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Originally Posted by Nancy1999  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. |
It's so sad to me that people are *still* doing yearly shots when the AAHA has been recommending less for YEARS now...ugh, how can they do that to their dogs? More importantly, why are their vets allowing it and/or not educating them? Makes me crazy. Imagine the outrage if some human docs were giving us our vaccines every single year...um, hello malpractice.
The comparison to humans is bc the immune response is physiologically the same in terms of how it works. And I think it's interesting to note how much we *trust* human vaccines, but seem suspicious of canine vaccines (ie DOI or whatever). Also, even though we don't sniff poop
... it's actually almost worse for us bc many of our deadly germs are airborne...which is theoretically more dangerous.
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Originally Posted by Ellie May I don't like following trends or using new products either. ?but DOI studies have been done for many years.
It comes down to trusting DOI (proven by challenge) and realizing no vaccine is 100% effective or trusting titers.
I understand being nervous to stray too far from every 3 years or less because owners are so programmed to vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate. But for those stilll doing annual distemper/parvo...yikes.
FWIW, I forgot to mention above that while the kids don't play with strange dogs they do shadow with me sometimes, esp. Ellie. This consists of her being in a kennel near ill animals, interacting with staff after they have touched other animals all day, getting cuddled by me after petting random puppies. The only thing I wouldn't do is handke her if I knew a dog had something really contagious or let her share the isolation area with a sick dog, but that is common sense. |
Yup, we have to trust the studies when they're good studies. The DOI studies were so conclusive. I'm so grateful that they were done too -- bc it's the very thing that allows us to move toward less overvaccination.