Vaccines And Yearly Vet Visits

[Guest karma98104]

My pups (whippets) are over due for their yearly physicals. I've been hesitant to take them in because, well, they seem rather pointless for healthy dogs. I mean, all they do is poke around, take temperatures and give vaccines. If they were older dogs or had any special medical issues I'd feel differently. Lexington had a few bumps I wanted the vet to look at, so he went in right on schedule. I was contemplating skipping the vet visit for the other two and taking them to petco for cheap vaccines. Does anyone see a problem with this?

 

My vet tells me that the only vaccine mine need this year is Lepto. I really dislike vaccinating them if there's no real reason to. My dogs are never boarded, do not go to dog parks, and all of their dog friends are up to date on their shots and well cared for. They do on occasion have an opportunity to catch a squirrel or birds in the yard. What exactly is Lepto and do you think they really need it?

 

Thanks for the advice!

[Guest FullMetalFrank]

Lepto is leptospirosis, a nasty bacterial disease transmitted in urine primarily. It is often found in wet areas and places where wildlife frequent. Because we live in a rural area and there are raccoons and other wildlife that may pass thru my yard, and because we do go to rivers and lakes sometimes, we go ahead and vaccinate. It is a yearly vaccination; and unfortunately does not cover every strain of the disease. Leptospirosis is transmissible to humans...

 

Before I had greyhounds, back when I just had cats, I would sometimes skip a yearly well vet visit (partially because my elderly kitty was NOT a good traveller at all) but now, I do get the hounds in to the vet at least once a year,if even just to get a weight, a quick once over by the vet, and answers to any questions that may have arisen during the year. Now Frank needs at least yearly testing anyways, to see how his thyroid is doing. Plus the yearly lepto shots...

[Wonder]

Mine are blood donors so get examined by a vet with each donation therefore I don't do an annual exam.

My pups are examined 3-4 times a year plus the blood bank does annual blood work so an extra annual exam is pointless.

 

 

Sparks is 12 and too old to donate but he does go to the vet annually.

Edited February 19, 2010 by Wonder

[JAJ2010]

I'm not big on healthy visits if they need no shots... But mine are usually there at least once a uear anyway for some random bobo or issue lol

[Burpdog]

I'd go for a yearly check up (I assume you don't listen to their hearts?) and skip yearly vaccines. However, I have done the lepto on occassion. I have mixed feelings about giving it. If I remember right, the vaccine only vaccinates for a few strains and there are many. I'm sure others will chime in

 

I've done a yearly blood panel also. Better to have a history than wait until a crisis.

[Batmom]

I like having a yearly blood panel and heartworm test.

 

Ask your vet about lepto in your area. We live in the city but our yard backs on an old creekbed / drainage area, so we get a lot of wildlife and lepto is prevalent here. We get the lepto vaccine yearly. My one dog who tends to react to vaccines has never reacted to that one.

 

There are a lot of strains of lepto but these are known and I would expect commercial vaccines to cover most of them. The disease can kill. People can get it too.

[Guest KennelMom]

New dogs go for a wellness visit and blood panel. Seniors go at least once a year and have a blood panel at least once a year, more if they have some medical issue we're monitoring. For young dogs, they don't necessarily go every year unless they need to, but I don't like more than 24 months to pass before a vet lays hands on them...Vaccines are done about every 2-3 years by the traveling vet. In fact, I think we're due for shots this year!

Edited February 19, 2010 by KennelMom

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

I do not do annual visits or shots.

[winnie]

Our greys and horse have annual vet checks and vaccines, if necessary.

 

Our cats haven't been to the vets office in years. They are indoor cats, have little to no contact with the dogs and HATE traveling.

[PatricksMom]

I do them--vet visits--, it's worth the peace of mind if nothing else and anyway Patrick has to have a blood panel every year and so far needs a dental every year (worth it, he's lucky and still has all his teeth.)

 

As for vaccines, I know this is controversial, but I'm very pro-vaccine in humans, I get everything I can when I travel, etc. For him, I do all the recommended ones, but on the longer schedule. I also space them out, he only gets one on any given day--inconvient and not proven to be better, but I wonder.

 

Of course, do I get yearly physicals and take the time to space out my own vaccines, of course not.

[Guest zoolaine]

All my dogs go once a year for a physical. My older dogs get yearly geriatric bloodwork panels. That was how Sunny was diagnosed with Protein Losing Enteropathy about 2 years ago. His protein levels were low but normal the previous year and then dropped below normal in 2008. It was good that we caught it before he got sick as most dogs get very ill and lose a lot of weight before it is diagnosed. The specialist at the lab said if we didn't do any treatment, he would be dead in 3 months! I think this year I will see about doing the titer instead of vaccines.

[SAVED2]

When they reach 10 yrs all the shots stop , they never leave the house and there yard is completly fenced in , the younger ones get the yearly , never had a problem.

[brandimom]

Yearly exams for our three ages 7, 9 and 11 (dogs) as well as complete blood work. I don't vaccinate except for the rabies every three years because it it a law where I live. I do the titer each year on each of them which shows me they still have the vaccine in them. We don't have a problem with ticks, fleas or heartworm where I live, thank dog.

[KF_in_Georgia]

My guys go out in public with me: maybe to PetSmart to shop or to get a bath (I'm a groomer there), also to events with other greys and some non-greys. And our local rescue group has its yearly fundraiser at a farm. In my neighborhood, there's a creek out the front door (with possums, squirrels, etc.), other dogs using the same potty areas--things like that. Also, both dogs are on thyroxine, and my vet wants yearly bloodwork before extending their prescription. Sam will be 10 in May; Jacey will be 7.

 

This year, it went like this:

 

Late January: DHPP and Bordatella for each dog.

Early February: Wellness exam, heartworm test, 3-year rabies for Sam. Wellness exam, senior blood profile, 3-year rabies for Jacey.

 

I break the shots (other than Bordatella) into separate visits; if someone has a reaction, I want to know which shot they're reacting to. Jacey's senior wellness exam included her thyroid test and heartworm test, and the bloodwork served as her pre-dental labwork. (She had her dental the week after the February vet visit.) My vet doesn't charge for an office visit if we see the tech rather than the vet, so the January visit was with the tech only. If I keep the dogs current on Bordatella and someone develops a respiratory problem, I know we can pretty much rule out kennel cough and just worry about canine influenza or some other respiratory issue.

 

I skip leptospirosis vaccines: The shot is actually not effective for a full 12 months, it only works to prevent a couple of strains of lepto, and there are more strains that aren't covered. I asked my vet if he thought I ought to include the lepto vaccine once every few years, and he said he didn't think so...not with my dogs' activities and not since the vaccine doesn't protect for even a full year.

 

Sometime around May or June, I'll run Sam to the vet's to get bloodwork done to check on his thyroid. But if my guys run true to form, someone will get dinged or minorly ill before then, and we can combine Sam's blood-draw with whatever else is going on when that happens.

[PatricksMom]

Hopefully: exam, shots, fecal, full blood pannel + thyroid pannel, dental

 

Too often: emergency vet visits, little bumps that make me paranoid (but so far have all been nothing).

[Guest EmilyandSioux]

We do annual visits and usually few in between due misc injuries. I was a tech so I fix most things myself. I was wondering if you don't visit you vet every year then how do you get the heartworm prevention for them. I know in Texas they have to be tested every year for heartworms even if they have been on prevention. With 5 dogs, 3 horses, a donkey, a prairie dog and a chinchila someone is always needing something. Since it is easy at home I even listen to their hearts once a month when they get their prevention. I guess I am the REALY over protective mom.

[GreyAcresMom]

Here, we do the three year plan. They get the three year rabies, and when the rabies are due, they also get the boosters. Mine are also never boarded. If I remember right, here they don't even offer the 7-in-one shot anymore it is only the 6 way. Lepto is no longer in the booster.

[Guest IrskasMom]

My Morty gets a Yearkly Checkup and Shots ,if neccesary. My Kitty on the other Hand is to hard to get out of the House ( leave alone to get him in a Crate) for a Vet Vist.He will see a Vet only when I think, there is something going on with him. He is only Indoors, so it's alright.