Vaccination Protocols - Australian Media Exposure To Controversy.

[panda]

Hi, my dog is due for his first Annual booster on the 3rd of July this year. He had his last vaccination at 16 weeks old on 3rd July 2005. After reading all the posts about the danger of vaccinations, is it necessary to give him the annual booster at 16 months old? I'm so scared of him having adverse reaction.

[Clyde]

Can we really compare our vaccinating protocol to that of the US? Aren't our vaccines different?

[Muttaburra]

I'm glad this has come up. Over the decades I have religiously taken my pets for annual boosters, thinking it was the right thing to do. It's only in the last 12 months that the information about the questionablity of boosters has come to my attention.

So this year I did not vaccinate one my dogs. (huge leap of faith for me, I have been so indoctrinated). I had to take her to the vet a couple of days ago and the conversation went something like this.

me: "She hasn't been to the vet for about 14months"

Vet: "Are her vaccinations up to date?"

me: "Yes"

Vet: "Ah but it's over 12 months..........." voice trails away, I look up at him with eyebrows slightly raised, vet goes on to say: "Oh but, current research does say that it's alright and about every three years is ok, except for Kennel Cough and Hepatitis, oh but that paper is not published yet, but will be soon, KC and Hep will need annual boosters"

End of conversation about vaccinations.

Interesting.

:D

[morgan]

Vet: "Ah but it's over 12 months..........." voice trails away, I look up at him with eyebrows slightly raised, vet goes on to say: "Oh but, current research does say that it's alright and about every three years is ok, except for Kennel Cough and Hepatitis, oh but that paper is not published yet, but will be soon, KC and Hep will need annual boosters"

End of conversation about vaccinations.

Interesting.

:D

My experience is that no vet will broach the subject of changed protocols. If you actually bring up the subject, and display some knowledge of it some of them will concede that you are right, but initiate the topic??

The survey that showed over 90% of Australian vets feared such changes would adversely affect their income was a tad conservative methinks...

[Clyde]

Can we really compare our vaccinating protocol to that of the US? Aren't our vaccines different?

Anyone? :D

[poodlefan]

I've always gone with annual boosters.

This year I will have my dog's immunity checked via titres. That way I can put my hand on my heart and say that my dog is appropriately vaccinated against all infectious diseases.

The head of the Veterinary practice I use says that he thinks we will go to three year shots with an annual booster only for KC and Parvo, which being viruses mutate regularly.

The thing I have to bear in mind is that my dogs, who attend both a large dog training club and a range of dog sports events, are "high risk" for coming into contact with contagious dog diseases. :D

[panda]

I thought that C5 vaccination includes Kennel cough, Hep,Parvo all in one anyway? So which vaccination should the dog have annually and which should not have yearly?

Also, my dog is due for his first Annual booster on the 3rd of July this year. He had his last vaccination at 16 weeks old on 3rd July 2005. After reading all the posts about the danger of vaccinations, is it necessary to give him the annual booster at 16 months old?

[Rusky]

I stopped annual vaccinations after reading all the avialble info. The vet yesterday told me the dogs are overdue for their shots and I said

'they aren't having them '

he said

'ok'

thats it. I made my own decision because I have not been happy with annual vacc for years. I am happy and comfortale with my decision. thank you for the links and the topic

[panda]

How old is your dog now, Rusky?

[Tassie]

Panda - I see you haven't got an answer yet, so I'll jump in with what I think may be the current thinking, at least in US, and at least of the mainstream. It seems to be that the first adult booster is important. After that, it may be possible to go to titre testing, as Poodlefan is thinking of, and I am going to raise with my vet, or 3 yearly, or - another protocol that was suggested - splitting the vaccines so one is given each year, rather than the combo ones.

My personal opinion - yes, there can be what are probably adverse reactions - but given the huge numbers of animals vaccinated yearly, they are probably a very small percentage, and you have to balance against that the risks of not vaccinationg and/or making sure your animals immunnity levels are high enough. As I understand it, non-protected animals may not only get sick themselves, but may be a vector for spreading disease in the community - witness periodic outbreaks of parvo, distemper and in the human community, whooping cough and measles.

[Miranda]

Can we really compare our vaccinating protocol to that of the US? Aren't our vaccines different?

Anyone? :D

No they're not, the only difference being that we don't routinely vaccinate for rabies or lepto in this country.

[Miranda]

Hi, my dog is due for his first Annual booster on the 3rd of July this year. He had his last vaccination at 16 weeks old on 3rd July 2005. After reading all the posts about the danger of vaccinations, is it necessary to give him the annual booster at 16 months old? I'm so scared of him having adverse reaction.

I always have the 16 month vaccination done because a dog's immune system isn't mature until 6 months of age. However that's the last vaccination my dogs have, I don't do any more boosters.

ETA I doubt your dog will have an adverse reaction, it's not common.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Miranda

[panda]

Thanks, Tassie and Miranda for the reply. I just called the vets and he said that he'd give him the shot once a year but if I prefer not to, then the dog should get a blood test to see his antibody level. If it's high enough, then he won't need to have the vaccination. He suggests to repeat this every year.

[poodlefan]

panda:

I just called the vets and he said that he'd give him the shot once a year but if I prefer not to, then the dog should get a blood test to see his antibody level.

The blood test you refer to in your quote panda is called titre testing - that's what Tassie and I are talking about. It costs about the same as vaccinating. :D

[panda]

Panda - I see you haven't got an answer yet, so I'll jump in with what I think may be the current thinking, at least in US, and at least of the mainstream. It seems to be that the first adult booster is important. After that, it may be possible to go to titre testing, as Poodlefan is thinking of, and I am going to raise with my vet, or 3 yearly, or - another protocol that was suggested - splitting the vaccines so one is given each year, rather than the combo ones.

My personal opinion - yes, there can be what are probably adverse reactions - but given the huge numbers of animals vaccinated yearly, they are probably a very small percentage, and you have to balance against that the risks of not vaccinationg and/or making sure your animals immunnity levels are high enough. As I understand it, non-protected animals may not only get sick themselves, but may be a vector for spreading disease in the community - witness periodic outbreaks of parvo, distemper and in the human community, whooping cough and measles.

Hi Tassie, is the titre testing the same thing as blood test where they will send the blood to the lab to check for the level of anitbody against parvo, hep etc? Do you know how much it would cost for this test?

Thanks, Panda

Edited June 1, 2006 by panda

[panda]

panda:

I just called the vets and he said that he'd give him the shot once a year but if I prefer not to, then the dog should get a blood test to see his antibody level.

The blood test you refer to in your quote panda is called titre testing - that's what Tassie and I are talking about. It costs about the same as vaccinating. :D

Oh, didn't see that before Poodlefan. Thanks for that.

[Akitaowner]

i have been discussing this with my vet for the last 18 months asking when titre tests will be annual and vaccines when necessary - but im yet to find out if they will titre test a minority, i pretty sure its more expensive than just vaccinating...especially for 1 dog

i brought this up on DOL when it started but it seems to have become more mainstream now that the research is published.

hmm me thins its time to ask my vet again about titre testing as mavs due this month... and in kennels next month!

[ravensmyst00]

I for one will not follow the scare tactics by any US company or organisation in regards to the vaccination of my animals. Until such time that my vet states that 3 yearly vaccinations are the way to go my dog will be in every year for his booster.

The recent parvo outbreaks that occured over spring and summer could have been kept to a minimum if pet owners vaccinated their pets on a yearly basis - and before anyone jumps on me that comment came from not only my own vet but several others I have been discussing this vaccination issue with.

Titre testing ONLY provides the immunity levels of your dog on the day the blood was drawn. This test by no means guarantees that your dog is going to be immune from those diseases for the entire year till your next test- why risk your pets health?

Please keep in mind that alot of these "papers" that are published are paid for by the pharmacetical companies themselves. Pet owners get scared - they stop vaccinating their pets based on these published works. Pets start getting sick - pharmacetical companies start making drugs to make the pets better - pharmacetical companies make a fortune off distressed pet owners. And all the while the ill health and the distress caused on the pet could have been prevented by a yearly vaccination.

Research everything thoroughly BEFORE you make any decision that could affect the health and well being of your pet. In the end the risk of a yearly vaccine is greatly out weighed by not vaccinating at all.

Just my honest opinion on all of this.

[Koza]

So if I just pay the vet and not have the booster, he/she would be happy? LOL

The problem still is in sending dog to a pet-motel.

[westielover]

visited this forum to ask about Parvo in dog pounds - as there is already a thread about inoculations going, perhaps someone might be able to tell me why so many dogs contract Parvo in dog pounds.

Are the pound not disinfected effectively? (I image it would be fairly difficult to maintain any living area free from disease where dogs are in close contact with one another). Are newly impounded dogs inoculated against Parvo or distemper, or other transmittable diseases? What are council regulations concerning viral diseases control within their pounds – assuming the regulations are similar Australia-wide?

Minny - I think the reason why dogs contract parvo in pounds is because the pound is not disinfected effectively AND because most of the dogs that come into pounds aren't micorchipped/registered - so one can assume they have probably never been vaccinanted before either. As Cordy said in the thread about the rotties with parvo (rescue section) - a place which has been infected with parvo should remain 'unvaccinated dog/puppy' free for at least 6 months until parvo dies off. For example - if you were to bring a parvo infected dog into your backyard - you would need to pretty much kill your garden with a disinfectant product like F10 and then not have any unvaccinated young dogs in your backyard for at leat 6 months. Hence the reason why pound dogs are more susceptible to contracting parvo. I guess one could say that the disease is pretty much always there. Even if newly impounded dogs were innolculated - it still takes about 10 days for the vaccination to kick in - so the dog is still at risk. Also, I believe that if you innoculate an already infected dog - it can kill the dog. I think pounds only innoculate dogs if they know they are going to rescue - and not all pounds do innoculations.

Not sure what the council regulations are and if they are standard Australia wide.

One of my dogs is now due for his annual vaccination and I am unable to decide whether to do it or not. The only reason I would have him vaccainted again is because I foster rescue dogs and I wouldn't want my dogs to be at risk. I did the titre test a couple of years ago and both dogs had above adequate levels - so I didn't vaccinate - when I started fostering - I vaccinated again. I have been lucky with fostering (as I take them straight from the pound normally) that I haven't had any parvo infected dogs. Touch wood.

I have read a bit about vaccinations and I am starting to believe that we are over vaccinating - I questioned my vet about annual vaccinations and he said that the protocol is changing - but nothing 'official' has been realeased from the appropriate authorities to confirm the change in protocol.

No vet will voluntarily tell you not to vaccinate your dog as he me become liaible if the dog dies (in this day and age of people suing for anything & everything).

I believe in vaccinating a dog until they are 2 years old - but I question annual vaccs after that as it seems that there is more and more data becoming available these days to prove that over vaccinating can actually kill our dogs. However, I am still not sure what to do myself!!

Edited June 1, 2006 by westielover