Quote:
Originally Posted by Britster  Right, this.
I don't see why you would have a false sense of security because... well, there is just so much research and evidence pointing towards vaccines lasting 7+ years to a lifetime. Titering wouldn't change my mind to be honest or give me any more sense of security so I probably won't waste my $$$ unless necessary.
I mean, really, when babies are infants they get... measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR); diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP); hepatitis; and sometimes more.
For humans, you're given DTaP at
At 2 months
At 4 months
At 6 months
Between 15 and 18 months (can be given as early as 12 months as long as it's at least six months after the previous shot)
Between 4 and 6 years old
A booster shot at 11 or 12 years of age (called the Tdap)
And then that's it. Do you even think about these for the rest of your life? Do you have any reason to believe you're not protected anymore?
In the scheme of things, that's the same basic schedule as a dog, taking into account a dog's shorter lifespan.
Why do we feel the need to vaccine over and over again in a dog's short life? It's not going to make them any more protected giving the same thing year after year. You're either immune or you're not. |
The article Ann linked said that titers give a false sense of security, that's what I was referring to. I wish I could be as sure as you are, I'm just not that sure that giving no shots is the right thing. So you don't believe in giving ANY shots after the first year booster? I've been told by others that after 5 years of age, they don't give any shots. Lots of people I know in real life get yearly shots for life. I also feel like it's more important for me because my dogs are around other dogs quite a bit and I don't want them making other dogs sick either.
I guess I don't understand the comparisons with humans, we don't tend to sniff poop and I guess I thought because of this behavior, dogs seems more at risk at contacting contagious diseases. Personally, I take better care of my dogs than I do myself and I pretty much do what the doctor tell me to do, unless I hear otherwise, and then I try to learn more. I guess I'm old enough to know that I have listened to trends and authorities before and have later learned they were wrong, because I didn't have the full picture or didn't understand all the exceptions to the rule. Getting the titers use to make me feel safe that I was doing the right thing. Now I don't feel that way.