An umbrella of ethics may be yours to stand under, but your last sentence can't be used to protect the remainder of your profession, assuming that you're a qualified vet. Defend your profession en masse, if you wish, but there are those who have different experiences.
Otherwise, and whilst you've both raised valid points, with the exception of my sheepdogs which haven't come in to contact with other dogs, away from here, in the last 15 years, the gundogs are given initial protection, as puppies, and I've yet to hear anyone challenge the belief, that their own "subsequent" immune system will be at risk of being breached.
Another question from someone who has no technical experience, what so ever, and considering the MMR vaccine and the dreadful problems in South Wales, how come it's only the children which seem to be at risk? Why are there no adults who are contracting Measles, and why is it that adults don't seem to need boosters?
If we then consider Leptospirosis, and if we consider that the disease is spread, generally from contact with rats, or their urine, no one's yet answered my question, as to why hard ratting terriers seem to stay immune for life, without even an initial vaccine.
I'm not trying to contradict others, but I simply don't understand, and having had a good old root around on Wiki, I'm still none the wiser! I'm more than happy to learn.
Alec.
All ourdogs recieve their primary puppy vax`,thereafter it is a yearly lepto boost,and bitches in whelp recieve a parvo booster a couple of weeks prior to whelping.
We did go through a period of believing the anti vax people,and the end result was a parvo outbreak amongst the puppies,which was brought back from a terrier show.
My first dog recieved no vaxs at all,well before parvo came to uk,but he died aged fifteen from lepto,not a nice death.
Doing blood titres was interesting ,it found even the dogs just given primary vaxs had enough immmunity to protect them against first hand exposure to parvo,but did not have enough to give to their puppies.Consequently we lost ove two years 26 puppies,not somewhere I ever want to return to.
The answer with vets is to find one reasonable who allows you some thought processes of your own,discusses options,and in time a trust is built up mutually.Some clients are idiots,and it takes time for them to gauge you are not one of those!
Sometimes the charges I hear about make my hair stand on end,Deal is where my vets are,the worst cash cow areas seem to be Hertfordshire,but no one holds a gun to your head..find a good one you trust.
Otherwise, and whilst you've both raised valid points, with the exception of my sheepdogs which haven't come in to contact with other dogs, away from here, in the last 15 years, the gundogs are given initial protection, as puppies, and I've yet to hear anyone challenge the belief, that their own "subsequent" immune system will be at risk of being breached.
The key vaccines Parvovirus, distemper and canine adenovirus are all live vaccines and they also appear to be fairly 'stable' in there current form so either they don't mutate much or when they mutate the immunity from one form is similar enough to give protect. This is why although the bugs may always be ahead vaccines can still be effective.
This should mean providing the dog was vaccinated when it was old enough - avoiding maternally derived antibodies - it will hopefully be protected for its lifespan. The same way as if it had caught parvovirus and survived it should also have lifelong protection. Titres can confirm this as some individuals/breeds immunity doesn't seem to last as long as other.
You said before about kennel cough being a live vaccine, which it is but while the above are viral diseases kennel cough and leptospirosis are not. On the whole vaccines against non-viral diseases are poor compared to those of viral diseases and so less useful and are protective for a much shorter length of time. (Sorry my immunology isn't good enough to explain the mechanism) On the plus unless you have a large kennels or plan to kennel your dog kennel cough is hardly worth vaccinating for as the risk benefit rarely adds up.
Another question from someone who has no technical experience, what so ever, and considering the MMR vaccine and the dreadful problems in South Wales, how come it's only the children which seem to be at risk? Why are there no adults who are contracting Measles, and why is it that adults don't seem to need boosters?
I think the main reason is if your over a certain age you've probably had measles so are hopefully immune but there may be more to it as there doesn't seem to be much of a push to get the teen/young adult bracket vaccinated who may also have neither be vaccinated or attended a measles party. I'm not very hot on human diseases so would be interested if anyone knows with more certainty, it may be just young children are generally more vulnerable.
If we then consider Leptospirosis, and if we consider that the disease is spread, generally from contact with rats, or their urine, no one's yet answered my question, as to why hard ratting terriers seem to stay immune for life, without even an initial vaccine.
Possible but unlikely your rats just don't have leptospirosis or more likely your dogs immune system is good enough to have been infected without clinical signs and are now immune to at least that strain.
This is another disease which you have to way up the risk benefit of vaccinating if your area is low risk especially as the vaccine doesn't cover all the strains so it in in effect just improves the odds rather than truly preventing the disease