Parvovirus- The Latest

[GSDowner]

Well, my sister rang me at work and advised that people from Melbourne University keep urging dog owners to vaccinate their dogs. Apparently vets are saying that many more cases are discovered every week. Dogs can get it not just from other dogs but from the soil.

The warning is especially applicable to older dogs. Well mine is 7.5 but I am scared to have him undergo his usual shots. He was so sick last year and his muzzle became grey overnight.

I am scared, don't know what to do... yet I could never forgive myslef if he became sick with this virus.

Please help with you advice forum members. You always do.

[dwynwen]

Get a titre test - this will tell you if he has adequate immunity. I haven't vaccinated my guys for years and their titres are still at good levels.

[blacklabrador]

Apparently vets are saying that many more cases are discovered every week. Dogs can get it not just from other dogs but from the soil.

I don't think this is news to most people here. Parvo lives in the soil for years. If you don't want to revaccinate your dog then you can have titre testing done to see whether he is still immune to his previous shots (which he most probably will be).

[Erny]

I second the Titre Test option. If it doesn't show up antibodies it doesn't mean your dog does not carry immunity to parvo, but if it shows up antibodies it will confirm for you that your boy has cover and give you peace of mind.

I had my boy Titre Tested 12 months after his last puppy shot and it revealed sufficient antibodies to parvo.

If the titre test doesn't show up the antibodies then you need to make a choice. I think if it were me I would opt to no more vaccinations. Basically, I'd weigh up the balance :

Re-Vaccinate = dog becomes very sick.

Don't re-vaccinate = dog won't become sick from vaccinations but might contract parvo.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Erny

[Guest bigdogg]

Im lost..

Erny can you explain it a little more for me please..

My dogs were done as pups with the c5 - i had a contact then and did them myself. Two injections month apart..

I have recently just gave them each a shot of parvac.. I have a new pup here that i gave parvac as well and will be giving it another shot in 4 weeks time and then again in another 4 weeks time.

Should my adult dogs get sick from this new dose of parvac? or will they only get sick if its the live vaccine?

I live on a 8500 acre property.. dogs only leave if i drop them off at my oldies for a weekend - they too are in the bush.

I dont know anything about the titre test.. A laymans terms explanation would be great..

Thanks

[Staranais]

I think Erny was just suggesting that the OP's dog would likely get sick because it had already shown a reaction to the previous vaccine?

Titre test just checks out if the dog still has antibodies in his blood from the last vaccine. If he still has sufficient antibodies, that proves he's still immune, so there's absolutely no point vaccinating him again. Works for parvo, hepatitis, and distemper. You can get it done at the vet.

[Staff'n'Toller]

I heard this today on the radio but neither of our inner suburbs practices have had any positive cases.

I have one here I don't Vacc so I think I will be titre testing her first.

[moosepup]

I haven't vaccinated my old girl for years, for a myriad of reasons. The vet suggested that she might just be lucky to not have caught anything but I kinda just at that.

I would go with titre testing as others have suggested.

Edited April 14, 2010 by moosepup

[Guest bigdogg]

I think Erny was just suggesting that the OP's dog would likely get sick because it had already shown a reaction to the previous vaccine?

Titre test just checks out if the dog still has antibodies in his blood from the last vaccine. If he still has sufficient antibodies, that proves he's still immune, so there's absolutely no point vaccinating him again. Works for parvo, hepatitis, and distemper. You can get it done at the vet.

thanks

so if i noticed my dogs were crook it would be worth getting the titre test done?

Do you know if a killed vaccine will still have the same affect as a live vaccine? (parvac vs c3 or c5)

[wolfgirl]

I caught some of this on the news tonight while cooking dinner, they are saying the outbreak is mainly in the Western Suburbs especially around Werribee (my area )

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them and suggested I talk to my regular vet I was a bit shocked as this is supposedly one of the best uni's for animals and they hadn't heard of titre testing

[Sayly]

GSDlover, if your dog was vaccinated last year, he does not need to be done for things like Parvo (ie the C3 vac) for three years after that according to the AVA. According to the AVA though you should still get him done for canine cough every year.

Check out http://ava.informz.net/ava/data/images/doc...inal-june09.pdf and chat to your vet about it. Many vets are still sticking with yearly vaccinations but the data is there supporting 3 yearly vacs instead.

[Sayly]

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them and suggested I talk to my regular vet I was a bit shocked as this is supposedly one of the best uni's for animals and they hadn't heard of titre testing

Uh that's scary! We have already done titre tests (3rd year vet student) ourselves!

[Nekhbet]

too late if they're already sick. The point of antibodies is the bodies way of mopping up nasty viruses and bacteria. They bind to them and make them useless to continue breeding in the host. Antibodies are make by memory cells created when an animal first contacts the disease (which is why we vaccinate, to create immune memory)

When you vaccinate though remember you are flooding the system. Their immune system will be slightly weaker in the week after you vaccinate as well

[whippets]

I caught some of this on the news tonight while cooking dinner, they are saying the outbreak is mainly in the Western Suburbs especially around Werribee (my area )

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them and suggested I talk to my regular vet I was a bit shocked as this is supposedly one of the best uni's for animals and they hadn't heard of titre testing

I've had 2 negative experiences with that place. I gave them the benefit of the doubt the 1st time but the 2nd time...noope. Plus I got sick of the smart ass students.

[rubiton]

Speak to your vet about the reaction the dog had last time.

OUrs got her tetanus 18 months back and vet said she was carry on for about 30 minutes afterwards (im thinking at the time what the but guess was she was all on the toe for a while after we got home).

If you choose not to vaccinate get the testing done and make sure that the antibodies are high enough dont just go oh well its all good to leave it.

[Erny]

I think Erny was just suggesting that the OP's dog would likely get sick because it had already shown a reaction to the previous vaccine?

Titre test just checks out if the dog still has antibodies in his blood from the last vaccine. If he still has sufficient antibodies, that proves he's still immune, so there's absolutely no point vaccinating him again. Works for parvo, hepatitis, and distemper. You can get it done at the vet.

Thank you Staranais. Yes, that's what I meant. The OP expressed that her dog was quite sick after the last vacc.

[Erny]

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them ...

Huh?? What rock are they hiding under?

[Staff'n'Toller]

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them ...

Huh?? What rock are they hiding under?

I think perhaps it's more like 'I don't want to have to deal with your weird question' kind of response.

[wolfgirl]

I rang Melbourne University last year to try to book a titre test, they hadn't heard of them ...

Huh?? What rock are they hiding under?

I think perhaps it's more like 'I don't want to have to deal with your weird question' kind of response.

Erny I'm not sure I was a bit taken aback when they hadn't heard of it

The person I spoke to went away 3 times to ask vets and other people and it still came back the same response, we haven't heard of that

[cavNrott]

I asked the vet when I was there last week about titres. The vet I was dealing with didn't know much so she had the senior vet ring me. He said I'd pay for a consult and for taking blood and the bloods would be sent to WA. He said it would cost me about $350 for the titre He then banged on for 10 minutes pushing the benefit of vaccinations and told me I was uneducated because I don't want my dogs to have annual vaccinations

I explained that one of my Cavaliers reacted badly to the last C5 he had. Vet tried to convince me it was unlikely to be the vaccination itself but the carrying agent. So what if it was? The dog still had a bad reaction and I don't want to go down that path again.

This not the vet I usually take my dogs to but go there if there is an emergency or something happens on a Sunday when my vet isn't open. Of course if anything is going to happen it will be on a Sunday.