Yes/No to yearly shots and heart worm..

[Doberluv]

I'm surprised that dog lovers would risk not giving their animals every chance.

I take exception to that comment. Your opinion of every chance is differs from mine.

http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Immunization/Immunesystem/IMMUNESYSTEM1.htm

I see that hardly anyone ever reads anything, but if you think you're doing your dogs a favor by vaccinating them every year, think again. This link has 3 parts and I recommend reading it all. It's all simplified and easy to read and understand.

Besides this one article, there are many other studies and explanations by research scientists and veterinarians doing this research, quite a bit of which I've read, which convinces me that most people are over vaccinating their animals to the great harm to their immune systems.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Is their anyone here that doesn't believe in yearly vet shots and heart worm!!

Back in the day when our parents had dogs they never took their dogs to the vets like we do and in return their dogs lived longer. Not only that but they didn't get sick like our dogs do now.

Some people believe that its the "medicine" that we give our dogs like heart worm and yearly vaccinations that is causing our dogs to have problems.

Does anyone feel the same way and why?

I don't believe in yearly shots and it has been proven that it isn't necessary. I believe in pups having all the proper shots up until the first and second year and then it is titers for me and shots only given if absolutely necessary. My cats get kitten shots and S/N and never see the vet again unless of course they get sick but they are indoor cats so I never have any problems.

IMO those flea and tick oils are a death sentence for your dogs and yes, years ago I grew up with GSD's that were never neutered, ate crap food but did get lots of table scraps and hardly ever went to the vet and lived up until mid teens. Alls I ever hear now is CANCER in dogs and it makes you wonder WHY.......I truly believe it has something to do with over vaccinating, and all these flea/tick meds. JMO of course but others will agree. I live in an area where heartworm is present but not common. I do give heartworm but only a couple times during the summer months. I go back and forth in my mind if it is really necessary. Everything that goes in and on our dogs is PESTICIDES it seems. I choose to go the natural route! And even after all the dog food recall I home cook for my boy. No more dry kibble here!

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Meg's early medical history is spotty (adopted at one year). The rescue gave her rabies/distemper/parvo before sending her to VT. She got her 1 year rabies booster this past winter, but I just titered for D/P. She was more than fine.

I'll keep up the yearly vet checks, and obviously the required 3 yr. rabies, but just titer for D/P. No other shots; the effectiveness of some is in question ( I constantly hear of dogs with bordetella shots getting kennel cough), and it isn't often (ever?) fatal. I think we need to let the immune system do some work; that's what it is there for!

I do heartworm starting in May, and keep treating until we are safely out of mosquito season. Doing it year round here in Vermont is silly.

Good point BB! I have always heard that to, partly because there are so many different strains of kennel cough that it is pointless to do it IMO!

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Since I've just gotten home from work, and I'm tired, I'll spare my usual long drawn out response about yearly vaccinations and all of the problems associated with over vaccinating/vaccinosis in dogs/cats.

That said, Hannah is titered yearly. I will not put anything into her body that is not necessary. Sara Lee, I've spent several years of my life with shelter dogs, in shelters, and working closely with animal control. I know what those dogs go through, and it's just not comparible to my making an informed choice not to vaccinate my dog yearly.

I'm very well educated on the matter of vaccines, and immunity, and I find it absurd that someone could chastise another for not vaccinating yearly on the basis of health when vaccinating yearly has been deemed unneccessary and in fact harmful by all 27 vet schools in the US.

Do what you'd like with your own animals, but please don't imply that others who do not do the same as you do, do not care for their animals.

 

[Jynx]

I also agree the overload of vaccinations/meds we put into our animals systems is not a "good" thing.

Think about it, while I'm sure the medical profession has come a LONG way in curing/detecting illnesses, why do you see animals coming down with so many "weird" illnesses?????????

growing up, my parents fed our dogs "crap" food, took them every so often for their shots, and sure they lived long pretty healthy lives. However, years ago, dogs (and us) weren't exposed to all these "chemicals" that now exist in daily life.

I have had GSD's my whole life, (aussies for 7 years), My GSD's are now 10 & 12 years old, I have never had so many "weird" illnesses in animals as I have in these 4 dogs I have now. In 3 of them, they were most likely vaccine induced, since it pretty darn coincidental that shortly after receiving vac's they come down with these "weird" illnesses that can't be diagnosed.

ok, I'll stop rambling,,I don't vac my dogs anymore, I titer them, I'm sure they are covered for the rest of their lives at this point. I do Rabies vac, by law, every 3 years and THAT is done with a Thimerisol Free vac only..I also SNAP 4 my dogs on a regular basis (every 6 mths)

(Thimerisol is a preservative/mercury, do you realize they link childrens polio vac's with autism in children? So what is that "mercury" doing to our dogs?)

Since I stopped vac'ing my dogs they have been the healthiest in years. (and I do attend dog shows on a regular basis )

ok done
diane

 

[MafiaPrincess]

Sorry, I know I'm new here, but WHAT? My dogs have always gotten their shots and preventatives every year! The youngest dog that ever died on me was 15 years old! Better vet care is helping animals to live longer, healthier lives. I agree with the poster that says this is crazy.
I work in animal rescue, and dogs ARE subject to such things as distemper, parvo, and heartworms. It's pitiful, depressing, and PREVENTABLE. Spend a little time in a shelter, and you'll do everything you can to prevent these things. I'm surprised that dog lovers would risk not giving their animals every chance.

Do you vaccinate yourself yearly for every possible human disease we have preventative for? No.. Same concept in dogs.
Don't imply we care less for our dogs than you. You come off as ill researched and ignorant.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

Sorry, I know I'm new here, but WHAT? My dogs have always gotten their shots and preventatives every year! The youngest dog that ever died on me was 15 years old! Better vet care is helping animals to live longer, healthier lives. I agree with the poster that says this is crazy.
I work in animal rescue, and dogs ARE subject to such things as distemper, parvo, and heartworms. It's pitiful, depressing, and PREVENTABLE. Spend a little time in a shelter, and you'll do everything you can to prevent these things. I'm surprised that dog lovers would risk not giving their animals every chance.

Vets are getting more and more education on the effect of shots and its health effects "negative ones"........I would do more research before you start preaching LOL! My vet gives shots every 3 years now and they will titer my dog before they do anything to him.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Do you vaccinate yourself yearly for every possible human disease we have preventative for? No.. Same concept in dogs.
Don't imply we care less for our dogs than you. You come off as ill researched and ignorant.

That was a bit harsh... everyone needs to start from somewhere, the poster in question may be unaware of titers, etc but that does not make them ignorant.

 

[MafiaPrincess]

To imply by not vaccinating yearly everyone else cares less about their pets is ignorant.

 

[ToscasMom]

Nothing like an undereducated over-vaccinator telling us we don't care. Very special.

 

[Doberluv]

Ignorant means uninformed....unaware. And it certainly does make them ignorant of the lengths I, for one (and plenty of others) go to and always have to give my animals the "best chance." I've been giving my Doberman, who was diagnosed with a severe liver disease the best chance that modern medicine and technology has to offer, taking him to the best state of the art facility in Seattle, feeding him the best of the best, consulting a nutritional expert, paying hundreds of dollars a month on prescriptions and suppliments, ongoing tests to monitor his liver enzymes, am thinking about accupuncture.... and I am restricting myself from eating good food because there's not enough left over... because I love my dog. It makes them ignorant that there are people who research and learn what's going on in this world and make informed decisions based on their in depth study. It makes them ignorant and insensative to make a statement that they're surprised that people who love their dogs don't do everything to give them the best chance. And that p!sses me off.

 

[Red_ACD_for_me]

:hail: :hail: :hail: :hail: DOBERLUV!!!!

 

[Dekka]

Hmm I do think ppl should be able to come to the forums and find new info. But to imply that people don't love their dogs because they don't have a differing view towards their dog's health is "not very nice"

I personally don't vaccinate every year, my vet is ok with this as she believes in minimal vaccination as well. Does this mean my vet doesn't care about her patients? (personally I went to them in an emegrency as they were the only vets that would save my cat with out a hefty deposit first. Actually they said "Pay what and when you can, we promise to be patient and they were. It was well over 1200 to fix the cat, and it took me almost a year to pay them off. So I think that they are in it for the love of animals.)

 

[ToscasMom]

I just read Boston's take on Bordetella shots and was wondering if that is the general consensus on it. If it is, I won't do it. What I had heard was that it doesn't stop a dog from contracting kennel cough, but that a vaccinated dog well get a less severe case. So, what's the scoop? Tosca goes in soon for her yearly checkup and I want to make an informed decision on this.

 

[ToscasMom]

Nice post, Dober. I bet these same people feed Science Diet too. lol.

 

[~Jessie~]

I am also curious about Bordetella as well. My chis have always gotten it (by "always," my oldest chi is 2). Chloe is due for hers this month, so I am wondering if maybe we should not have it done.

 

[Doberluv]

Well, I suspect, that there are numerous strains of it, just like the flu has a kazillion strains. And it's next to impossible to cover them all and new ones are probably being born as we speak. Also, if you read throroughly that last link that I put up and understand how the immune system works, (simplified version) you will see why vaccinations don't necessarily affect the "right cast of characters" in the whole communication network of the immune response.

 

[ToscasMom]

...so basically it's kind of like a flu shot. It protects against strains that already exist but won't do a thing for the mutations that are ongoing...?

 

[shadowfacedanes]

Pretty much, Tosca's Mom. It's a total crapshoot, and probably not worth it.

I've known more dogs to get kennel cough AFTER getting the vaccine than those who don't get the vaccine at all. Could be coincidence, but it tends to make one wonder.

 

[ToscasMom]

Very interesting. I might forgo this shot this year. Last year, my trainer required it. As it turned out, when Tosca moved into a group session, one of the dogs contracted kennel cough. Now I am sure that person had the shot because the trainer required a vet receipt. After it happened, we all went home and fretted. So .....