After talking to our vet he convinced me in our situation (we camp often and live in a rural area on several areas surrounded by forest) the benefits of having our new puppy on the lyme & lepto. shots. They have seen several cases in our local area. While I have read and noted to the vet that small dogs can sometimes have problems with this. He assured me that they take all the precautions to keep them safe and they only offer the shots after all other shots have been given.
While every case is different and I'm sure not all dogs need these shots. I do think that its beneficial to consider them if you plan to have your pets in areas that ticks or wildlife may roam.
Im not sure there are any dog friendly tick repellents. While the frontline type products do kill anything that may bite, that dose not protect from lyme decease overall.
Again I do want to point out each dog is different, while city dogs may not need these shots, I strongly urge those who camp, walk trails, or frequent parks that have wildlife talk with their vet and weigh the benefits vs consequences. These shots are not your standard given shots but an option for most new puppies.
My choices may not be the views of all small dog owners and I understand that. But I know my dogs will be subjected to these things and I felt it was the best choice for us. |