Vaccination Costs

[Griffo]

Why would anyone want to vaccinate a dog that's already vaccinated is beyond me.

When dog are vaccinated yearly it does not enhance the immune system it actually depresses it.

It's everyone's right to do what they see is best for their own dog's health.

It is not your place to judge.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Finding vets that titre test is quite difficult I have yet to ask my vet but rang him this morning and left a message so he will most likely get back to me this evening I certainly think titre testing is the better way to go

It shouldn't be! It's just a blood sample that is sent to the same Laboratory that Vet Clinics send all their other samples to.

Edited August 13, 2007 by Staff'n'Toller

[Sayreovi]

Finding vets that titre test is quite difficult I have yet to ask my vet but rang him this morning and left a message so he will most likely get back to me this evening I certainly think titre testing is the better way to go

It shouldn't be! It's just a blood sample that is sent to the same Laboratory that Vet Clinics send all their other samples to.

It actually is!

First have to find someone who knows what titre testing is, and for them to do it.

I rang one of the local vets and got quoted $400 PER dog for the test. I did say it was only drawing blood and sending it away, that the test wasnt that much so how do they justify that price tag and they pretty much tried to hang up on me

[Staff'n'Toller]

Hmmm.....me thinks they did not know what you were talking about.

Mel.

[KOE]

$77.00 here with a consult and health check. The boarding kennels here will not board dogs unless they have a current certificate of vaccination. So if you want to board the dog you have no choice but vaccinate. Also when you show the code of ethics states dogs are to be vacinated.

But in the same vien I have had a vet from OVERSEAS tell me after 5 years of age it is a waste of money.

With the amount of parvo outbreaks here I would much rather waste my money on yearly vaccinations than lose one or have one very sick with it.

Each to their own I say.

[westielover]

Gosh $400 per dog is a total rip off Tollers - perhaps they are quoting that price because they have never done one

The first time I had titres done (almost 3 years ago now) it cost $175 per dog. They drew the blood and then sent it off to a lab in Western Australia as no one else in Australia apparantly did titre tests.

Anyway - the results from my westies titres were above the required levels - so I chose not to vaccinate. They haven't been vaccinated for the past 2 years and are due for titre tests again early next year. The results will be interesting. If the levels are still adequate or above - I won't be vaccinating and will probably conduct another titre a year or 18 months later. At the end of the day if a titre shows ANY antibodies, immunity is present.

On top of that I have been fostering dogs straight from the pound for the past 3 years and my westies have never even caught kennel cough from any of these dogs. Perhaps it's luck or perhaps their immunity is so strong that even when exposed to KC they don't catch it. Don't get me wrong - I have done a fair bit of research on the subject of not vaccinating and I felt confident enough not to vaccinate my dogs even though I was bringing pound dogs home. Mind you - I have never fostered young pound puppies - usually dogs 6-12 months and over.

I also belong to a westie chat group whose members are from all over the world and there are some breeders in the group who no longer vaccinate their pups and have been doing this for the past 8 years - their dogs are also on the BARF diet - they say that they have never had healthier pups/dogs since stopping annual vaccinations.

The vaccination protocol has changed overseas to every 3 years. However, I have also read that the following protocol is enough to cover an animal for its natural life:

1st Vaccs - 9-10 weeks

2nd vaccs - 14 weeks

3rd vaccs - 16-18 weeks (this third round of vaccines is optional)

1 year booster

I have also read that we should only vaccinate against Distemper and parvo - as they are fatal diseases whereas:

- Bortadella (kennel cough) is curable with antibiotics.

- Hepatitis & Parainfluenza are respitory illnesses which are also curable.

So there is no real need to vaccinate for Bortadella, hepatitis & parainfluenza as they are all curable - whereas distemper and parvo are fatal.

The C5 vaccine covers all of the above - you cannot get a vaccine for parvo & distemper only in Australia - it's all nor nothing.

There is a lot of information out there about annual vaccines and what do to and what not to do. I read a very interesting book called 'Shock to the System - The facts about animal vaccination, pet food and how to keep your pets healthy' by Catherine O'Driscoll. The book gets quite technical when discussing different diseases, vaccines, titres, memory cells, adjuvants etc but it's a very mind opening book. It's worth reading.

I am 100% certain that annual vaccination are bad for our dogs in terms of their immunity and how it can effect their health. I am not 100% certain that I would never vaccinate again but I am prepared to have titres done before making the decision to vaccinate or not.

[Sayreovi]

I dont think they knew what i was on about either, but she apparantly was on the phone to the lab where they send bloodwork and thats what they said

Who knows but one thing is for sure i aint going there for that!!

[BC]

I'm charged $62.00 for consult, vac and health check.

I'm not overly fussed about the cost. I like the vets and they've known my animals since puppies.

[Silvawilow]

My vets charge $75 for C5 and $54 for C3. The costs includes the vac, consult, check up, treat and a hug :rolleyes: My vet also offers a discount when you get more than one animal done at once and they're happy to answer any weird and wonderful questions I may have (even if that means a 45min consult)

I am very happy with my vet's and it wouldn't steer me away from them if they raised their prices.

[Cavandra]

I dont think they knew what i was on about either, but she apparantly was on the phone to the lab where they send bloodwork and thats what they said

Who knows but one thing is for sure i aint going there for that!!

Sometimes you have to wonder :D

The blood is sent to Perth (it used be sent to Scotland) Perhpas this Vet is quoting on Scotland prices LOL

[Cavandra]

The reason I was first alerted was when I knew of several people that vaccd annually and their dogs had began having fits almost immediately afterwards or within a few days. I looked into this more and found some interesting information regarding the overdosing of meds.

My older dog also contracted KC, when by all accounts he should have never had it, having been vcc every year

Having said that, since the 3 yearly jabs have been introduced, we have had 3 Parvo outbreaks in the UK in the last 6 months, so it depends on what you see as priority.

With the risk of Parvo on the doorstep, I'm tempted to go and vaccinate again, just to be on the safe side even thought I don't agree with overdosing on medication !

I also know of many fitting dogs suddenly after vaccinations time!

Fits are normally due to the heartworm annual, especially when given at the same time as the vaccination shot, they recommend a 6 month gap between the 2, however the manufacturer of the heartworm shot advises it is ONLY to be given to dogs where there is no alternate method, they openly admit the side effects , and advise the product was withdrawn from the market ie Proheart6, which was the 6 monthly one used in USA etc.....in Australia Vets ignore the warnings on the product & use it routinely, ours is Proheart 12, and as the manufacturer states it is 3 times the dose of the withdrawn product, yet Australia still uses it, and most illnesses it causes are not associated as such by the Vet, so are never reported in Australia, Vets just call it epilepsy & start treating the dog for that & continue jabbing it each year with the substance that caused the seizures in the first place ... Pet owners dont get to see the product details.

The only dogs I know that have had KC are C5 annually dogs, so I know what you mean LOL, the vaccine only does how may strains of the how many known??????

Years ago I used to get my dogs annually vaccinated with Parvac (Parvo only)...........Now I do nothing once the dog has had a shot on an adult immune system..........

We have outbreaks of Parvo here every other year in this Town, they are dogs that have never had any vaccine whatsover.......Other times it is a Breeders whole litter die from it, as they are only on the mothers antibodies at such young ages, and have low immune systems, it is hard to treat a baby puppy of maybe 1 kg in weight for anything anyway

It is true that many dog show people have known the deal on vaccinating for many years, and havent been doing it for along time, up to 15 years or so some I know of, and their dogs are with other dogs on a large scale most weekends, and still dont get any dreaded disease!

There are boarding kennels that sight the first vaccs card & dont bother with anything further these days also, which is great, I know they are show people who are in the know about vaccine damage, but still & all it is encourageing that so many are educated to the real deal......................The Vet that wants to charge $400 for a titre is proof of how little most GP Vets know about it, how could they know if they are not told, they are following drug company recomendations, cant blame them for that..............It is not ethical but it is not against the law, any law suit needs to be against the multi million $$ manufacturer.

I think once Dr Rogers law suit goes through in Texas it will have the drug companies scurrying at the rate of knots LOL......He is sueing the Drug manufacturers of vaccines for false advertising!

[bulldogz4eva]

I am with Cavandra also.I have a number of dogs and some of those havent been vaccinated for a couple of years and my old dog that doesnt leave the property hasnt seen a vet for about 4 years and no vaccination and he is happy and healthy.I do attend a dog club and have to have the dogs that I take annually vaccinated but I think I will be asking them about titres also.

I remember when I was a kid dogs only got biannual shots.I have always thought that a lot of vets over charged and they will sing the praises of the drug companies because it equates to lots of dollars.I always laugh when you go to the vet with a new puppy and they ask you about heartworm and your dog should be on it.Then I tell them I wouldnt waste my money.Have never given it to a dog and never will.I understand people who live in areas that are prone to it use it,but where I live I have never had a dog get it and its not particularly prevalent so why give something to your dog that is unnecessary.A lot of people have known about vaccines for a long time but the drug companies dont want you to know.

Edited August 21, 2007 by bulldogz4eva