Spacing out Shots...
 

I have a question about how to schedule several things Bailey needs...

She had all her puppy shots but we never went back for the rabies appt. I wanted to wait until she was 6 months. But then I lost track of time so now she's 7.5 months. She needs to go in for rabies. She also needs bordetella so she can get groomed and possibly boarded later this year. And I also want to get her spay done.

I know the vet probably wouldn't have an issue with doing it all at once, but isn't it better to space it out? Is it 2 weeks apart for rabies and spay to make it safer? Which is better to do first? (I'm guessing I'd have to do rabies first, since CA law is 4 months so she's overdue.) Is is okay to give rabies and bordetella at once, or need to split that up too?

Thanks.

I waited to give Jackson the rabies shot until about 6 1/2 months too. He had a reaction to Lepto before so I was just nervous about the rabies.

When I brought him in to get neutered, they said he was required to have the rabies vaccine so they were going to give him rabies & neuter at the same time. I was very nervous about that (and I'm NOT the nervous type!) but I just didn't want him to have a reaction while under anesthesia. I expressed my concerns to the vet and even though her vet techs had told me otherwise, she agreed and said to just schedule him for Rabies two weeks after his neuter. He came out of the surgery with flying colors, and two weeks later, I brought him back for Rabies and they gave him a shot of Benadryl beforehand just to be safe. Everything went a-okay! Bordatella is probably fine to do on the same day because I believe it's just shot up the nose, it's not a needle or whatever. It's not a "dangerous" vaccine and not known to cause reactions (except SOME have stated their dogs got kennel cough because of the vaccine, kind of like the human flu shot)

Thanks for the info! I'm thinking I'll first make an appointment for rabies & bordetella, then about 2 weeks later the spay and microchip. Any problems with this plan?

I would not get the rabies at the same time as any other vaccine. Get the rabies and the bordatella at least 3 weeks apart. You are right *not* to get shots while getting surgery at the same time :thumbup:.

Go with your gut feeling
 

I agree with everything said so far and I'm going through the same scenario. Morgan is only 9 weeks old and given his size I decided not to have the vet do all the shots in one appointment. It's amazing to me that some vets don't seem to have a concern when it comes to these little guys. I kinda got the feeling from the receptionist, that she thought I was a paranoid mother hen. They were going to schedule the 5- or 7-way AND the rabies on the same day until I objected. They are a new vet to me and aware of the fact, that we're talking about a 2 pound dog here. I'm already not liking this.
Long story short: go with what you're comfortable with. You're gut feeling is already telling you to space all this out, so stick with it. ;)

I would not get the bordatella and rabies together. I have had two dogs (a chihuahua and a rottie) have allergic reaction to the i/n bordatella. My suggestion would be get the rabies then two weeks later do the neuter and then wait another two weeks for bordatella.

I'm so glad your wanting to research vaccines with spaying and the possible impact this could have on your Baileys health .....It is important that this be done in the safest way possible for the health of your Bailey.....Good for you.....You are so correct in that most vets are clueless on the vaccine issue and would do everything under the sun in one visit.
Actually it isn't a bad thing you waited for the rabies vaccine, the older the better. Their immune system is not fully matured until they are about six months old, this helps in reducing reactions but it doesn't eliminate them completely, sad to say.

Vaccines should be done one at a visit and spaced 3-4 weeks apart, 4 is better.

Most knowledgeable vets agree that certain animals should NOT be vaccinated (absent proven, urgent need such as inevitable exposure to a life-threatening disease). These include, but aren’t limited to, pets with autoimmune disease … pets undergoing chemo, radiation or surgery (even dental cleaning or neutering) … pets with autoimmune disease, cancer, severe allergies and skin diseases … pets fighting an illness or parasites … pets stressed from shipment or a move to a new home … malnourished pets … and dying housebound pets. Assaulting the immune systems of these animals with vaccination has been likened to throwing gas on a raging fire.

The insert that comes with a vaccine clearly states that no vaccine is to be given on a sick dog or one going in or been through surgery......Their immune system is stressed with dealing with the illness or recovery and in giving a vaccine it would put added stress and strain on the immune system...which increases the probability for problems. The possible reactions that can occur from a rabies vaccine are......

Immediately or up to 3 days after the shot:
Vomiting
Facial swelling
Fever or lethargy
Circulatory shock
Loss of consciousness
Death

Days, weeks or months after the shot:
Fibrosarcoma (cancer) at the injection site
Seizures and Epilepsy
Allergies
Autoimmune diseases, including organ disease, allergies and skin problems
Chronic digestive problems
Muscle weakness, especially lack of hind end coordination
Chronic digestive disorders
Skin diseases like Ischemic Dermatopathy / Cutaneous vasculitis
Behavior problems: aggression, destructive behaviors, separation anxiety and odd obsessive behaviors (like tail chasing and paw licking).


From Tamara Hebbler, DVM, holistic consulting vet (San Diego):
The most disturbing, relatively routine, veterinary practice is vaccinating ill or compromised animals. I am appalled that this is still happening yet I hear from my clients that it is more the norm than the exception.

Vaccinating a stressed or ill dog violates our Hippocratic Oath: Above All Do No Harm. When an animal is going in for surgery or chemo, or has an autoimmune disease or neoplastic condition [a tumor], or even a chronic immune challenge such as allergies or endocrine/metabolic diseases, they are at a high increased risk to an adverse reaction to any vaccine. I liken such vaccination to playing Russian Roulette with an animal’s immune system — with 5 of the 6 barrels loaded, not just 1.

If negative reactions are severe enough, and immediate, most people will connect the reaction to the shot. However, if the reaction develops over a few weeks or months, you may not tie it to the shot – and your vet probably won’t either. In standard veterinary practice, we have brief appointments and are very busy, I regret to say, treating many of the dis-ease states that we as a profession, with the help of the pet food industry, have created. It is only through laborious record review that I made the connection.

Be bold and stand up for your pet especially when he or she is not feeling well. Just say NO to vaccinations and start researching and titer testing.

Also.....

Melissa Kennedy, DVM, PhD, DACVIM wrote in DVM360 on-line magazine: "The likelihood of adverse reactions in dogs has been found to correlate with the size of the dog and the number of inoculations given, with higher risk associated with small size and multiple inoculations." This means: no combo shots for small dogs. In fact, NEVER GIVE ANY OTHER SHOT WITH A RABIES SHOT. Wait at least three or four weeks between the rabies shot and other shots.

Sorry on the length.....

Bailey's going in tomorrow for her rabies shot. What kind of reactions should I look for?

Well I took Winston in last week for his rabies shot and about 5 hours after he got the shot he lost all interest in life and started vomiting. He vomited about 8 times in 30 minutes. I called the vet and was directed to give him pedialyte and not to feed him anything for the rest of the night. It made him really sick. Someone also listed above what some of the side effects are. Just keep a good eye on him after his shot.