Hi. I was talking with a friend today and we got into an interesting debate [we do this all the time] about dog vaccination protocols. So I was wondering if we can get some opinions. We are at opposite ends of the spectrum on this. I am a firm believer in, for my dogs personally, preventive medicine; I want to deworm and vaccinate for everything, on schedule. She believes in minimal vaccinations, citing immune disorders and other complications purportedly from over-vaccination. We both agree that some diseases are more prevalent in some areas and that some vaccinations may be indicated depending on locale and situation (dog population, exposure to other dogs, breed, general health, etc). I know what diseases are in my area of the country and what my vet recommends I follow. But I was wondering if anyone has more information about immune deficiencies related to "over-vaccination"? Where can I learn more? Its hard to have a logical debate without having more facts. Opinions, anyone? Thanks!
Vaccination Protocols?
- Thread starter EbonyDal
- Start date
We already have a few debates on this, I'll try to find them for you. I think when I get dogs I will do all puppy shots and get titers every year to see if they need another shot. I know my vet now does shots every three years. In some places the law requires the rabies vaccine every year. I'll go find those threads for you since I don't know too much about over vaccination.
Definitely do a search for titers; both here and on google. You should get plently of information that way.
Meg was vaccinated for everything right before I got her; I did her one-year rabies booster this winter, and titers for distemper/parvo. They were well over the "adequate coverage" mark. I don't give vaccinations for kennel cough, lymes, or giarrdia (sp?). I have a healthy, young adult dog with no health issues; the immune system is there to deal with issues like those.
Titers are certainly more expensive than just giving the shots, but I will continue to use them for everything but rabies.
Meg was vaccinated for everything right before I got her; I did her one-year rabies booster this winter, and titers for distemper/parvo. They were well over the "adequate coverage" mark. I don't give vaccinations for kennel cough, lymes, or giarrdia (sp?). I have a healthy, young adult dog with no health issues; the immune system is there to deal with issues like those.
Titers are certainly more expensive than just giving the shots, but I will continue to use them for everything but rabies.
We have discovered that most of the vets in our small city have changed their protocal because of health concerns. Now most of the vets vaccinate on a 3 year cycle. I titer and only vaccinate when necessary - vaccinating every year can cause serious complications that are easily avoidable. Education is the key. Preventive medicaine is wonderful, but often more is not better -especially in the case of vaccines.
google canine vaccinosis and start reading. there's a ton of information out there, some of it good, some of it a bit off the deep end. i think reading a lot and forming your own opinion is the best thing you can do.
personally i fall in the middle. herd immunity is an extremely powerful thing, and as more and more people stop vaccinating, pets become more at risk and diseases become more prolific. it happens in people as well. measles was considered to have been eliminated from the us in 2000, but in 2005 there was an outbreak among school age children who had not been vaccinated appropriately.
anyway, i do rabies and dhlpp (yes, with lepto, because lepto has been on the rise as well) every three years.
personally i fall in the middle. herd immunity is an extremely powerful thing, and as more and more people stop vaccinating, pets become more at risk and diseases become more prolific. it happens in people as well. measles was considered to have been eliminated from the us in 2000, but in 2005 there was an outbreak among school age children who had not been vaccinated appropriately.
anyway, i do rabies and dhlpp (yes, with lepto, because lepto has been on the rise as well) every three years.
Good post. Many people think that several diseases have been eradicated because we don't hear of infections from them, but the truth is that vaccinations are protecting their animals. When you stop vaccinating, that disease your so ignorantly thought had "disappeared" claims your dog's life & the many more of those that were not properly vaccinated.
Leptospriosis is on the rise because many people have stopped vaccinating for it. And thanks to them, there is a much higher risk of contracting the virus than previously due to it's rate of infection increase.
With that said, I vaccinate all dogs with Rabies on a yearly basis. Why? Because it's required by law & it's foolish to argue against the local law enforcement on this issue & if something happens, your dog will be the one to pay....& probably with his life. However, not all states require a yearly rabies vaccination.
I vaccinate with 8in1 vaccines every other year. All dogs receive heartworm prevention & Panacur (dewormer) on a monthly basis.
And the reality is that vaccine reactions are not the norm. But of course, it's made to appear that way because all you ever hear about is those reactions.....you never hear about the remaining millions of dogs that have no problems whatsoever.
If I followed that logic, I would be demanding that all the Penicillin drugs be taken off the market. Why? Because they will kill me. Screw the other people whose lives those drugs have saved.
AAHA vacc protocol.
3 years on DHPP and Rabies
http://www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/vaccine_guidelines06.pdf
3 years on DHPP and Rabies
http://www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/vaccine_guidelines06.pdf
my protocol is as Barb's above.
Reason? I have an aussie who is an mdr1 gene carrier, and frankly, over vac'ing her can do gosh knows what to her already messed up immune system.
2. My male aussie would break out in fungus sores following vaccinating since I stopped--nothing.
3. I stopped vac'ing my 9 yr old gsd who is now 12,
4. My male gsd had an incident with perianal fistula's following a rabies vac. also has compromised immune system
I titer all my dogs, who have not had vac's in 3-4 years and all are still covered. By law, I do have to do rabies, and when they are due, I use Thimerisol free vaccines...(any vet can get thimerisol free vac's just ask)
Tho all those diseases out there scare me, what scares me more is the whacky things that can happen because of over vaccinating or just vaccinating when you have an animal who already has a messed up immune system.
Diane
Reason? I have an aussie who is an mdr1 gene carrier, and frankly, over vac'ing her can do gosh knows what to her already messed up immune system.
2. My male aussie would break out in fungus sores following vaccinating since I stopped--nothing.
3. I stopped vac'ing my 9 yr old gsd who is now 12,
4. My male gsd had an incident with perianal fistula's following a rabies vac. also has compromised immune system
I titer all my dogs, who have not had vac's in 3-4 years and all are still covered. By law, I do have to do rabies, and when they are due, I use Thimerisol free vaccines...(any vet can get thimerisol free vac's just ask)
Tho all those diseases out there scare me, what scares me more is the whacky things that can happen because of over vaccinating or just vaccinating when you have an animal who already has a messed up immune system.
Diane
I went to a workshop a few years ago to hear a holistic vet speak. She said that dogs could be safe for 4-7 yrs between vac, but without proper research there was no material to substansiate this. She reccomended titres, but we don't do them in Australia & they have to be sent to the US which is quite expensive.
About the same time a member of the obedience club I go to lost a german shephard, the same age as April, to a heart attack following annual vac. He also suffered with pancreatitus sp. A few months later a friend of mine's sheltie died following vac. She warned me to be warey of vac April bc of her age. I haven't had April vaccinated since then. She is now 14. At the time she was due for her vac, the vet sent me 2 reminders that her annual vac was due. I ignored the letters as I'd decided not to have her done. A couple of weeks later the vet rang me to ask why I hadn't had her in for her vac. I explained my reasons, as above, to him. He talked to me for over 1/2 hour trying to get me to bring her in. He finally gave in & told me that parvo & distemper etc vac only need to be done every 4 yrs & kennel cough every 6 mths. As this was too complicated for ppl to take on board, he recommended annual vaccination.
As a child the dogs I had were only ever vaccinated as puppies for distemper. Sooty, my son's 6 1/2 y/o mixed breed dog, up until now has always had her annual vac.
I'd heard that the US only did vac every 3 yrs now. In Australia its mostly done annually. There is no rabies in Australia.
About the same time a member of the obedience club I go to lost a german shephard, the same age as April, to a heart attack following annual vac. He also suffered with pancreatitus sp. A few months later a friend of mine's sheltie died following vac. She warned me to be warey of vac April bc of her age. I haven't had April vaccinated since then. She is now 14. At the time she was due for her vac, the vet sent me 2 reminders that her annual vac was due. I ignored the letters as I'd decided not to have her done. A couple of weeks later the vet rang me to ask why I hadn't had her in for her vac. I explained my reasons, as above, to him. He talked to me for over 1/2 hour trying to get me to bring her in. He finally gave in & told me that parvo & distemper etc vac only need to be done every 4 yrs & kennel cough every 6 mths. As this was too complicated for ppl to take on board, he recommended annual vaccination.
As a child the dogs I had were only ever vaccinated as puppies for distemper. Sooty, my son's 6 1/2 y/o mixed breed dog, up until now has always had her annual vac.
I'd heard that the US only did vac every 3 yrs now. In Australia its mostly done annually. There is no rabies in Australia.
K
Vaccination Protocols
Here are 4 links to excellent information on canine vaccines for quick tutorials.
Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm
The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm .
The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf .
Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/.
Here are 4 links to excellent information on canine vaccines for quick tutorials.
Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm
The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm .
The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf .
Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/.
I no longer vaccinate my guys. My one year old has never had a shot for anything - her littermates were done all differently (the breeder gave the option and asked that we do research first etc..). The whole litter was titer tested at 8 months and my pup was the only one who showed high levels of immunity for everything - some of the others were low in different things.
Storee has gone everywhere, goes to the kennel (where I work it is pro min vac/raw diet, so it's not an issue) with me every week and spends at least one day out with other dogs playing. She had kennel cough but a very mild version (compared to my old dog who had all his shots, including KC and was sick for a month). She is also third generation minimal vaccines/raw fed.
My advice is to do your homework and decide what works for you. If not doing any shots means you'll be in fear of disease and never take your dog anywhere, then vaccinate.
Lana
Storee has gone everywhere, goes to the kennel (where I work it is pro min vac/raw diet, so it's not an issue) with me every week and spends at least one day out with other dogs playing. She had kennel cough but a very mild version (compared to my old dog who had all his shots, including KC and was sick for a month). She is also third generation minimal vaccines/raw fed.
My advice is to do your homework and decide what works for you. If not doing any shots means you'll be in fear of disease and never take your dog anywhere, then vaccinate.
Lana