Animal Vaccinations

[Lab lady]

Goodness, I was merely saying that if vets use a vaccine off label, as in, use it 3 yearly instead of annually, they are completely on their own if an animal gets sick. The vaccine company will say it wasn't the recommended dose and the vet could be taken before the Board, with very little to back themselves up. If they follow the guidelines if the vaccine, then atleast if something happens they have the guidelines of the vaccine company behind them. They used the correct dose as recommended on the label.

That's all I was saying.

I certainly understood that was your message.

This was the reason the vet practice i attend won't endorse triennial intervals. Can't say i blame the vets for covering themselves but as a owner i am happy to take responsibility.

[auto]

I was told vac yearly untill 2 and then start again at 7, but since i go to dog shows and some time boarding kennels, still do yearly.

[spottychick]

I stopped vaccinating annually many years ago, after talking with my vet. The dogs still went to the vets for checkups etc. My old girl who died at nearly 19 years old didn't have any vaccinations for the last 8 years of her life. However, the puppy was given all her initial vaccinations and then no more after that.

Then a couple of years ago I was planning on going away and knew I might need to board the dogs. I had the remaining two dogs vaccinated ONLY because I knew the kennels would demand it. A few months later the older male developed a problem in his shoulder (right where the vaccine was injected) and 5 months after that he was dead from cancer of the muscle that started in his shoulder and spread to his spine.

I don't "know" for sure that the vaccine caused it but I can tell you - I still feel like I pretty much caused the death of my own beautiful boy by getting him vaccinated.

T-testing seems to me to be the sensible way to approach the problem and more vets should be offering that instead of annual vaccines.

[shmoo]

asal: Did you contact the vaccine manufacturer at the time this all happened? What was their response?

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

for me the issue isnt the 3 yearly vaccinations but that dog obedience and kennels wont take dogs that arent vaccinated yearly.

we all need to be on the same page for this to work

[spottychick]

for me the issue isnt the 3 yearly vaccinations but that dog obedience and kennels wont take dogs that arent vaccinated yearly.

we all need to be on the same page for this to work

Exactly!!! I've actually given up trips away because of the kennels insistence on yearly vaccination certs.

[ravenau1]

for me the issue isnt the 3 yearly vaccinations but that dog obedience and kennels wont take dogs that arent vaccinated yearly.

we all need to be on the same page for this to work

That's pretty much our problem with the cats. Our vet says it's best for them to do it every three years, but we need to put them in a cattery for a couple of weeks every year and they require 'up-to-date' vaccination (yearly). I'd happily do a titre test (presuming you can get those for cats too!) every year if they would take the results of that as proof of the cats immunity.

[Mas1981]

for me the issue isnt the 3 yearly vaccinations but that dog obedience and kennels wont take dogs that arent vaccinated yearly.

we all need to be on the same page for this to work

That's pretty much our problem with the cats. Our vet says it's best for them to do it every three years, but we need to put them in a cattery for a couple of weeks every year and they require 'up-to-date' vaccination (yearly). I'd happily do a titre test (presuming you can get those for cats too!) every year if they would take the results of that as proof of the cats immunity.

I know some places will take them with only titre tests, we are titre testing this year ( first time for us) as our dermatologist does not like very allergic dogs vaccinated.

[asal]

asal: Did you contact the vaccine manufacturer at the time this all happened? What was their response?

in the case of the puppies i was told to change breeds.

in the case of the kittens, what was the use. it was five years after the event i discovered they knew the batch was faulty. n how can i say i knew? dob my friend in?

catch 22

if they were honest i should have been told by the vet who vaccinated them surely and offered compensation???

and im hightly curious what the vets are so worried about? they arnt worried when the pups die from the vaccination? hey i even had the vet who killed the entire litter that it was a good thing, eliminated any dogs from the gene pool that couldnt tolerate the vaccine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i kid u not that was his words.

when i asked them then do you believe ivermectin should be administered to all collie dogs and susceptable breeds including murry gray cattle to eliminate all that cant tolerate ivermectin . his reply was yes.

well suppost at lest it would save breeders from having to have the testing done to see if they cant? theyd be dead already

Edited August 19, 2010 by asal

[Guest]

asal so sorry to read that your puppies died, it must be heartbreaking to loose so many all at once, there are some heartless people out there.

lablove

[spottychick]

I hope you've found a better vet.

[Steve]

http://www.critteradvocacy.org/Canine%20Va...20Guidlines.htm

This one says at least 7 years for Parvo.

[asal]

I hope you've found a better vet.

he was a locum while my normal vet was sick. not much consolation but he was fired after i reported the conversation to his boss. n although he had to be smart to have passed his BvSc exams, he wasnt bright enough to twig that repeating that back to the boss might not find favor with him either.

Edited August 19, 2010 by asal

[Guest]

Steve thank you very much for that link, it is very interesting.

Now I know why our last dog had to have 2 lumps a few years apart removed from the back of her neck.

and why she was troubled with itching all the time.

lablove

[Dobeliscious]

Very interesting link thanks Steve.

[Tapferhund]

"it's exactly the same type of vaccine as the annuals."

Well if that's the case....WHY are Vets ripping us off by charging triple for the triennial if it is exactly the same as the annual vaccine? This is a rort and a disgrace !

[stormie]

"it's exactly the same type of vaccine as the annuals."

Well if that's the case....WHY are Vets ripping us off by charging triple for the triennial if it is exactly the same as the annual vaccine? This is a rort and a disgrace !

Because it costs us more to buy it. It's not like it's the same vaccine we were buying years ago. It's a vaccine made by a company with a new name and a 3 yearly registration.

But they shouldn't be charging triple - off the top of my head I think it worked out for us, about $8 more per vaccine. So with GST etc you would expect the cost of a triennial vaccine to be about 10-15 more than an annual.

But yes, I have heard some vets saying they add more on, but not all are doing this.

[Tapferhund]

Thanks Stormie. Personally I have never had the triennial for my dogs...but I have various friends who have and the charges have been $120 to $150.

[stormie]

Thanks Stormie. Personally I have never had the triennial for my dogs...but I have various friends who have and the charges have been $120 to $150.

yeah see I think that's ridiculous. I know our triennial is about $10 more than our annual. Lots of vets are worried they'll lose income with the reduction and are probably trying to recoup losses that way. But really, if the vets are good, honest vets with good client relationships, I just don't think it'll happen. The KC still needs to be done annually and much of the general public still want this, with the idea they may need to board in the next 12 months.

We just started doing the 3 yearly regime since taking over our current clinic just on 12months ago, so it will be interesting to see what happens for us over the next 12months, but I think we'll be fine.

[Rappie]

We're on our 3rd year of using a 3 year protocol. We rarely give the annual C3, mainly only if someone declines the 3 yearly one. The annual is $5 cheaper than the 3 yearly, our 'alternate year' vaccinations are about $18 cheaper than the first year of the 3 year protocol. We haven't had an issue with introducing it at all, I suspect in some cases that the practices who do experience a downturn are not offering great service, just vaccinations.