Risks of vaccinations
 

The breeder that I'm getting Basil from does not do bortatella shots ( I've heard others avoid this too) but she also doesn't deworm them OR give rabies shots. She says she is hollistic and believes these chemicals do worse than good for these dogs. What are your opinions on this? I don't think I can avoid deworming him and giving him a rabies shot. He will be going to puppy daycare 1-3 times a week when he is old enough. But bortatella is also something that concerns me... I heard puppies in This breed don't resond well to them and get very sick. It sucks that I have to do this myself, I kind of feel like it was her responsibility... But I have to respect her beliefs... And at the same time, I don't want to hurt my puppy with excessive treatment.

I'm very minimal when it comes to vaccines. However, I believe that puppy vaccines are VERY important and not to be skipped.

Pup should have shots at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 16 weeks (or something very similar) and rabies by whenever the law states (each state is different). Then at one year old, get the DHP boosted and rabies. Thereafter, you can kind of choose. I am opting not to get my boy any more vaccines for the rest of his life (besides rabies every 3 yrs as per the law). He's now 5.

Bordatella is one of those that is questionable. Many places require it (boarding, daycare, groomers, etc) so... it's hard to get out of in those situations. I wouldn't say it's one of the more 'harmful' vaccines, but I won't be getting it anymore after bad experiences, but we also don't do boarding, daycare and our groomer does not require it (mobile). So hopefully it doesn't become a big issue.

Here is some more info: http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/4254265-post41.html

^^:thumbup::thumbup:

Puppy shots are a must. Monthly heartworm preventative, definitely! Rabies is required by law every 3 years (do some states still require annually?), unless a medical exemption is granted.

Heartworm is a dreadful thing that is totally preventable.

Rabies -- sure I don't like it and my boys are at minimal risk. However, if my dogs were picked up by the authorities for any reason and were not up to date on their rabies vacc, that would be very bad news.

Wait until about 5 - 6 months for the rabies.

Personally, I would be very concerned about buying a pup from a breeder who doesn't believe in shots or de-worming. The chances of getting a sick pup are high.

Bordetella, I don't do for either of my boys.

I would be a little worried about the other things that breeder might have skipped out on. Did she do health and genetic testing if she is a minimalist? Is she doing any puppy shots? Where he dogs properly vaccinated? Not having the rabies is against the law. Puppy shots are extremely important and not having them can really put your puppy at risk for several things that could make your pup extremely sick and or kill him. Is it possible you are getting Lepto and Bordatella mixed up? I have heard of breeders not giving Lepto and warning against it because small dogs have been known to have a bad reaction to it but I have not heard that Bordatella is risky for yorkies. Most boarding places, grooming places, training classes and doggy day cares require bordatella. I get it for my yorkie because I take her a lot of places and around other dogs.

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I have a slight worry too. She does take them to the vet 3 times. And they get the major vaccines during that time. She takes a sample of her dogs feces to the vet and he tests that. She said she won't deworm them unless they actually need it. She has done health and genetic testing as well.

Pretty sure it's bortatella, when I was searching for my perfect breeder/puppy I met 2 other breeders that didn't do bortatella but did deworm and rabies the pups. One breeder said she almost lost a pup from the vaccine and she would never do it again.

Either way he is going for a full check up when I get him. I might wait till he is a year old for rabies , but I'm not a stay at home mommy and he will need to go to daycare. I guess I'll have to take the risk.... What happens if they don't get the flu vaccine... They might just get the flu right? It's kind of like our flu vaccine? I get my flu shots, but even those don't protect you from every strain. Or is it incredibly dangerous??

I know people have different opinions on what's right, I don't like to stir things up per say. I just don't want to kill my puppy from vaccinations lol

Legally I don't think you can wait until he is a year old to get the rabies vaccine. I personally have never heard of a pup almost dieing from Bordatella but that dosent mean it hasn't happened. I'm just about positive all doggy day care is going to require Bordatella.

In CA, rabies is every 3 years. I follow Dr Dodds vaccine protocol, she's based in Orange County, CA.
This is in the YT Library:
http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/die...-overview.html

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/die...tz-2-10-a.html

:thumbup: Going to bookmark your link, very important & informative info!

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Personally, I don't do bordetella - but I don't take my dogs to places that require it either. With bordetella, I'd personally rather they just get the cough and heal naturally than get the vaccine (which only vaccinates against a very FEW bordetella strains, btw).

Yes, this^^ Not to mention, EVERY time my dog has gotten the bordatella nasal injection, he's gotten cold-like symptoms. :rolleyes: Annoying... we will never get it again.


As far as a breeder being minimal... that does NOT mean they skimp out on health tests, etc. There are quite a few breeders going 'all natural' that are reputable breeders. Whether going natural (i.e. NO vaccines whatsoever) is safe or not, well, I don't believe it is, but it doesn't make a breeder a bad one either. So long as you can do what you want once the pup is yours, I wouldn't worry about it.

I actually did not get Jackson his rabies vaccine until he was nearly 8 months old. Legally it was required at 4 months, I believe. It was just procrastination on my part mainly, but he had a bad reaction to lepto vaccine at 12 weeks old that scared me from getting him any more shots for a while. He was neutered at 7 months, but I didn't want him getting the rabies vaccine on the same day, so anyway... nothing bad happened out of it. I was pretty certain my puppy was not a bite risk to anyone and I wasn't too concerned about the rabies disease itself. But yeah not sure I would recommend doing this but a lot of people wait until 6 months or so.

Are you aware that if your dog gets heart worms which can happen with an inside only dog the treatment could kill him and make him extremely sick and cause life long problems if he does make through? I do not suggest any one ever not doing heart worm prevention! If you didn't do any of the of the puppy shots that doesn't seem like a really good idea. What happens if parvo comes in on your shoes or on someone else that is scary scary scary!

I would do the puppy shots, ca now wants five sets of puppy shots, then rabies week after last shot. I would also recommend heartworm preventive. My lab got heart worm and it was an annoyance to treat. We did the slow method of treatment. She was locked in a crate for about a month while being treated. Imagine a hyper lab puppy confined to a crate. The fast method of treatment is painful for the dogs. Insect repellent alone does not completely repel.

After the puppy shots research which method of vaccination you wish to follow. Ca requires rabies every 3 years. My big dogs were vaccinated every three years up until age 7, I have not vaccinated them since. They do get monthly heart worm. I plan to follow the same protocol for my little ones.

Really? Why?:thumbdown

In total agreement with this. I am also lucky to live in an area with such little reported cases of heartworm I no longer treat for that as it's pure insecticide and I don't want that in my dogs bodies

I did rabies at 6 months

Why would any on risk heart worms? Goodness the treatment can really kill your dog and or leave them with big health problems.

I would agree that I don't mess with HWs. With that said, I think there are some locations that's it's such a low incidence... I could see why ppl don't feel the need.

To be honest, my dads dogs (6 1/2 and 5 1/2) have never been given HW meds. Mostly out of just ignorance on my dad and stepmoms part. I don't think they realize the necessity. Thus far, there's never been a problem. Not that it's something I would suggest.

Here is an incident map:
http://www.heartwormsociety.org/down...e-Map-2010.pdf

Here in Portland there are so many dogs getting sick and dying of parvo all the time. It is really sad. I work at a livestock and pet supply place and I cant imagine what I must track home on my shoes! The breeders I got my girl from were very against bordatella and said that her parents had had a reaction to it. I was nervous but also knew that it was very important to me to socialize my dog and that my goal was to have her at show and in dog friendly public places - all which require the bordatella vaccine. We spaced out her vaccines and the vets were very supportive of my choice to do that. She was also given a benadryll injection prior to each vaccination. She had no reactions and is very healthy.

I am a groomer were we have daycare, boarding and so on an I have worked with rescue groups. My little guy has been going to doggie daycare for years at lets 4 times a week if not more it is mandatory to have updated vaccines and bordetella. Bordetella is for kennel cough witch can run rapid in dog parks, daycare and boarding lets sum it down to were many different dogs may be, if the dogs do not have there bordetella kennel cough can make them really sick and spread to other dogs

I do 1/2 shots on puppies at 8, 12, & 16 weeks. I also do 1 half dose of Bordatella nasal. Rabies 1/2 shots need to be done at 4 months here in CA and then 1 year later. Then every 3 years.

Heart worm every month.

I recommend a booster, again 1/2 shot of the 6 way at 1 year. Then we are done.

Even in a very low chance of getting it location I would still never risk my dogs life with heart worms.

Heartworm and Rabies are pretty much a must, IMO. 'Rabies because it's the law and if your dog happens to bite someone without it, your dog can end up paying the ultimate price with it's life. It's just not worth the risk..same with heartworm. If your dog ends up with heart worm, it will go through a lengthy, pricey, treatment that is really hard on the pup It reminds me of chemo!! so sad to see babies going through that.