Vaccine Dilemma

I am probably over thinking this WAY too much.

Abrams is due for his first yearly vaccines at the end of the week. Here is my delimma.

All of the vets I have checked with down here do NOT give 3 year DA2PP vaccines. I refuse to give the vaccine yearly. The science behind a 3 year vaccine, or longer, is there. The fact that no vets do it down here just makes me feel they are behind in the times and makes me not want to give them my money anyways.

We'll be going back up north over Christmas with the dogs in tow, and I can have Abrams' vaccines updated at my old clinic at that time. But that is four months from now, and I don't know if I want Abrams' overdue for that long for his first yearly set.

I'd like to have the dogs "up to date" on their vaccines should we ever need to emergency board them somewhere, but I'm having a huge conflict with that stupid DA2PP. Vets here won't give it, but they'll honor records stating 3 years. WTH.

If you were me, what would you do? Will Abrams still be sufficiently protected if I wait the 4 months? (There have been parvo outbreaks in the area.) We *shouldn't* need to board this year, if I can reserve a pet sitter like I want to for a time I'll be gone in October. Or should I just vaccinate him, then worry about getting him on a 3 year schedule next year when timing may work out better?

Told you I was really over thinking it. Also, I miss my vet. *sigh*

If it were my dog, I'd likely wait until I went back home. Because it's DHPP, not Rabies. But I also don't see a problem with giving another "1 year" vaccine.

I'd wait.

Vaccine expiration dates don't work like you're protected one day and then the next day you're not. If you titered him the day they expired, he'd very more than likely still show full immunity.

To me the only reason to get the one year would be because you need it to take him somewhere specific that requires it. And if you were put in the position that you needed to put in him a kennel as an emergency since this is not his FIRST shot, I don't see anyone having a problem it getting done and then putting him in. I'm horribly bad at getting vaccines updated the exact day they expire and I've never had an issue as long as it wasn't the first series of vaccinations.

I'd wait.

Although sometimes having a conversation with the vet can help. We do yearly vaccines where I work, but we have some savvy clients who let us know they don't want to do it annually, but they would do it every 3 years... and for them, we put it in as a 3 year vaccine. It's dumb that we don't just do that for everyone, but anyway.

First, I would try telling the current clinic that you want to do the DHPP every 3 years. They may be flexible and willing to designate it as such in the record even if they don't normally do so.

If there is a high rate of parvo in your area, I'm guessing that is why they are reluctant to change to a 3 year schedule across the board. They're sort of danged if they do, danged if they don't. For one thing, if people are late or inconsistent with their dogs' visits and vaccination schedule then at least the dogs are getting some protection. Secondly, if the vaccine is labeled for one year and someone's vaccinated dog gets parvo 18 months later, legally speaking they are potentially liable. Nobody cares that no vaccines is 100% effective at that point.

Whatever you choose, I don't think it will make any difference in the long run for this one time. I'd be comfortable either way, I'd pick whatever was more convenient and less stressful for me at the time. With a parvo outbreak in my area, I'd probably err on the side of going ahead and giving it now.

I would wait or titer.

I've tried asking at the clinic I work for, and she is unwilling to make it a three year vaccination. :/ It is a vaccine by Merial, and I'm unsure if it is labeled for 1 year or 3 year use. (Regardless, Chloe was vaccinated with a one year label and when I titered her 3 years after she was still good.) The vaccination policies are...odd at this clinic, but they're pretty much that way across the board down here, which is so weird for me.

If it were any other person I'd try to have more of a discussion vs just a question, but she's my boss and OCD about some things and I don't want to **** her off by pushing it. I may ask one more time, though. Maybe if I bring him in for his other vaccines and ask nicely...lol

I guess I'll just play it by ear and see. I'm leaning towards waiting, but I can always do it sooner if I'm concerned. My biggest worry was if immunity would be any different as this will be his first yearly after his puppy vaccines.

Yeah the Merial vaccine says it needs to be boostered annually.
But I hear ya, I don't push things at work with our vets the way I would if I were "just" a client lol. Don't want to ruffle feathers.

As far as I'm aware there's only one vaccine labeled as a three year, and I can't remember off the top of my head exactly what but there's something sketchy about it or its labeling.

I just meant that with the one year label, there are some legal considerations especially in an area where everybody does one year vaccines. Our DHPP vaccines are labeled for one year but we don't give them annually.

I wonder if it's something to do with the lepto needing to be annual? What if you ask them if they're willing to do lepto separately from a DHPP without lepto?

Wouldn't matter. At this clinic, the lepto isn't even combined with the DA2PP, it's given as a separate vaccine.

I asked the associate vet (much more comfortable talking with her since she's not The Boss) what she thought of three year vaccines and she basically said that if it isn't labeled for three years then it can't be considered good for three years. Which is so dumb, because even AAHA says "every 3 years or longer". Pffft.
I wonder how they'd react if I titer yearly instead of vaccinating...may not hurt to ask, I guess.

I'm half curious if I can't get the vaccines down here, then take/fax the records to my old clinic and have the reminders updated to fit their policies. Is that allowed? Lol Hmmmmm.

We do that all the time when an adult dog comes in with records of a one-year DHPP. It's the same vaccine, we recognize it for 3 years so we enter our reminder accordingly.

I'm shocked they aren't even open to the idea of doing it for you. Most clinics I've encountered who don't do 3 year or longer across the board are at least flexible about it for individuals. Weird.