Anyone NOT vaccinate their dogs?

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Oneofthepack

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Mine are all due for their boosters but I was talking to a neighbour who used to work for an holistic vet and they didn't recommend vaccination for any dogs and certainly not over a certain age (which I can't remember!) as she says they will have built up all the immunity they're ver going to get by then.

I'd not heard this before and wondered if anyone else had?
 
Right!! Please get your dog vaccinated.....I have spent this week nursing a dog with Leptospirosis, and it died! last summer we had a litter of dobie pups vaccinated with homepathic vaccine ......they all had parvo virus and died. I have heard all the arguements about "to vaccinate or not to vaccinate" and I can understand peoples concerns BUT please its not worth the risk.....*phew* sorry about the rant! but this bone really riles the dog!!
 
I had my GSD vacc. as a puppy then his booster at a year old, maybe one more after that and then kind of lapsed - always meant to get it sorted but never did and he is now 12 and still doing very well. He has always been walked with other dogs etc. and never been ill. I have no idea whether this is just luck though?!
 
My mum (a breeder, as you all know... sorry....) has hers vaccinated up to about seven years old, then stops their boosters - she has spoken to the vet about this, and reckons they build up sufficient immunity by that age? Bearing in mind cavaliers live to about 12-14 years old? They are all shown as youngsters so come into contact with lots of other dogs, and I suppose build up more than 'average' immunity that way?

I am the opposite and would never not have mine vaccinated, even if GRWE didnt insist I must do
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No logical reason why, I am just old fashioned I suppose
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I'm not sure whether to give mine her booster either, she is nearly 9 and had never had any vaccinations until last year. After the 1st shot she had the most awful diarrhoea, like jelly with bloody lumps in it. My vet said she should be fine for the 2nd shot, again I came downstairs in the middle of the night, she was crying and pacing, loads of jelly like poo with massive lumps of bloody stuff in.
Not sure I can go through that again, but then I think what happens if she gets sick. I have spoken to the vet who said as there is no Parvo in the area at the mo it's up to me, but what if there is an outbreak in a few years, she'd have to have all the shots again??
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Really not sure what to do.
Sorry not much help I know.
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The problem is that your dog Lulup can be a silent carrier, doesn't get ill himself but IF unlucky makes other dogs ill. Doesn't have to be that way, but it can happen.


I've always followed the SKKs and veterinarians advice and have no intentions of changing that. The only thing that I don't always vaccinate against is Kennel-cough, but that isn't exactly comparable to Parvovirus and the other things.




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From what I remember it's something like once they are 5 or 6 years old they have enough immunity to see them through to the end of their lives. I watched a documentary on this years ago and to be honest, it was something I always felt too that too many of these vaccination boosters are really not good for dogs ... however having said that, I do always keep up to date with my dogs/cats/horses vaccinations just to be on the safe side.
 
Sorry - me again!!...as a dog gets older its immune system is not as robust, and they are more suspectable to the challenges of an infection, so I always advise its just as important to vaccinate the older dog as the younger ones. Reactions to vaccines are rare but they can happen. In my experience some (not all) reactions are stress related.....! My tummy plays up when I go the dentist....!! or to the bank
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Genesis are you a vet/vet nurse? Sorry I cant think how to phrase this so it doesnt sound bitchy
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- which I am HONESTLY not trying to be - but just wondered as you are advising the opposite of what my mum's vets said? Would be interesting to get a vets opinion
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I always vaccinate - I even give him the extra ones for kennel cough etc
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My goldie stopped vacs this year (13) for the main reason she is terrified of the vets.
 
Hi, Not sounding bitchy at all (good pun tho')
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I work as a Nurse and have done some research work for a vaccine company in the past. I can fully understand why people have reservations about vaccinations,and the advice from your Mums Vet does have ring of truth, but lepto is orrible! and should be vaccinated for annually, even if you don't vaccinate for distember and Hepatitis. An older dog is not going to be able to fight off any infection with the same vigour as that of a younger animal. *steps off soap box*
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Hi, Not sounding bitchy at all (good pun tho')
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I work as a Nurse and have done some research work for a vaccine company in the past. I can fully understand why people have reservations about vaccinations,and the advice from your Mums Vet does have ring of truth, but lepto is orrible! and should be vaccinated for annually, even if you don't vaccinate for distember and Hepatitis. An older dog is not going to be able to fight off any infection with the same vigour as that of a younger animal. *steps off soap box*
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Ah ha, thats really interesting, thanks for the info
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I have always said to my mum that I would never not have mine vaccinated annually, I have never had a dog which has had a bad reaction to a vaccination luckily so shall carry on as I am... and will nag Mum about at least getting her older ones done for lepto
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Thanks for the reply Genesis
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I am personally in the camp of avoiding multiple vaccines at all cost and I will not over vaccinate. I titre test first despite my vet telling me it's cheaper to vaccinate!

A good example of this is a few years ago when I rescued my cattle dog, I had him tested on my strong insistance as he had come out of kennels, he was off the scale for Parvo having had contact with it prevously. Had I vaccinated that dog as my vet was trying to persuade with a multiple insult to his stressed immune system as my vet was strongly insisting he could very well have experienced a bad if not fatal vaccinosis as a direct result. The vet was VERY quiet when his results returned!!!!!

I suggest that you read this and make up your own mind http://www.brushbow.co.uk/src/vaccination.htm In America Vets have a very different take! Personally I would never vaccinate a dog of mine without a titre test.

PS Until recently Lepto vaccine in the multivac did NOT last for a year!
 
This is a question for those who do not vaccinate, and doesn't apply to the majority of you, so is purely out of interest.

If you lived in a country where rabies was prevalent would you vaccinate against that?
 
I have always vaccinated regularly, although leaving them a a bit longer than 12 months between jabs. Living in the country my main concern has always been lepto, rather than parvo as my dogs didn't often mix with others (I say didn't as Evie is going to training classes at present so with lots of other dogs). Buffy was very ill after her booster in 2007, with immune mediated polyarthritis. Although we could never be sure it was the booster that caused this, my vet and I decided not to give her a booster last year. She therefore had her last booster at just over 6 years old. In her case I think it is worth the risk, but Evie will still have her annul boosters (with fingers crossed from me).
 
Lots of interesting replies! I thought it was about 5-7 years before the immunity was stong enough as some others have been told. What I don't understand is that humans don't have to be vaccinated every year. I know that the diseases are very different but even tetanus jabs only have to be done once every 5 or 10 years and that's something contracted in a similar way to lepto through contact with the environment rather than other dogs (commonly though not exclusively with lepto I know)

Only asking because my friend and her vet are of the opinion that it's scaremongering by some vets to persuade more people to spend money! Also she says that there are 5 or 6 strains of lepto and the vaccine only covers 3 of them.

It's a minefield of misinformation really.
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I'll still get mine done because I'm too scared not to but it's interesting to read all your opinions
 
I was taught that the vaccinations for parvo/distemper etc when given at puppy stage can last until they are 7 years old, however they do advise that vaccinations are either given on a yearly basis or every other year.

Beastie is vaccinated.
 
I have mine done as puppies with all the necessary vaccinations and then never do any more. In 35 years and numerous dogs I have never had a problem. Could be just luck. Same with the horses. And yes, could just be luck as well. Is it just a balancing exercise, weighing the prospect of there being the odd problem as against the probability of that happening?
 
I suppose I should also say that as I never go on holiday -I hate it - I don't need to leave them in kennels, when you would have to vaccinate and none of my dogs have been under 15 when they've been put down, not for non vaccination reasons.
 
You have to seriously read between the lines as alluded to above there is a very lucrative market around vaccinations. You have to take or call a vet to your animal more regularly when you a vaccinating = little incentive to keep up with research to the contrary.

You have to really push for titre tests and I would highly recommend this for any dog suffering post boosters in the past, you do not know what disease the body is fighting when you shove a multiple extra insult for the immune system to cope with.

I strongly beleive that tetanus is totally overvaccinated against in horses, it is difficult sometimes to get a single vaccine with most now only needing a tet booster every 2 years. But most owners and vets are carrying on with the multivac regardless. I tried to get some horses titre tested for tetanus and no labs will do it FUNNY THAT, could their possibly be a link to Drug Companies??? One has never been vaccinated so I wanted to know what the natural immunity was, NO ONE would provide that test!!!!

I think that you would find tetanus good for 10 yrs to life in horses!!!

Reputable approved kennels will take titre test results as proof of cover re vaccinations so you do not have to vaccinate, so to will insurance companies if you push hard enough and most dog training centres as well, how can you argue if the bloods show they are above the min antibody levels for the disease.
 
This is interesting - my dog has his puppy vacs and then a booster at one year - he is now due for his vacs - but I have been having the same doubts about getting them done - and wondered about a titre test instead...

I read this recently: Vaccinations

This extract is what interested me:
6. After completing the puppy series at around 16 weeks and vaccinating again at 1 year of age, revaccination need not be done more often than every 3 years.

Now... I am going to chat to my vet about this - but am sceptical about whether they will agree to a titre test - not even sure if they offer them.

Am am def in favour of vaccinations - but equally - I don't want to over vaccinate if he still has immunity... is hard
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Mine were last done by Glasgow University and they give you the levels tested against those required and will say in simple English if a vaccination is required. You can then just vaccinate for one disease if that is all that is required reducing the rist of problems.

BUT sometimes you have to be very insistant that titre testing or single vaccines are what you want and you are the customer!
 
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