Please talk to your vet regarding vaccinations!!!!!
 

Angel was due for her distemper booster, so we made our appointment and saw the vet today.

Many of you know that there are new recommendations from the AVA regarding vaccinations - stating that once puppy shots are completed and the first booster is given, dogs are basically covered for life. Rabies is exempt from this because of the varying laws, but a three year booster is the current recommendation for Rabies. The new information also says that vaccines such as Lepto have such high risk factors that those risks far outweigh the benefits of the vaccination.

When the vet asked me if I was vaccinating Sissy I told her my thoughts on the vaccination schedule, especially based on the new recommended protocols and varying articles I've read from Dr. Susan Dodd and other holistic vets - to which my vet responded that she completely agrees our babies are being over vaccinated. She said the vet practice mandates she recommend annual vaccinations (except for rabies), but if the owner initiates the discussion she can then give her two cents. So, we now have a notation in our chart that we will not vaccinate other than rabies every three years!!!!

I am so relieved that I didn't have to put up a fuss or switch vet offices (cause we really like this office and we LOVE the vet we see). PLEASE talk to your vets about this. Not only will you save some serious cash, but your baby may potentially be much healthier as a result!!!!

What's AVA?

I just read your post on Brooke's thread about Tate's ears. I can't get over it - they will not talk about the new protocol unless the subject is addressed by the pet owner. That just goes to show you, it's about the money and not the best interest of the dogs.....for shame!:(

Ruby's vet tried to debate the point with me and was speaking to me in such a condescending way, I determined right then we would be getting another vet....and we did!

Would it be American Veterinarians Assoc.?

Thank you for the information! I am definitely going to discuss this with my vet.

I was thinking that but I looked at their website and the vaccination page still recommends every year and hasn't been updated in 3 years. :eek:

Also their acronym is AVMA.

thank you for posting this information!

My vet is having an open house on the 25th and one of the seminars is an informal discussion regarding vaccines. That's all the info that was in the email, but I'm very interested to hear what he has to say.

I may have mis-spoke about the AVMA, but in the April 2008 issue of Dogworld, there is an article about overvaccination. There was a report in 2006 by the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force that has recommendations very different from what has been considered "standard" practice.

If you go to Vaccination Schedule Recommendations For Dogs you can find the article by Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM as well (sorry, got her name wrong, too)!!!!!!

And yes, it is a shame that the vet clinic won't discuss this unless you bring it up - but at least they will then.

What a great article. Thanks for posting.

Thanks. Chipper is due for vaccinations at the end of the month.

Thank you for this post Jodie!

Thanks for the thread. I changed vets some time ago over this issue. There have been several threads and posts about this before, but I think this subject needs to be brought up often. Would love to see a sticky about this; it's important to get the word out. :aimeeyork :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :animal-pa :)

My vet is ahead of the times, I haven't vaccinated any of my dogs in the last 2 years, she said if I was worried about it I could give them titers to see how much vaccine is still left but I don't want them having any more vaccines. Only rabies every 3 years.

:thumbup::thumbup:
me too!!! We (my vet and I) have a new take on vacs and he goes by what he sees come in and what seems to be actve in our area and we go from there! We actually we with the lepto this time and thats the only one.

There is a new Lepto vac that is MUCH better than the old fort dodge one.

Actually Luvmysissy and I live in water areas where Lepto grows and thrives. My vet has seen death in dogs in the last year so yes I got the new lepto vac.

Jodie did you discuss Lepto? It was a nono in the past but my vet has seen an increase of dogs with lepto in our area :eek: even death.....Maybe ask your vet mine says DO NOT GIVE FORT DODGE lepto vac only the new one.
The case of the death it was traced back to River Raisin which i directly connected to Lake Erie SCARY Glad your vet is talking to you about not over vaccinating :) If for any reason you need a new vet...call me...I go to Dr.Rob right here by ny house and he is VERY up to date on things and a really great vet. He graduated from MSU. And just a lil bonus.... He is a cutie!!! :p:p:p:p :) lol

I just want to make sure I understand this before I go to the vet with Morgan. She is 14 months old and is up to date on all her shots. I actually can't remember when we went to the vet last. They just always sent me a card saying when she was due for her next shots. I do remember it seemed like alot of visits for alot of money!!
Are you saying that now that she's had all those puppy shots that she needed that she should be ok except for her rabies shot every 3 years? I love the idea of saving the money but I want to make sure she will be ok too. Do I just take her to the vet once a year for a check up? What if my vet says no thats not how I do it, would you change vets even if you really like this one? Sorry for all the questions I just want to do the right thing for my baby!
Thanks!

Thanks for the reminder Jodi. I had spoken to my vet about this when I had lulu. Zoey goes next week for her rabies and her spay. I am going to remind them to make note in her chart for her vaccines ever 3 and only her rabies annually.

The current thinking is that they need puppy shots, one year booster and then every three years after or none at all after if your vet is okay with it...

I agree with the 3yr schedule wholeheartedly! We have to remember though it is ultimately up to us as owners when our babies get their shots. I will probably get bashed for saying this but my dogs get their puppy vaccines, then they get a booster at a year and then that's it. I have done alot of research and for my area, there isn't a great need for vaccines other than rabies and since my dogs were never out in the country, I felt there wasn't a need for boosters all the time. My Vet actually agrees with me.:)

I got in a big debate with my horse's vet because she has gotten rabies EVERY YEAR for the past 13 years because the barns where she boarded said that she had to have it. Since the vet said "well we don't know if the titers stay high in horses that's a small animal test I can't recommend we not do the Rabies every year" the barn said I had to do it.

I was so pissed. I told her that I strongly disagreed with her and that we are overvaccinating. I think the vet's don't want to lose the money. If there are 10 horses at barn and they all HAVE to get rabies that $300!

Long story short I am moving my horse to a barn that is very sympathetic to my concerns about overvaccinating Glory and she will NOT be getting the rabies or the Rhino Flu shot this year.

Thank God Ozzy's vet has already brought up that he doesn't support yearly shots and my Doggie Daycare also is closely monitoring the issue and hopefully will stop requiring yearly shots.

cago already had his shots when i got him.

Im not sure if he got lepto i would have to look but i mean theres not much you can do if you get them at an older age. I will talk to my vet when i take kiele in for allergies again and see what she says on the whole yearly thing.

So you are saying no other vaccine besides rabies?? And the rabies only every 3 years??

I will ask my vet about this bc I also think they are being over vaccinated. Humans are also be over vaccinated.

Thanks for the info Paula. Yes, we did discuss Lepto - but since the girls are so infrequently outside (only for bike rides and a very occasional walk in our neighborhood) it doesn't seem necessary. She suggested it last year and we did give it, but since we switched to pee pads exclusively, she was okay with not giving it. Glad to know we have up-to-date vets!!!!

If she completed her puppy shots, she is most likely due for her distemper booster (which is a year after puppy shots are completed) and her rabies as well. My vet highly recommends doing all vaccines separately and at least two weeks apart, and I have always done this. Most likely her reminder card is for that distemper booster along with her rabies.

Once she gets her distemper boosters, the new thought is she will not need this again. Once they get the rabies booster, the vaccination schedule is only once every three years for that.

Yes, you would still do your once yearly check-up and most vets require a yearly heartworm test in order to give you the prescription for that as well.

Hope this helps!!!!!

Correct. Once puppy shots are complete (and the new recommendation is only TWO rounds if begun after 12 weeks of age) and they have gotten their distemper booster (anywhere between 1 and 1 1/2 years) they do not need this again. So then the vaccination schedule would be just the rabies every three years.

My vet gives the 3 year Rabies and last year posted a notice in the office that they would be following the new recommendations and the distemper will only be given every 3 years. I was so happy to see that for 2 reasons, One I hate them getting all those vaccinations and with 4 dogs it sure saves money.