Daisy Needs Shots - What should I do?
 

I have Daisy scheduled to get her shots tomorrow. Her vet still recommends all the shots because otherwise they would have a jumbled schedule for when to get each shot. They offer a 'shot package' that includes Bordetella booster, DHPP Booster, Heartworm Test, Leptospirosis Vaccine, Rabies Booster (one year booster). They also do a physical and Daisy has a little bump I want to ask them about.

Daisy is 4 yrs old and 13 lbs. She has always had this package in the past but I don't know if she needs all of the shots every year. We never board her but she does meet and greet doggies in the park on our daily walk. She has never had any bad reactions to the shots.

Please let me know what you do regarding shots. From what I am hearing, I don't want to over medicate her.

I am going to call a few other vets and see what they recommend. It seems like my vet's attitude is just "it's easier and less complicated to give them yearly all at once". I don't know if they are looking at the dogs best interest or $$$.

Thanks

I would not be very happy if Ellie's vet took that attitude. What is so hard about spreading them out a little? In my opinion three shots in one day is two too many and if she did have a reaction you would have no idea which one caused it. That is also a lot to put in a tiny system in one day. Is lepto a problem in your area? If it isn't I would seriously consider studying about this shot and deciding if that is something you want your dog to be vaccinated for. The shot carries a higher risk than most (allergic reaction). As for bordetella, if you are going to give that then do you give it twice a year? That one doesn't last for a full year so if you think Daisy needs it then is your vet doing it every six months? How about doing DHPP every three years? Maybe with titer testing in between?

Thanks for your response. I just called 2 other vets and they said they give all the shots at once unless your dog has had a reaction in the past. I don't know if lepto is a problem here. Neither of the vets I called mentioned it. They did not tell me they should get bordatella 2x a year either. One of them metioned titer testing but said you can do it if your dog had a bad reaction or if your are worried for some reason.

I thought I would find one vet who would have a different opinion. I think I am going to call a holistic vet near here and she what she says. I know I went to a lecture by her once where she gave info about overmedicating your dogs but she is really into 'raw' feeding and that just turned me off.

What do you think about rabies shots? Is a 3 yr too much meds for a small dog? Do you give 1 year?

I think rabies shots are horrible, dangerous and unnecessary (unless your dog is outside with birds or wildlife a lot) but my opinion doesn't count since the law would be involved if I didn't give it. I don't know if the one year or three year is better but Ellie gets the three year.

I am not saying that I think dogs should get bordetella twice a year. Mine doesn't get it at all but then again she is rarely around other dogs. It is just that it doesn't last for a full year. That is why you will see some people give it twice a year.

Most vets do give shots all at once but it is your call whether you allow them to do that. If you don't like the idea, tell them. They are working for you.

DO NOT get the lepto...unless you live on a farm..I had heard not to let them have these shots, and when I asked about it the other day, the vet said NO..not unless you live on a farm..I said, I don't live on a farm, and my dogs don't even go outside!

My Vet doesnt do the Lepto.I would do both boosters and the blood test for Heartworm. and make another appt for the rabies in a couple of weeks.

Peanut is just finishing up his shots, I spilt them up. My vet agreed that to many shots in one day is not good in these little guys. He goes Monday for his lyme and he good for the year.

You shouldnt be giving those every year - only every three years now

I'm curious, does your vet recommend this??? Or are you going on your own personal knowledge of vaccines?

I am asking because the vets here seem to be recommending all of the shots at once. I believe that the vets here may be slow to change the old ways that things were done. I am definitely going to make my own decision on this though. Thanks for your responses.

We don't live on a farm but I do walk them in different parks and we have encountered dead birds that they have sniffed before I noticed it and of course all types of wild animal poop on the ground. Do you think I should get the lepto because of this?

Thanks!

I'm glad to see this thread; I am getting ready (I THINK) to take Max for his shots and he's due according to his card they sent for Distemper,Parainfluenza, Adenovirus, Caronavirus; Bordatella, a fecal exam, (and I want him to have the heartworm test b/c I want to get him started on the meds ...we supposedly don't have any heartworm here, but they say if I am going to take him other places, he should be on it before we go?).

So, are you saying that the shots he got last year should last him for 3 years? Or that they make a different concentration of the shots that last longer than the ones Max got? I've heard people saying they don't need and shouldn't get the Bordatella. I'm not sure now what he should get or when! He's not really around other dogs very much, we don't go to any dog parks and the only time he's around others is when I take him to be groomed (and everybody's dog there looks pretty well cared for, so I expect that they're all current on their vaccinations. The groomer's has a notice saying that all dogs should be current anyhow). The other question I have is when Max has his heartworm test, I know you can buy the heartworm meds thru the mail or the internet; do you need a prescription for them, and do the vets get miffed that you're not buying your meds thru them?

My vet wont give Lepto to my dogs...it must not be a problem in our area..

A lot of vets are changing to every three years for Rabies and and DHPP boosters, although a lot are still doing it every year. I know Texas A&M University Vet Med Center changed their vaccine protocol in 2003. Their vaccine protocol is DHPP at 6, 9, 12, and 16 weeks with rabies at 12 weeks. The law says that rabies must be given by 4 months of age. After that a DHPP booster and rabies booster is given a year after the last vaccine in the puppy series (so approximately 1 year 3 months of age). After that you can give every three years. Lepto should only be given if you are in an endemic area. Bordetella should be given if dog is regularly exposed to other dogs, especially in a boarding facility or grooming shop. Lyme vaccine should only be given if in an endemic area for Lyme diseas and the dog is exposed to ticks.

Okay, I just took Ginger in for her 2nd set of boosters the other day, she has to go back in 3 weeks, 2 weeks from tomorrow), anyway, I asked about the 3 year rabi shots, they said on the puppy shots, they only give the one year rabi, and after that(next year) she can start having the 3 year...The lepto is not given here, unless you live where you're around a lot of wildlife...Everything I've been reading online said STAY away from the lepto shot..

I'm sorry; I don't mean to repeat myself, but is the 3 yr rabies shot the same as what used to be the 1 yr and they just extended the amount of time between boosters, or is it a different formulation? I'm trying to figure out if Max even needs to go in for his shots or if we can wait another year or two? I know my vet would say they need it every year (b/c that's just the way they are here). I've been considering going to another vet and I expect they'll want to do all his shots anyway.

The 1 year and 3 year rabies are the exact same shot. Research has showed that they really don't know how long a rabies vaccine with provide immunity but they think it could be up to 7 years. I think the AVMA has realized that overvaccinating is a problem and they don't need a rabies vaccine every year when it provides immunity for years, so therefor they decided that after the 12 week and 1-year rabies vaccines, you should give it every three years.

MyFairLacy, this is sort of off topic but I have a question for you. Could you explain why Texas A&M recommends giving DHPP at 6, 9, 12 and 16 weeks? From what I have read, dogs only NEED two sets of puppy shots. Those would be at about 12 and 16 weeks when no maternal antibiodies are interfering. To be safe they are given three times (8, 12 and 16 weeks). Maternal antibiodies are likely to counteract the 8 week shot but I hear nobody really knows and all animals are different, so why does Texad A&M give them four times (when three is plenty) and why do they start at 6 weeks (when maternal antibiotics are sure to counteract it). I don't want you to have to defend it. I am really interested in their reasoning. Thank you:)

I'll be honest and say I follow my vet's advise. Buddy get's his shots
yearly. He is a larger Yorkie as well and has never had any kind
of reation, even to rabies. Rabies is given every other year.
Maybe the smaller pups should get these shots seperately so they don't
get reations but Bud is the smallest dog I have ever had and all the past
dogs also got their's once a year with never any problem.

I did find out something interesting about the rabies shot. I asked the vet if the dog gets a dose of rabies shot in proportion to their size. She said NO every dog gets the same dose no matter the size. That sounded a little scary to me. I didn't think to ask her about the 1 yr vs the 3 yr dosage. I really wish they would tell you that the 1 year and the 3 year shot is the same. But they didn't tell us that.

The vet STRONGLY advised me to get the lepto along with the other shots. She said they do have cases of lepto come in for treatment and it is a very dangerous disease. She asked if we have squirrels in our yard and I told her we have a lot of rabbit (or squirrel) doo doo in our yard and our dogs eat the doo doo. She said I REALLY need to get that shot to be safe.

I asked her what she would do if this was HER dog. She was really sincere in her responses and gave explanations for her reasoning.

I also asked her about the titer (sp?) and she said they can do that test and get the amount of the vaccine that she has in her system (I hope I am explaining this correctly) but they don't have a measurement of how much they actually need to have in their system to be safe. I would sure like to know if anyone has any more information on this test.

Daisy is a good solid 13 lbs and the info she gave me pertained to Daisy and I don't know if the same would be true for tiny dogs regarding giving all the shots.

I thank everyone for their input. I took everything from everyone into consideration but the vets opinion won me over and I got the shots. I am watching Daisy to make sure she doesn't have a bad reaction to the shots. The vet said watch for swelling and lethargy. As soon as I brought Daisy home she wanted to play a game of chase with me in the yard. She is wagging her tail and running like a little maniac. I don't know if this is because of the shot but she sure isn't lethargic.

My husband asked the receptionist about the mail order meds. She cautioned that some of these meds are coming from Australia or other countries and may not meet the same standards that they have in this country. She also mentioned that when you pay the postage, you are not saving much, if anything. When my hubby checked the prices on some of the meds, he found out they were cheaper at the vets office. You might want to check on this.

I am really appreciating all of the responses and I want to generate more discussion on this topic so hopefully I will have an easier time next year when I have to make this decision again. I would really appreciate hearing what others are doing regarding shots and how you came to the decision. This was so hard on me and I feel terrible having to make the decision to vaccinate and worry about the effects of it, or not vaccinating and worrying that she will get a fatal disease.

NOW I have to decide if I am going to have the FLU shot myself tomorrow. I guess that's another topic for another day. LOL

I hate that whole rabies shot thing with the dose being the same for big and small dogs. That is ridiculous.

Ultimately you have to do what you are comfortable with. I strongly believe that vaccinating every year causes a lot more harm than good. Most people won't see their dog "reacting" to a vaccine and that is good. Something has to be taken into consideration though. There are disease (particularly hemolytic anemia) that have been linked to vaccines. It is a horrible disease and if I can prevent it in Ellie by not vaccinated so often, I will do that. It also doesn't matter what most vets think to me because some of the major vet organizations/schools are going to every three years. That makes a lot more sense to me. Miss Ellie had a very severe reaction to the lepto vaccine and could have lost her life because of it. The disease is serious but so is the shot. That shot also doesn't protect against all strains and is ineffective (atleast the old shot) in about 30% of dogs. It is really something you have to spend HOURS:rolleyes: weighing like everything else (including food, toys). It does get old.

Titer tests measure the number of times the blood has to be diluted to see antibiodies. It is true that there isn't an exact number/reference range that people are comfortable with but I've heard some say 1:5 and some say 1:32. Most titer readings come back way above that at over 1:1000 so there is no doubt that the dog is protected. Ellie's distemper reading came back at 1:16 and she will be vaccinated against just that this year.

I'm sorry to hear that your baby had a bad reaction to the shot. This is all so scary to have to make these kinds of decisions. I was hoping that my vet would have told me that they don't need to vaccinated so often, but she didn't. I see that different vets think so differently about the shots. I called two other vets in my area and they both also recommended getting the shots. I hope they are making different recommendations by this time next year.

You are talking about long-term effects of having these vaccines, right? That worries me even more. Next year I am going to consider getting the titer test done first.

I read up online about vaccinating our little Yorkies...and I found a lot of them ended up sick or "affected" more negatively than medium or larger breeds, so I asked my vet at the time her advice. I was told that we should only give 1/2 of the dose to our Yorkies. She only uses 1/2 the vile and tosses out the rest, (so I know it is not a money saving issue to her). She also explained how every dog, regardless of size gets the full dose and she does not see it necessary to give a small breed such a large dose. She told me of two seperate times that small dogs that have come into her office almost dead from a reaction to a shot and I was content to only give my babies half he "normal" dose. I have always given them all only half and they have all been fine and healthy and had almos no reaction to their shots. I am not an expert but this is what has worked for me...:p BTW-I was also told never to gove lepto unless I was in a high risk area...especially after what Ellie May had to go through~I am so sorry for that...

Yes, I am talking about long term effects but nobody knows how many times a shot has to be given to cause them. As far as lepto, that is a HARD call if your dogs eat other animal poop. I wouldn't want to make that decision.

I went to a workshop that a vet gave a couple years ago and the vet said our dogs are being way over vacinated.

nvn girl, my one yorkie contacted kennel cough from the vets office, of all places..that's what the bordatella is for, and if your dog goes to get groomed, it should have the bordatella..If I'm not mistaken, it's a liquid that goes up the nose..

nvnvgirl, I will ask on the rabi shots when I go in in a couple weeks...ours still give one year, and also 3 years(the puppy rabi shot is only one year), after that, they can have the 3 year..I would think, since they still have one year and also 3 year, that there would be something different in it...I may e-mail a vet in California today to ask her), will let you know when I find out..

Another quick thing on the shots..mine had her first puppy shots at 8 weeks, then 12 weeks, she will get another set at 15 weeks and 18 weeks..there are 4 sets of shots to get them through their puppy shots..I was thinking there was only 3 sets..? Did e-mail the vet in California to ask about the 1 vs 3 year rabi shots and will let you know what she says...

doodlebug, this is what the vet wrote back on the 1 and 3
year rabi shots
A vaccine given to a dog under a year old, good for one year. A vaccine given to a dog over a year old, good for 3 years. That's it. Hope that helps. Has to do with antibodies building up, etc.... Lisa

You know, I'm not really sure. Maternal antibodies should still be protecting the puppies at 6 weeks. My thought is that they're considering those puppies that have been weaned from their mother at 4 or 5 weeks and already off to new homes by 6 weeks. A lot of pet owners are irresponsible and don't protect their new puppies...and they end up getting parvo. So I guess it's more of a precaution than anything. I don't really think 6 weeks is necessary. I think 8, 12, and 16 weeks is fine. I got a new cat a few months ago and she received her first round of vaccines at about 4 months old (her breeder doesn't like early vaccines). I brought her home three weeks later and she got her second round of vaccines and rabies shots. The vet I took her to suggested a third round of vaccines in another three weeks but I never had them done because I believe she's protected with those two shots (plus she's an indoor only cat).

So far as the county/city requirement with rabies - Texas changed their rabies law in 2003 to allow vaccines every three years. I don't know if all states go by that or not

That makes sense to me. I think I am going to get the 3 yr next time. I don't know why my vet does not tell me this and has me coming back year after year getting a one year shot.