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Originally Posted by Yorki3Lover223 i was reading Laila's bill and noticed all the shots and exams that she's supposed to get yearly..
-bordetella
-coronavirus
-dhpp ha
-leptospirosis
-giardia-canine
-routine deworm
-lyme disease
-rabies virus
-thyroid sceen
-fecal exam
-heartworm test
wow, i was overwhelmed with the many shots and exams =/ just a visit is $40 and determining the shot i would estimate to be around $33 that's a chunk of change! and that's just one shot. honestly, do any of you guys get all these shots for your pups? Laila has gotton all these shots and gotton the exams, but only need the bordetella shot. is it me or are these a lot of shots?? |
You don't need all these shots every year. The main yearly shot is the Distemper. This is an important one that is needed yearly to build up the antibodies. After a certain number of years you can get a titer done and you may not need to get anymore distemper vaccines for your pup. The bordatella vaccine is only needed if your pet boards in kennels, goes to group training classes, goes to the groomer, or sees a lot of dogs all the time. Kennel cough is transmitted from other dogs so if your dog is going to be around other dogs you don't know for any period of time i recommend getting this done. The corona virus vaccine is usually included in teh distemper vaccine. I've never given a separate one. The lepto vaccine isn't needed either, but sometimes may be included in teh distemper vaccine. The giarddia vaccine i've never given either. I don't know if its something more prevelant in other states and if its needed. As long as your pup has a yearly fecal done there is no need to added another vaccine into the mix. routine deworming doesn't need to be done either. There are heartworm pills such as Interceptor and Heartguard plus that include some poop dewormers in them. If your dog is on this then they don't need a separate dewormer unless they have their fecal checked and it is positive for worms. The lyme disease vaccine isn't needed for most dogs unless they are in heavily wooded areas or visit wooded parks alot. Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks so if you don't have a lot of ticks in teh area then you don't need the vaccine. The rabies vaccine is given every 2 to 3 years depending on the time of year you get it done and the licensing time in your town. Some vets will booster it early at your annual exam so you don't have to come back at another time just for that so you can relicense your dog. The thyroid screen isn't necessary either unless your dog seems to be having problems with it (weight gain/lose, hair loss, eating alot or too little, etc). The heartworm test depends on your heartworm pills. If your dog is on heartworm pills year round then you only need this done every two years. If your dog is only on hearworm pills from may-nov (depending on where you live) then the heartworm test is needed every spring. Its much easier for a small dog just to be on the heartworm pills year round. its cheaper and it also protects against other worms. PLus you don't have to bring yoru dog back to the vet for them to draw blood again. The fecal exam should be done every year at their annual exam to make sure there are no worms hiding out.
This is what i've always done at teh vets offices i've worked at. It might be different in other states depending on law, the climate, your vet, etc...