vaccinate or not - Page 1

What do you guys think about continued vaccination in dogs over a year and half is it worth the risk or is it a risk not worth takeing i have allways had my own ideas but want to know what you guy think

I am doing a minimal vacc. schedule.   My pup had a combo. shot at her breeders, and then one distemper and one parvo vaccine at 12 and 16 weeks respectively.   She is now 3 and has been titre tested each year and not needed a booster since.  Rabies is mandated by law and since we go to training and competitions, I have to provide proof of that.   

So you say no after puppy rounds

We give the puppy series excluding corona virus. Then we give an adult booster at 16 months. At seven years the dogs get another adult booster and that's all the vaccinations.

As to rabies, we give the 1 year shot at 6 months. At 18 months and every 3 years thereafter they get the 3 year rabies shot.

Aqua.. what made you decide on 7 as the age to revaccinate?  Research?  Someone's protocol? Your own titre results?  I haven't made up my mind what we are doing "down the road" so to speak.   Still undecided on Lyme vaccine as well.

Heather

In the studies we read titres were checked for 7 years following the adult vaccinations at 16 months. The immune systems of the dogs still contained full complements of protective antibody levels. The conclusions were that immunizations of puppies and young adults probably gives lifetime protection. That's why we chose 7 years.

Oh cool.  So it was sort of "at least" seven years and the research stopped at that point?  So seven years is to be on the safe side since the research didn't look at longer than that, am I understanding that correctly?  

Heather

Yes, that's our understanding of the research reports. The vaccination protocols from various vet schools recommend boosters every 5 years although they agree with each other that titres were still valid at 7 years. Probably the 5 year recommendation is to include a wide variety of dogs and cover the bell curve.

If you go with 5 years you'll immunize the dog 4 times over its lifespan: the puppy series, the adult booster at 16 or 18 months, one set of boosters at age 5 years and another at age 10 years in addition to the rabies vax as required by your home state.

The 7 year cycle vaccinates the dog only 3 times: puppy series, adult booster before age 2 and second adult booster at age 7 years.

By the time a dog is 10 years old s/he's likely beginning to deal with senior dog issues; we want to avoid as much metabolic stress as we can by then because we may have to begin with pain meds for arthritis or steroids for who-knows-what. The vaccination at age 7 should keep them protected until they're at least 12 and by then, each day is a gift.

Anyway, that's our rationale and we're sticking to it   :)

Aqua, Our holistic vet said the same thing- vaccines last a lifetime. Our convential vet does not do annual vaccinations on his own dogs and claims that by the end of his career (he is about 45 years old) that the idea of annual vaccines will be obsolete. He is trying to educate his clients about vaccinations and titers, but we have been so brainwashed into thinking that we are only good pet owners if we vaccinate annually. Many pet owners are resistant to doing the titers instead of the vaccines, so he doesn't force it. Those clients that choose to do the titers must sign a waiver when they opt for titers as opposed to the vaccines because there is no guarantee a dog won't get the disease just because the titer is high. There is no guarantee with the vaccine either, but no one can sue the vet if their dog gets something they've been vaccinated against. They may sue the manufacturer of the vaccine, but that is not the vet's problem. I hope I am making sense. Right now there needs to be more scientific documented research to show that our pets don't need to be vaccinated annually and that titers are reasonably reliable.  For me there is already enough proof, but for many there is not. When I took my dog to get her certified as a therapy dog with TDI I had to get my dog vaccinated against rabies even though her titer showed she was very well protected. The insurance company would not cover a dog without the vaccine...period. Trust me, I argued with them and my holistic vet even called to try and educate them, but it just wasn't enough. So...we have  a long way to go.  In the meantime, I personally will never vaccinate my dogs again for the rest of their lives, except for the 3 year rabies, but only because I have to.  Forgot to mention one more thing- my holistic vet said that there really is no reason to titer because it is her opinion that it is not necessary. She feels there is overwhelming proof that the vaccines can last for a lifetime. Some may disagree and that is ok. I am not just passing along what I was told.

I reluctantly took my 2yr old bitch for her booster yesterday but felt somewhat reassured (when making the appointment) by the veterinary nurse informing me she would only require the lepto shot as she had received the full booster the previous year.

On arrival at the vets I explained she'd had a bit of an upset tum, but I felt 90% certain this was food-related as she'd clearly enjoyed some treats too much!  He said she would be fine, declined to check her temperature or even put his hands on her and simply gave her the vaccine.

Imagine my annoyance when he then informed me 'after the deed' that he had given her the full course - as the vaccine she had last year did not at that time have a 3-yr licence.

When I queried titre-testing with him he completely trashed the idea, said 'they' (the veterinary practice) don't do it and told me the results were often unreliable.

Guess who's looking for a new vet.