Vaccinations for dogs

madmav

madmav

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While I'm here, sorry to bore you, but do you vaccinate your dog(s) every year? I haven't been vaccinated for anything since I was about 13. Just suddenly occurred to me as to why I pay to get him done annually. To be fair, he does try and eat crap when out in parks if he gets the opportunity and loves to sniff other dogs' bums - neither of which I do. But is he more likely to succumb to some illness than me? Or should I also spend an equal small fortune getting myself some jabs too?
 
No I don't and there is lots of research out there for you to decide yourself.

Thanks to jean dod they are now changing protocol here now to every 3 years and are putting their research to the vet board that vaccines actually last 7+ years.

I get a titre drawn once after puppy shots and then once when they are 5+ years old.

I do not want to load my dog up with chemicals he doesn't need and that may actually be detrimental to his health.
 
The vaccinations you get are for different diseases to the ones your dogs get which is the simplest explanation,
 
I've seen the research, I've worked at the vets and had to go through this time and time again with people.

You are able to have a titre done for the individual components of the vaccines. And then gage the boosters around this. But quite frankly the cost of this is vast (in comparison to the annual vacc) and I still fail to see why people would want to put their animals at risk of something when it's so easy to protect against.
 
We do titre tests, and have done so since my elder dog was five-years-old and suffered an almost fatal reaction to a rabies vaccine. I don't invest in Frontline, either, and use a natural flea and tick powder/spray with a great deal of success (my vet checks for Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses at the end of summer, as we spend every June/July in a rural environment).
 
SusieT said:
The vaccinations you get are for different diseases to the ones your dogs get which is the simplest explanation,
Click to expand...

Sorry, bottom-sniffing/disease-inducing bit was my obviously lame attempt at humour. Do understand dog and I are unlikely to cross-contaminate. But still curious as to why they need to be vaccinated every year and I don't.
 
No, can't think when she was last done! I resent paying that much every year and like the 3 monthly fleaing and worming I think its a bit of a scam. I also feel its a lot of chemicals to be chucking about so often.
 
I have restarted my dogs vaccines due to an increased risk now that im coming home from practices that regularly see dogs with Parvo.If it had been ideal circumstances I would not have let them lapse and I wont be letting amy dog have them lapse again after seeing so many of the preventable diseases first hand.

I do think that vaccines are most important for the young dogs til 3 or 5 and the older dogs.The young and the old are always at the most risk.

However it does all depend on the area you live in.

If its a town and you do walk your dog I would never advise that people skip the vaccines as Parvo is such a high risk disease and it can be picked up from the environment
(in one area I seen vaccines were not common,parvo was..half the dogs who arrived with Parvo died in spite of intensive treatment and there was a mix of ages not just young pups)

The other serious issue is Leptospirosis.It isn't as commonly considered as a risk but in any area where rats may have been and peed(which sadly is most outside areas!)or in the dogs which actively hunt out the critters.It it is a risk.It can effect any age.

Vaccines efficiency work also works on what is called the herd effect if enough people vaccinate then the environment is safer and makes up for the fact there will always be people who will not vaccinate their dogs.

A yearly check up is also good for general health particularly as the dog gets older when issues start to arrive.
if your paying for a booster then you should be expecting the vet to do a check on the dog.Heart,lungs temperature,lymph nodes eyes ears..overall lumps and bumps and its a chance to mention to your vet how the dog is or to flag any issues that you have noticed.
For example its often at the booster time that heart murmurs are first noted and monitoring and or treatment can start.If your vet never sees the dog bar in emergencies they will have no idea of what is normal for that dog and will never get a chance to take preventative measures for a whole range of issues.

If your not getting this then ask for it!
 
OP-what I meant is that different vaccines are effective for different lengths of time, so eg if you are vaccinated for tetanus, your protection will last for x years so you won't need to be vaccinated again.
Dog is vaccinated for parvo, different type of vaccine so it only lasts for x years so vaccine needs to be given again.
Add to this there is actually very little research into dog vaccines compared with human vaccines it is the safest policy to vaccinate yearly, some of that is purely down to money in humans being more freely available than in animals.
 
Yes always do for the sake of £27 a year and my dog alive why not? ive seen so may dogs very ill or die with parvo and i would not want to put my dog through that i want to give him every chance possible.
 
Our's gets done every year as he's at a high risk of exposure as a result of work for the major ones. Kennel Cough only gets done shortly before he's due to go into kennels (usually for friends weddings).
 
My dogs have boosters annually, if we stop we would also have to drop out of the blood donation scheme. Most of those i speak to that have opted to not vaccinate any more don't bother with getting that titre test done either.
 
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