Anyone NOT do yearly shots?
 

So I've been doing a lot of reading/research about how some believe giving yearly shots (and shot past a certain age) do more harm than good.

Anyone know about this subject?

Anyone not give their dogs their yearly shots? Rabies will obviously still have to be given, but not others.

i am also interested in this.. Layla just got her one year booster in March and i don't want her to have them again next year but my vet doesn't agree and i was wondering how those who do not vaccinate every year found a vet who has the same views...

My vet gives the 3 year rabies and just started giving the distemper every 3 years too.

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but is the distemper for one thing or is it for a combination of things?

it's the same as us. half of the vaccines out there, we don't NEED. I think each individual should do their own extensive research and find a holistic vet to talk to. They're a lot more open and understand a lot more on why some shots really aren't needed. Even the yearly rabies shouldn't be given every year. that once a year shot does NOT wear off in a year. My babies get nothing but the rabies shot and I only give them that when they get around to their yearly teeth cleaning. And I'm a hardass on making sure my vet gives them a dosage right for their size. believe it or not a lot of vets just shoot the same dosage for the rabies into any size dog. same thing with frontline too. one thing of frontline plus (when I dose it out the way it really should be done) covers both of my babies. I wish more people knew things like that! lol Not only does it save money, but why put more than needed on/in our babies bodies?

Wow! I didn't even know that. I always panic if I get behind on shots. I guess furbabies can be like us. It seems everytime one of my family members gets a flu shot they get the flu. I don't even bother. LOL

After the first initial shots, my Vet. only gives them every three years. Yearly shots are not good at all for the pet.

I do the same thing with the Frontline.. saves a lot of money.

Yeah after reading the article.. ive decided not to let princess have the bordatella (intra nasal) one.. might do it every 2 years now..

I too find this an interesting topic.
The vet I just saw recently was talking about this with me. He said he doesn't believe a dog should get yearly shots. He said it isn't needed. That they all can only reach a certain point of immunity from a shot and that giving shots yearly does not help them at all because it won't build up the immunity, it only goes so far. Alright that sounds a little confusing but they way he explained it made sense. He said it was the same with a human child. They don't get shots every year because their immunity last for a long time. He also said most of it is for the money, which is why vets encourage you to do yearly shots. Which if you think about, vets would lose a lot of money if clients suddenly didn't get the yearly vaccinations for their pets.

So I really don't know what to do. On the one hand I too believe we are over vaccinating our pets. And I really would like to stop vaccinating them every year.

But then how does this work for breeders or people who travel with their dogs or get them groomed/board them? Don't most places require them to vaccinated, would they except it? And for breeders, I don't think it would be good to over vaccinate the parents but yet buyers want the dogs kept up to date on vaccinations. And do the puppies need their parents to be vaccinated every year?

Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on this? I would love to hear what you all think.

I've been worried about this lately too...

Especially since, due to a horrible mis-communication, Wobie got his first set of shots twice! :mad:

judii
 

My yorkie is alkmost 15 & I stopped the yearly shots a few years ago after reading several articles about this. I now have a vet that agrees with me.

yearly shots
 

This has been discussed a lot in the Bichon community. I have two Bichons, age 10 and 8. I don't give the 10-year-old anything but rabies any more. The other one is a therapy dog and out in public a lot, so he gets his shots every 3 years. Rabies has to be given every year in Tennessee. I space the shots out over a two or three week period and don't give them all at once. My vet agrees with this. There is a lot of proof that the shots don't need to be repeated after a few years, some say as early as the third year. I think the smaller the dog, the more likely there is to be a reaction to shots. I think the vets are realizing that the vaccinations are being given too often and I hope changes will come about in what is required.

I've been very concerned about this issue also.... Dr. Jean Dodds & Dr. Catherine O`Driscoll have been very vocal on this issue for years, Dr. Jean Dodds has a schedule she likes to go by in one of the links provided, you can look at hers...if you google "overvaccination" you'll get up all kinds of info....a lot of people just go by what their vet recommends, after what I've been reading I don't, shots are NOT harmless....there's also two books I plan on reading called, "Stop the shots" & " What the vet's don't tell you"



http://www.knowbetterdogfood.com/dog...accination.php

http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.c...logy%20101.htm

I do not give mine shots every year other than rabies. I just lost my Bichon in March due to cancer and she was twenty years old! We got her when she was 5 and she never had any vaccs other than rabies and bordetella which she needed when she got groomed. Maybe its just a fluke she lived that long with no vaccs, but I think it realy had a part to play in her longevity.