BarbedWire Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Hi I know it's late but I have an urgent question. My dog has had a seizure tonight (She has about 4 each year and is not on medication). The main part lasted about 2 minutes - jerking and threshing and panting. She also urinated. She was still shaking about 5 minutes later. My concern is that I have booked her in for her annual vaccination (C5 and heartworm) tomorrow. Should I cancel or will it be safe? I will ring the vet in the morning for their opinion but I would appreciate some knowledgeable DOL feedback as well. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Sorry I should not have started this thread. I am going to cancel her appointment. She is still shaking a bit. I think a quiet day for her tomorrow is in order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Definitely do not vaccinate ever again, if it can be helped. I get titre tests done on all my dogs but definitely with my seizure girl as I don't want to take the risk that anything will trigger a seizure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Thank you but I need to keep her vaccinations up to date in case she needs to stay in a kennel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Plenty of kennels accept titre tests, even if they don't advertise the fact :) it pays to ask around. Not worth the risk of vaccination for your dog IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Agreed . IF she needs to stay in a kennel - and they will NOT accept titre tests , then vacc her if you must ... I hope she settles into a long and healing sleep tonight for you both .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Agreed . IF she needs to stay in a kennel - and they will NOT accept titre tests , then vacc her if you must ... I hope she settles into a long and healing sleep tonight for you both .... Thanks Pers, she looks well this morning (she always does after she has had a seizure) but I find them distressing. At the back of my mind is the dread that one day the seizure will not stop and that will be it. I feel so helpless while she is threshing around. All I can do is to keep the other dogs back and make sure she is away from any furniture. Then once the seizure subsides a little I can comfort her. It is distressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 it sounds so distressing sars Have you considered the triennial vaccination? At least it would lighten the load a little bit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 All vaccinations (except kennel cough) are now supposed to be given triennially. Unfortunately some vets like the money that annual vaccinations bring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 Thank you for the suggestion. I have rebooked her for the vet on Friday. I have asked the vet before about the triennial vaccination and I was told she would still need the annual kennel cough so I did not go with it. I will ask again. I do follow my vet's advice because I believe the vet knows best. That is what they have been trained for. I will ask about it though. Thanks anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*kirty* Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Please do some research for yourself on vaccination protocols. The AVA recommends vaccinations be given every 3 years. Over-vaccinating can be detrimental to your dog's health. I personally don't vaccinate for kennel cough so that bit doesn't concern me, but the kennel cough part can be given on its own if you want that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I just had our first triennial vaccination a couple of months ago. The C3 component is triennial, then you do yearly KC. It doesn't work out any cheaper, but I feel like it's a safer option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 29, 2015 Author Share Posted July 29, 2015 Thanks Kirty, I will ask the vet about it. Kennels do require the kennel cough vaccination so she does need to have it done. She looks much better today. She just wants to sleep on my couch which is okay with me. I love her so. :) But don't we all love our dogs? :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliwake Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 p.s. yes, vets have done a lot of training, but the products they will recommend are strongly influenced by what is stocked by their workplace. I ended up phoning around to find a vet clinic that offered the triennial vaccine, despite still being happy with my other vet. They will all strongly advocate for whatever they're selling, which isn't always a bad thing - none of them will be selling something that is inherently bad for your pets! BUT, the options your vet offers might not be the best possible option for your particular situation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 You can get the KC vaccine without getting all the others. I know how you feel, every 4-6weeks my girl has cluster seizures. They consist of up to 30 grand mal seizures (over about 3 days) and then another 3 days worth of partial seizures which are enough to make her fall over but not lose consciousness. 6 days of seizures every month is very taxing... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maddy Posted July 30, 2015 Share Posted July 30, 2015 (edited) it sounds so distressing sars Have you considered the triennial vaccination? At least it would lighten the load a little bit... This. Idiot Dog has fairly difficult epilepsy (daily seizures, very sensitive to medications besides PB) but we still vaccinate to the triennial schedule and have had no problems. In my opinion, never again vaccinating your dog just because it has epilepsy is not a sensible option. I know some of the Jean Dodds/anti-vacc people believe it helps somehow and they are entitled to their opinion (as I'm entitled to mine) but before putting your dog's health at risk, I'd strongly suggest discussing it with a vet. Edited July 30, 2015 by Maddy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeltaCharlie Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Many vets do actually advocate against the current vaccination schedules as every 3 years is still too often for most dogs. All of ours are titre tested regularly. We would never neglect to vaccinate any of our dogs purely because of the risk it may bring on seizures. If their immunity level ever drops, they will be vaccinated without hesitation, even the one with seizures. Titre testing is a science based assessment. It is quantitative data. It is not opinion, it is fact. Vaccinating every year purely because that is what your vet says is not an adequate excuse. Most vets I have spoken to said that they only reason they still advocate for it is because it is the only way to get people to bring their dogs in for a health check. Otherwise they would never get to see most dogs and it is often too late if an issue does arise, whereas at least every 12 months gives them a better chance of early detection. Nobody on here has advised not vaccinating without actually testing for immunity first. Would I rush into it a vaccinate my healthy dog? No. So I certainly wouldn't do it with an unhealthy dog. I would, however, get a titre test done in the near future so I know what I am dealing with. That way you know for sure that your dog is protected. Just taking the risk that a dog is protected is also irresponsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trifecta Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 sarsaparilla, I think you reside in ACT? Kate Millhouse who has a practice in Kambah titre tests if you would like to go down that road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rascalmyshadow Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Kennel cough is usually the part of the vaccination that causes reactions, if you need to do it yearly (rest of the vaccination every three years) I would look into doing it nasally rather than via injection, less chance of causing problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarbedWire Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Thank you everybody. I have just come home from the vet and my girl has had the triennial C3 and the annual kennel cough vaccination. The vet said I need not do the kennel cough vaccination every year but it needed to be done two weeks before she went to a kennel. Thanks for the info about titre testing (and Trifecta I know where Kate Millhouse is) but the kennel she goes to does not accept it. I am very happy with the kennel which is at a vet's and only takes elderly or sick animals. They only have about twelve dogs at a time and it suits me. She seems to be happy there and since I expect to be attending an interstate wedding in the near future she needs her vaccinations to be up to date. She seems to have recovered well from her seizure, and I guess I just have to wait for the next one which will probably not be for a few months. The vet did say that anxiety can trigger a seizure and since she is an anxious dog I will keep that in mind. I do have a new puppy here and I am wondering if it is upsetting her. Thank you everybody for your suggestions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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