Annual boosters and booking into kennels?

Spyda

Spyda

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In UK, I dont booster every single year.

I have my puppies vaccinated via the standard scedule as a puppy and then every five years after that one. Never had a problem doing this and personally do not believe dogs or cats need annual boosters any more than we do; we don't vaccinate our children EVERY year do we? So why are we expected to believe our pets are any different for those main illness we vacinated them against as puppies. And granted, the Flu vaccine IS one of the exceptions!

My problem is, I'm going away early next year and need to board my two dogs (8 year old lurcher and 1 year old Whippet) and EVERY kennel expects them to be fully vaccinated. I was prepared to have the dogs covered for kennel cough but am reluctant to start a new vaccination program just to kennel my dogs for 5 days.

But maybe it is a legal requirement for kennels to require this? Anyone know?
 
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No it's not a legal requirement. I don't vaccinate every year either; the pups get the initial course and a booster at 12 months; thereafter they are titre tested and if you can provide the print out from the lab that shows the levels of immunity I've found a number of kennels in my area that are happy to accept that.

By titre testing it also enables me to top up any dog if so required with the requisite vaccine. Quite why a single vaccine is more expensive than the multiple ones however defeats me, but that's another subject...........:mad:
 
We have re-started vaccs in the past to get them into kennels, most annoyingly they don't bother checking the cards when we take them.

We have tried 4 different kennels in our area over the last 10 years and only one kennel asked to see the vacc cards.
 
All our pups get done and then thats it.

my dog has never been vaccinated, as when we got her we had a vet with the opinion that vaccinations are just another way to fund the mercedes.

If we hear of an outbreak of parvo or Kc then we would get them all done, but never has a vet questioned us.
 
Must admit, our vet's never questioned us about why our numerous cats and dogs aren't vaccinated beyond the first set done as a kitten/puppy.

I daren't book the dogs' into a kennels and 'hope' not to be asked to see their certs. Just be MY luck to try it and get asked. Then what would I do!! :rolleyes:

I've got loads of small animals at home and am planning on having someone come in to 'do' them at each end of the day, but the OH isn't keen to have the dogs' left on their own whilst we're away. Fair enough, it's sure proving a pain in the neck finding somewhere to book them into without having to spend a couple hundred quid in vets fees first, just to get their vac card up to date again :(
 
Not my area, I'm afraid, but if you don't find anything is a home sitter an option? A company like Animal Aunts maybe?

I used above company about nine years ago and the people they provided were very good (house immaculate, garden weeded, dogs doting on them). They were great for the breed I had then (labs) but seriously struggled subsequently with HPRs! Not wanting to offend anyone but they seriously couldn't cope with prey driven gundogs.....mud, wanting to chase anything with a fur coat etc etc! :D :mad:
 
Henry gets his boosters as it's a requirement of our training classes. We have dogs of all ages from puppies upwards, so we need to take care. I really wouldn't want him to be mixing with loads of different non-vaxed dogs from many different origins tbh, and I wouldn't want him to go into a kennel where they were lax about these things. I do a fair bit on animal diseases (although equine) in my job, so I tend to err on the side of caution, personally.
 
I would go with an in home sitter if i was you.

I also don't vac other than the rabies every year (because its law) after many years of research and an over vaccinated dog.
 
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