Vaccinations- DIY or Vet?

[chachi]

Oh and vets wont force you to get the shots but they wont administer the rest of the series of shots unless you get them all through them or by another vet

[Ellie May]

Puppy vaccines should be given by a vet. Vets cannot be expected to trust breeders in this area because most either use the wrong thing or give it at the wrong time. But for those bound to do it themselves...

Purchase from veterinary supply, not feed stores.
Assure they have stayed cold at all times.
Properly dispose of needles.
Don't use cheap/unheard of brands.
Have your vet do an exam before vaccination.
Make sure you are near a veterinary ER or a vet nearby is open ready to deal with anaphylaxis.

[Yorkiesrtoocute]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I do want to add make absolutely sure the place you buy your vaccines from does not allow the vaccines to become warm....I do not buy my vaccines from feed stores....

Where do you get your vacines from? I've always heard that tractor supply handles the vacines well and no side effects.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Yorkiesrtoocute

Where do you get your vacines from? I've always heard that tractor supply handles the vacines well and no side effects.

I buy mine from Revival....same vaccines my vet gives. They are shipped in a cooler. When we used to breed and show Arabian horses in the 70's, we spent alot of time around feed stores....bought a lot of meds there, but not vaccines....just kind of stuck in my mind about vaccines at feed stores....I saw stock off loaded from the delivery truck, to the back porch and the staff then put the stock up when they got time....vaccines sat out there....dont know how long....may no longer do things that way....but that vision has remained in my head and I will not buy vaccines, where the temp must be maintained at a specific temp but not frozen either, from a feed store!

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

My new owners have established a relationship with me and I have also contacted the vet they have indicated they will be using....I let them know that I am a breeder and I do give my own vaccinations and provide the new buyer with a health certificate issued by my vet at the time the owner picks their puppy up...they also have a vaccination record that I provide with each puppy, that indicates the required information on the vaccination I have given the puppy. If the vet after we speak, refuses to accept the vaccinations that I have given the puppy, I do contact the new owner and share that information with them. The new owner can change vets or can just refuse to have the vaccinations repeated in the puppy. I have not had any issues with vaccinations, or vets refusing to accept the vaccination record or shots that I have given the babies.....In my conversation with the vet, some have suggested the necessity of adding the Lepto which was prevalent in the area the baby was going to, and the pups were covered with Benadryl injection prior to the Lepto shot....
I have never encountered any vet or doctor that would not sit and discuss options with me, no have they gotten angry with me with questions or suggestions or with me even refusing to go with an option they suggest or want to doi....all I have ever said is, " I dont feel comfortable doing that....I have done my research and I dont want to do that."

Thank you! Good thoughts. Do you think that the situation of a new breeder might favor 1 approach over the other?

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I do want to add make absolutely sure the place you buy your vaccines from does not allow the vaccines to become warm....I do not buy my vaccines from feed stores....

Ok. That's good to know. I did notice that places that sell from catalogs specifically say that vaccines are overnighted in cold packaging. Are there any such places you wouldn't recommend?


I'm still on the fence about this, but when I make my decision, I want to have as much good info as possible.


Thanks

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by chachi

Yes but alot of vets just dont want to put the trust in the the breeder administered the shots correctly. I dont blame them its there name and reputation on the line

Does a health certificate cover vaccines?
I thought the health certificate doesn't necessarily need to certify the vaccinations, but just the overall health of the dog?


Side note: In my mind a vaccine is not a guarantee of health, is just supposed to be protection against potential problems. Maybe I'm looking at this differently because I don't particularly favor the excessive amounts of vaccinations recommended for both humans and dogs. Even with my children, they get only what they must because of school requirements and such, but I'm not inclined to having all the extras that pharmaceutical companies love to push and the medical field follows suit to cover their behinds.


Also, I'm guessing this only becomes an issue if the state requires a health certificate. My state gives a choice between a health certificate from a vet and a health guarantee from the breeder.

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

Puppy vaccines should be given by a vet. Vets cannot be expected to trust breeders in this area because most either use the wrong thing or give it at the wrong time. But for those bound to do it themselves...

Purchase from veterinary supply, not feed stores.
Assure they have stayed cold at all times.
Properly dispose of needles.
Don't use cheap/unheard of brands.
Have your vet do an exam before vaccination.
Make sure you are near a veterinary ER or a vet nearby is open ready to deal with anaphylaxis.

Excellent guidelines. Thank you.

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I buy mine from Revival....same vaccines my vet gives. They are shipped in a cooler. When we used to breed and show Arabian horses in the 70's, we spent alot of time around feed stores....bought a lot of meds there, but not vaccines....just kind of stuck in my mind about vaccines at feed stores....I saw stock off loaded from the delivery truck, to the back porch and the staff then put the stock up when they got time....vaccines sat out there....dont know how long....may no longer do things that way....but that vision has remained in my head and I will not buy vaccines, where the temp must be maintained at a specific temp but not frozen either, from a feed store!

Cool...Revival is 1 of the places I have been looking at.

[Yorkiemom1]

I have no idea about what other States require as far as issuing a health certificate....I know I have sold puppies that have gone to live in other States have not had any problems with me giving the vaccines.....I personally give each puppy a health record that contains well baby visits, and worming schedule and their vaccinations, dates and labels from the vials placed appropriately in the shot record. Then before the puppy goes to new owners, my vet does a system check on the puppy and at the top of this health certificate, the vet checks the boxes that indicate which vaccinations the baby has received, along with the statement, "Properly administered by breeder". Both the vet issued health certificate and my own vaccination / worming /vet visit record go to the new owner, who then presents them to her vet. When I first started breeding, I did not give my own shots, but only because I was working and it was easier to drop pups off at the vet on the way to work, they gave the shots and watched for any adverse reactions, and I picked them up on the way home. A shift change at work enabled me to give my own vaccinations, saving me substantial expense....

[PamperedYorkies]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I have no idea about what other States require as far as issuing a health certificate....I know I have sold puppies that have gone to live in other States have not had any problems with me giving the vaccines.....I personally give each puppy a health record that contains well baby visits, and worming schedule and their vaccinations, dates and labels from the vials placed appropriately in the shot record. Then before the puppy goes to new owners, my vet does a system check on the puppy and at the top of this health certificate, the vet checks the boxes that indicate which vaccinations the baby has received, along with the statement, "Properly administered by breeder". Both the vet issued health certificate and my own vaccination / worming /vet visit record go to the new owner, who then presents them to her vet. When I first started breeding, I did not give my own shots, but only because I was working and it was easier to drop pups off at the vet on the way to work, they gave the shots and watched for any adverse reactions, and I picked them up on the way home. A shift change at work enabled me to give my own vaccinations, saving me substantial expense....

Great info! Thank you so much for all of your responses!
You mentioned well baby visits. When do you typically do those?
How about worming? Since my babies are so tiny, I was thinking about waiting, getting them tested and then worming as needed. What are your thoughts on this?

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by chachi

Yes but alot of vets just dont want to put the trust in the the breeder administered the shots correctly. I dont blame them its there name and reputation on the line

So sorry that happened to you with your kiddo , that really stinks. If I had been in your shoes, I would've said no way to my vet wanting to redo any shots - there are way too many dangers in overvaccinating our pets, often hidden dangers sadly. I mean, what would the vet do then...refuse you care? If he had, I'd say sayonara ! I'd rather protect my pet than go to a vet who wanted to overvaccinate.

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

So sorry that happened to you with your kiddo , that really stinks. If I had been in your shoes, I would've said no way to my vet wanting to redo any shots -[B] there are way too many dangers in overvaccinating our pets, often hidden dangers sadly. I mean, what would the vet do then...refuse you care? If he had, I'd say sayonara ! I'd rather protect my pet than go to a vet who wanted to overvaccinate.

[/B

My question exactly! I have no idea why none of my people have had all these problems with their vets refusing a valid shot record from a breeder that has the appearance of looking professional....they will certainly have issues with a "note" on a paper towel simply stating "dog has had all shots".....but I really do think if you are conducting your business like you are not selling puppies in parking lots and flea markets or out of a box on the side of the road, vets are more at ease believing what they are looking at. Like you say, they SHOULD be more concerned with overdosing the baby than accepting the valid shot record! Actually, the only vaccination they would be "responsible" for justifying or "standing behind", would be the rabies shot, which in most States is still given only by vets. If you tell your vet you trust your breeder and accept her word that the vaccines were given correctly and appropriately, what in the world are they going to do? Establish working relationships with the people that are taking care of your pup.....there SHOULD be a trusting relationship going both ways between you and your breeder, vet, groomer, etc!

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by PamperedYorkies

Great info! Thank you so much for all of your responses!
You mentioned well baby visits. When do you typically do those?
How about worming? Since my babies are so tiny, I was thinking about waiting, getting them tested and then worming as needed. What are your thoughts on this?

My momma and new borns have their first well baby check up within a day of being born. If no problems are detected, then babies go back at 3 week intervals x 2, then 6 weeks a time or two, then their final visit within 24 hours of new owners picking the baby up. Now I am a crazy germaphobe.....so my babies do NOT visit everyone in the waiting room as we wait for the vet! My babies and I sit in the car until they are ready for us....they motion us to come in, we go straight into an exm room, I have my own sheets to cover the exam table with, shop towels to cover the weight scale with, my own thermometer, pediatric stethescope, the equipment used to look into eyes/ears (this equipment is expensive and you want good equipment, this stuff can be purchased at medical supply companies...We have Majors Book Store here (and on line) and I get all my text books for nursing career and my vet books as well as my equipment from them......my babies go enclosed in a carrier and no one but the vet and vet tech handles them..... I have a worming schedule.....I have information I have collected and researched over the years about worming....I agree with the concept that dogs have worms, period. All my dogs are routinely wormed.....it is in their heartworm meds and I also give Strongid-T. Puppies will have worms, period. That is NOT saying they are infested or eaten up with seething, squirming worms....but worms are cyclic and go thru stages and a worming program intercepts worms at each stage of development.....I start at 2 weeks, 4, 6, 8 weeks and then advance to monthly with Strongid-T. The ONLY dog that is off all meds are my mommas, for the 2 months they are carrying babies, during which time they receive or come in contact with NO meds, including medicated shampoos, etc.

[Yorkiesrtoocute]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

My momma and new borns have their first well baby check up within a day of being born. If no problems are detected, then babies go back at 3 week intervals x 2, then 6 weeks a time or two, then their final visit within 24 hours of new owners picking the baby up. Now I am a crazy germaphobe.....so my babies do NOT visit everyone in the waiting room as we wait for the vet! My babies and I sit in the car until they are ready for us....they motion us to come in, we go straight into an exm room, I have my own sheets to cover the exam table with, shop towels to cover the weight scale with, my own thermometer, pediatric stethescope, the equipment used to look into eyes/ears (this equipment is expensive and you want good equipment, this stuff can be purchased at medical supply companies...We have Majors Book Store here (and on line) and I get all my text books for nursing career and my vet books as well as my equipment from them......my babies go enclosed in a carrier and no one but the vet and vet tech handles them..... I have a worming schedule.....I have information I have collected and researched over the years about worming....I agree with the concept that dogs have worms, period. All my dogs are routinely wormed.....it is in their heartworm meds and I also give Strongid-T. Puppies will have worms, period. That is NOT saying they are infested or eaten up with seething, squirming worms....but worms are cyclic and go thru stages and a worming program intercepts worms at each stage of development.....I start at 2 weeks, 4, 6, 8 weeks and then advance to monthly with Strongid-T. The ONLY dog that is off all meds are my mommas, for the 2 months they are carrying babies, during which time they receive or come in contact with NO meds, including medicated shampoos, etc.

What is yor dosage amount for strongid-t. It looks cheaper as to my vet is charging me $20.00 for every worming. I rather buy the bottle for $98.00 and reuse it many times.