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On the news this a.m. the vets were saying there has been so much cancer in dogs suddenly. They are convinced that they are over vaccinated and that 3 years should be the time frame instead of every year. They also say the grains in store dog food is not healthy either. Boy I would love to find out I didnt need shots every single year, gets expensive. I just put my kid to sleep for lymphoma so would like to see them find cures and preventions.
Aside from the expense of shots, dogs can have adverse reactions, I know many who gave the puppy shots and give rabies but stop w/ annual shots as it's overload to their systems, we dont get annual shots, do our furkids really need them? If in doubt, you can always have your vet run titers. Mine have had reactions to shots and I know others who have had reactions too, in fact in one case someone left their dog at the vet's for observance b/c they were working and the dog died (I guess they forgot to watch him). If one is going to give vacc's, best to space them out over a few weeks time rather than overload their system and give all at once.
I had heard this years ago but my vet didnt agree. I have to wonder if it's the loss of income or he really didnt agree. My little one died of lymphoma in the abdoman and I have to wonder too. She was quite healthy, why get shots every year.
We've lost two in the last two years to cancer shortly after them getting their shots. I'm not saying the shots caused the cancer, but I think they caused the cancer to spread more rapidly. Unfortunately, the only sign of the cancer, a limp, was too easily explained away as an injury. Our pets will no longer get shots other than the required rabies and even then, we'll stop it when they reach 10. I'm hoping that the research on 5-7 year rabies immunity proves successful so we only risk them twice in their lifetimes.
I do not believe there is any research proving that yearly vaccinations are necessary. This has been debated for years, but never received enough public attention. One excuse for yearly vaccinations is that it gets the animal in to the vet's office at least once a year. (As if that's a good reason). Even rabies vaccine is "good" for different periods of time in different states. Do we really believe that the efficacy of the vaccine magically changes when it crosses state lines?
My current vet and former vet decided that mine don't need anything annualy with the exception of Bordetella.... I work at a kennel and we have to have that for kenneling and daycare.
My current vet and former vet decided that mine don't need anything annualy with the exception of Bordetella.... I work at a kennel and we have to have that for kenneling and daycare.
Since you work at a kennel...I thought our dogs had to be current on all shots to be boarded. We only started giving our dogs Bordetella within the last two years. Our rabies is every 3 years here. They also get a Distemper combo shot. We hated to give them the Bodetella vaccine...but we couldn't take them with us and needed to board. I may need to call our boarding facility to check on this.
Ask your vet if he/she will do vaccine titers instead of vaccinations. Titers will gauge the level of immunity remaining and help determine when re-vaccination is necessary.
Here are some current recommendations for vaccinations:
Client Information Brochures (http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/clientinfo/info/genmed/vaccinproto.html - broken link) - WSAVA - Scientific Advisory Committee (scroll down to vaccine guidelines 2007)
My vet in Tampa did the vaccine titers and for the 3 years they didn't it, my dog did not need the vaccines. I don't know about other vets but mine charge me more for the titers ($50.00)than it would have been for the shots, so he got the money either way.
Where I live now, they don't push the vaccines or the titers. I am going to wait 2-3 years before giving it to my herd.. They also told me my 15 yo dog didn't need them now.
My concern is 'if you adopt from a rescue group they check with your vet about vaccines' if the receptionist says ' no she only gave her dog rabies shot last time' is that going to be held against you?
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