flu vx yet because of low supply...keeping my fingers crossed.

 

 

My friend, who teaches pet therapy, and whose two GHs are therapy dogs, got the first vaccine for the canine flu, a week ago. No reactions. She, too is around a lot of other dogs, and thought it would be a good idea. I agree, but mine are not around any other dogs, ever.

[GreytNut]

Rabies + DHLPP. Bordetella if they're going to be boarded. It is so much easier to prevent a devastating disease such as distemper than it is to try to treat it or to lose your dog to it.

 

That said, I think yearly vaccinations are overkill. I do rabies every 2 years because it's required here but would prefer to do it every 3 years as was the regimen in CA and AZ. I just did titers for the other stuff after their initial vaccination series and they always had adequate immune responses. Titering was more expensive than vaccinating, but both the vet I saw in CA and the one I worked for in AZ thought that annual vaccinations led to a lot of autoimmune disorders and vaccine-related sarcomas. If their titers had ever shown inadequate response, I would have given them boosters.

 

Here the protocol is annual vaccination for DHLPP. The local vets don't do vaccine titering. I would argue more vociferously for titering or at least a 3 year protocol, but there are a LOT of cases of distemper and parvo in this area. I refuse to set foot in the local animal shelter because the last time I was there every critter in there appeared to have a cough and a snotty nose. If my pups ever got lost and ended up there, they would be right at ground zero for exposure. So I suppose what you get depends on what the risk is for certain diseases in your area, but I would never just not vaccinate for a serious preventable disease like distemper, even if you just monitor titers afterward.

[gazehund]

Only Rabies done here, and that's just because it's required by law.

 

Same here.

 

 

 

Edited October 31, 2009 by gazehund

[Sambuca]

I vaccinate for everything. I'm a dog walker and Bu goes to work with me. Even when he doesn't go with me, I don't know what I'm going to come home with. I also take him walking on trails in the woods and swimming in streams, ponds and lakes. He also goes to the dog park and sometimes to doggy day care. For us, with our lifestyle, I wouldn't risk not getting the vaccines. In fact, before my vet does certain vaccines, he asks us about different things we do and if we do high risk things, then he'll vaccinate, otherwise he says not to give certain vaccines.

 

On the other hand, if we didn't have the lifestyle we have now, he wouldn't get nearly as many vaccines as he does. You need to weigh your lifestyle and his exposure to things against the risks. It is going to be different for every dog and every family.

[brandimom]

According to the internist who treated Suze during Feb's ARF episode - it's basically a cr*p shoot. He (and his wife, who is also a Vet) have never vaccinated their indoor cats and titer their two dogs for everything else. He doesn't give Lepto because it doesn't cover all the strains and the potential reactions to the vaccine outweigh the benefits. He did qualify his statement by saying that the very first case of Lepto he saw while in Vet school was in a pocket Yorkie who had never been outside! His words: "..........so unless an infected animal came in the house undetected and peed in the dog's water bowl, no one was able to figure out how the dog contacted the disease."

That being said, our county shelters have just recovered from a second distemper outbreak within a year. Because my dogs do M&Gs at Petco just down the road from "ground zero", I had them vaccinated for distemper only this year (their 3 year rabies booster is due next year), but only because their titers indcated that their immunity was almost non-existent. Bottom line; rabies every three years and titer for everything else every year.

I totally agree as to your bottom line and this is what I do for my sighthounds. My indoor cats get nothing!

[Trudy]

My greys are 10, only Rabies now unless we have a need for any of the others.

 

T will probably get another round or two of everything before he goes to just Rabies and others as situations require them.

[dex95lucy]

My first vet who is now in his "80's " told me that when HE was in vet school there was controversy about how often vaccinations were needed!

My current vets really told me off when I stood up for my critters and announced that I would be giving them only rabies now, but they agreed that there is a lot of controversy. My dogs are around other dogs only at the vet. Should we ever vacation in certain areas where there is prevelance of an illness I would probably have them titered and innoculated ahead of time. Considering my hounds are 10.5 and almost 15, it is unlikely.

 

I had a cat who died of a vaccine induced tumor on her neck. It looked like she had a baseball under the skin. It was heartbreaking.

 

sue

[dante2zoe]

My vet, bless him and curse him for retiring soon, is very vaccination cautious. In his opinion, my pups have been probably vaccinated tons more than necessary due to being on the track. He only gives them the rabies, as instructed by law. However, with our newest addition, he was on the fence about another distemper. Maverick turned 3 in July. He would have had his puppy shots and one year booster. I am not sure if he would have received any other boosters. Any thoughts? We had a cat die from a vaccination-site tumor and have two friends whose cats suffered major life-threatening reactions to their vaccinations. I am in no big rush to vaccinate unless I have to.

[Batmom]

Maverick turned 3 in July. He would have had his puppy shots and one year booster. I am not sure if he would have received any other boosters. Any thoughts?

 

We got Joseph at @ the same age. When he came due for his shots, my most vaccine-cautious, holistic vet (I have a couple vets) wanted him to have one more full set of vacs before we went to the 3-year protocol. 'Course as already noted we live in an area with lots of crud floating around so YMMV.

[dante2zoe]

Batmom - thanks for the insight! He decided to wait until next year for the distemper because he figures the one Maverick got at 1 would be good for 3 years. Then, I think we will be done with those. He didn't really want to vaccinate him until he was completely settled in at home and all dietary conversions were done and accepted. He also indicated that my dogs are in great shape and he bets that their titers would be high anyway. Nice to get compliments from your vet!

[RobinM]

We give Chloe, Teddy and Elsie- minimal- 3 year Rabies.

 

Beau becaue of his compromised immune system gets NOTHING- not even rabies.

 

My kitties used to get the full set of shots every year. Now, they get nothing. They are strictly indoor cats.

 

 

[GreyAcresMom]

For the most part here in our town they are offering the 6 in one...Lepto is not given in that shot anymore.

 

I get them all done every three years unless something special is happening: like a trip or something!

Angel will turn 10 in Nov. Vet and I already discussed it and she said that she totally understands if I decide not to give her anymore shots. She has had so many. I really don't think she will need more. But the vet did point out that Greys are living longer these days and to consider that also when I make my decision!

Edited November 2, 2009 by GreyAcresMom