Vaccine Reaction - Page 5

We use Idexx for the distemper parvo titers, which in turn they send to Colorado State.  We used to send them to Cornell for about the same cost.  We send our Rabies titers to Kansas State, including the human ones.  Primarily because of dogs that may be shipped overseas, we are familiar and know that they are going to run the correct test, etc. etc. 

I agree on the fact that it might not be the Lepto vaccine.  They need to be exposed first to it, before they can have a reaction. 

Get the titers done next year.  This should be a 3 year rabies now anyway right?

There are alot of clinics out there who have gone to giving distemper/parvo combos every two to three years.  Unfortunately we are not yet!  GRRR,  I just think that it's too much of a hassle to change over!  However, we have a fair number of clients that do titer and/or vaccinate every 3 years.  Stinks because some states require the darn vaccine every year!  And it's all the same vaccine!

I agree with you Sunshine on some vets use it as a source of income.  The clinic I work for does that to a degree, which drives me crazy at times when the 12 year old indoor cat comes in for vaccines who's had a feline distemper every year for its entire life!

Blitzen you are correct on the parvo, and adult dog who's been vaccinated, even once in its life will not die from parvo.

The problem is you don't know for sure which vaccine it was from. 

I don't think that Dodd cares who send the blood samples for the titers, but there has to be a vet's name on the form so she knows where to send the results. Also, you'd need spun serum so would have to centrifuge it. If you google Hemopet you can get all the information there.

gsdluv2, I honestly don't think a dog (or human) has a reaction to anything the first time it is exposed to the allergan. I wouldn't count on the lepto being the culprit, but ask your vet if it's possible for that to happen at the initial exposure. I've been taught it is not.

I was agreeing with Blitzen here.  I've been taught that as well, but I suppose anything is possible.  Like I said before, you just don't know!  We do not use Lepto because of possible "more" reactions and the strain of lepto or serosbar (sp?) is not the one that is prevelent in our area.  No corona either. 

Usually when you send blood off to those places.  Yes,  needs to be spun and then the serum removed from clot and put in a plain tube.  Sometimes places like it frozen before shipping.   :)

This is opening up a whole other can of worms.  But, where we are located Lyme disease is very very prevelent.  Therefore alot of our patients are vaccinated, mine included.  It's the merial vaccine and have seen only one reaction to it in almost 8 years. 

I've just seen one too many dogs go into kidney failure from Lyme Disease and it's basically a death sentence.

We have lyme here too and I would probably vaccinate Blitz against it if were more efficacious and if the vac didn't interfer with diagnosing the disease by creating what could be a false positive.  It's like any other titer, it's impossible to know if the level is high due to the vac or the disease.  So if your vaccinated dog gets sick and it looks symptomatically like it might be lyme and the titer is high, is it high due to the disease or the vac? So you end up treating it anyway. Hard to know what to do sometimes, isn't it? It makes my head hurt. I know people who have had dogs with lyme and that other tick borne disease which I cannot spell, starts with an "e" LOL, and those dogs were successfully treated with doxycycline. It's all about early diagnosis I think. 

No, I looked it up - ehrlichiosis - but I think there is a tick borne encephalitis too. Ticks are nasty little critters.

ehrlichia and rocky mountain spotted fever

two nasty tick born diseases.

there's a pretty accurate snap test called a 4DX that test for lyme, ehrlichia, one other tick borne which escapes me at the moment.  i use it as my heartworm test, just to know if they have been exposed. 

this test disguishes pretty well in between infection and vaccine.  then there's a C6 to help diagnosis too.  used to have to send a western blot out to confirm infection or vaccine. 

the thing that tough with lyme disease that goes into kidney failure. which is rare at least.  is that you don't have the typical lyme signs.  you basically do not know the dog is sick until it is too late.

so far, my guys have been good with it.  i kind of go back and forth sometimes with doing it.  but, then when you see a 3 year old perfectly healthy golden retriever die from it, it kinda pushes me in the other direction. 

Sunsilver, I hate to say it, but most vets I have had business dealings with reguard vaccinations...and spaying and neutering...as cash cows.  I give my own shots, and offer to give the subsequent boosters to local owners for free.  The cost?  About $4 a shot for me.   Some vets push neutering and spaying like it is the holy grail, too...to the point of total irritation.  Thank God I found the really great vet I use now!  He has something that now seems rare in vets...common sense and simple honesty.

Veronica