ricey Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Hi people Hobbes is now just over 3 years old and I've had him fully vaccinated twice. Hobbes found me when he was about 1 year old, and for all I know, he might also have been vaccinated as a pup. He is heart worm negative. His annual re-vaccination is due on the 19th of December 2004 and I just got the reminder from his vet. I'm going to take him in for his annual vet check, but I'm thinking that he has been vaccinated enough to not need a third set of vaccinations (or possibly his 4th round :D ). What do people think? He won't be going into kennels this year (or any other year for that matter ) so I don't need to keep his vaccination certificate current for that reason. The info I've been getting from the 'net states that we and most dog owners have been over-vaccinating our pooches. Peter D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I dont vaccinate anything here past their first booster Here's an article to help you think about it. All 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Here, in a nutshell, are the new guidelines under consideration: "Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet (i.e., canine distemper, parvo, feline distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not 'boosted' nor are more memory cells induced. http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm#titer "Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibodies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks. Puppies and kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks. Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced. Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however, delay the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system. A series of vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age. Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 months) will provide lifetime immunity." srdogs.com http://www.srdogs.com/Pages/news.apr.may.3.html The most recently accepted protocol that your vet should be following can be found at: http://www.cvmbs.colostate.edu/vth/SAVP2.HTM This research above has been out for quite some time, it just takes an awful long time to change peoples old ways of doing things.Vaccinations can cause myriad problems with your pets. Here are some additional articles to read: http://www.geocities.com/~kremersark/CSAP.html http://www.whale.to/m/pitcairn6.html http://www.whale.to/m/pets.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I agree Steve, there have been a lot of articles published to that effect and they seem to be largely ignored by the vets. I know Ricey you have said that you do not intend to take your dogs to boarding kennels but for others like myself, imagine trying to get your dog accepted by any boarding kennel without current vaccinations - it won't happen!! Chemical companies wouldn't be too thrilled to have a good source of income from these vaccinations stopped or severely curtailed so I don't see much changing in the near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris64 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I dont like to vacc as well but what do you do when you have to board your animal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKat Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Another problem is that most dog obedience schools require an up to date vaccination certificate before you can start training your dog. I was able to arrange with my vet that my cat only get his needle once every 3 years, mostly because he freaks out something shocking when handled by people he doesn't know. I'm hoping to arrange something of the sort with my older dog but the dog club thing has me stumped at the moment as to how to get around it. Kit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JD19 Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Does your vet do Titers? Titer testing is becoming more popular here in the US. I know of quite a few Rottweiler owners that have their pets Titered every year and will only vaccinate for those diseases that show a low score, with the exception of Rabies as it is the law to vaccinate for Rabies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cloverfdch Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Another problem is that most dog obedience schools require an up to date vaccination certificate before you can start training your dog. I will only vaccinate yearly for Parvo, for this reason. And about every 2-3 years for Kennel Cough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 I asked my vet about doing titres.. and she said they couldn't do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sophia Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 My dogs had puppy vacs and nothing more. Annually they get blood tested for distemper and parvo antibody titers (all sufficient!). My one dog is medically exempt from rabies boosters and the other gets a thimerosol free (merury free) 3 year rabies vaccine by Meriel. Had I owned them earlier in life (before rescue adoption) I would have titered before their second series of puppy vax. They may not have needed so many. It seems very bizarre to just vaccinate as a chance thing, hoping to grab the immune system when it MAY be open from maternal antibodies, very very silly and dangerous to me. I would much rather spend the money on titers and vaccinate a puppy minimally. It would make sense to titer after each vax to see if it took then to blindly revaccinate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tianakaesha Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Titre testing is becoming more widely available. The test can now be sent to a lab in australia rather than OS. I have the lab name somewhere.. The pet wellbeing conference I went to, a vet was talking about a study that their vets had done. Basically only one dog needed to have its vaccinations done - a dog who's puppy shots had not taken effect. The rest were all covered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteLight Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 Titres is very expensive and my vet would be interest in doing it after I showed him this. When I have the cash I will have it done as they did not get their booster this year. NEW_VACCINATION_PROTOCOLS_by_Dr_Jean_Dodd.doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madikeira Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 WOW ............are you guys says (apologies for my ignorance) that dogs now don't need yearly vaccinations?????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 It's always baffled me (not hard) that dogs need vaccinating every year whereas children only rarely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I've talked to one vet where I worked about this and she said that to get titres done they have to be sent to USA and so are VERY expensive to do. She wasn't aware of anyone who did them in Aus. She didn't think it was worth doing and said annual vacc was easier. I am also stumped about the obedience club problem - most you have to show the certificate when you join/renew membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dali-love Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I spoke to a vet in Manly (Brisbane) and she said that titers are more expensive than the actual vacin and therefor not populair. She did not know wether it was availeble in Aus or not (she's english) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tianakaesha Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 There is ONE lab in Australia that does it. They are in WA I believe. I will get the name when I go home. It should be around the same cost as doing a vaccination. (According to the vets I was speaking to the other day). They test for the basics, but if you want to do a full Titre test, you need to send it to scottland (that is where most of the australian ones have been going to so far). The reason it has cost so much in the past is because it had to be sent overseas. All vets should be able to do them, but most don't know about it. Many do not offer it simply because of liability. Vaccination Companies stipulate that the vaccinations are effective for a year. If a vet goes against that recommendation, they could be liable. The vaccination protocol is under review in Australia at the moment with the AVA. These are just the things I was told at the pet day. I have notes at home so will get them tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ANNODAM Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 (edited) . Edited May 17, 2008 by ANNODAM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westielover Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 I had my 2 westies titer tested two weeks ago and their results were so good that I don't need to vaccinate this year. I have a 'titer certificate' which can be presented to some boarding kennels which are starting to accept them. I have been vaccinating my boys for the past 4 years and last year one of my boys had a bad skin reaction to one of the vaccinations - hence I was determined to find an alternative method. So I am pleased that I don't need to vaccinate them this year. My vet advised that they have titer tested 70 dogs so far and only 1 required a booster vaccination. The titer test which is done in WA only tests for parvo & distemper 'immunity' - it doesn't test for hepatitis. The full test for all 3 needs to be done in Scotland as per the previous post. However, my vet advised that the trend in the results is that if the titer levels for parvo & distempter come back good - then hepatitis 'immunity' is fine also. Also - as for the espense side of things the vaccination usually cost me $180 per dog per year. The titer test cost me $85 per dog + consult fee. I also chose to do a health check - which checks organ funstion - so that cost me another $70 per dog - but I didn't have to do that test as part of the titer test. So at my vet in Five Dock - the titer test was cheaper than the annual vaccination! Some vets don't seem to be keen on doing titer tests as they will lose their "bread & butter' income which they get from annual vaccinations. You can read all about titer testing on the internet - just type 'canine titer tests' into your searh engine and all sorts of info comes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tianakaesha Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 OK. VETPATH in WA do the Titre tests in Australia. They do Distemper and Parvo in dogs They do Cat Flu and Enteritis (sp) in cats Vets are starting to recommend yearly basic blood tests as a general "wellness" checkup as part of the reason for annual vaccs is so vets can do a basic check up anyways. The titre test paper will be coming out hopefully in the next few months with the findings of the titres tests. A Titre test is recommended at 6 months to ensure the puppy vaccs took effect. Cost should be less than the cost of a vacc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsfevr Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 Yes but a titre test can pass this week but have a low score next month the results are never the same. We own boarding kennels & all dogs must be vacccinted we dont accept titre tests due to them being inconclusive plus liability factor. It amazing how often you get people ringing who thought theyd never need to board but suddenly have too & there dogs arent vaccinated . There are so many claims etc but we will never risk the health of our dogs after 22 plus we have never had any issues ,the ones who seem to are the people that vaccinate yearly plus heartworm or use every conceivable chemical product out there. Our first dog got parvo twice & without her vacc plus our quick actions she would have never survived Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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