Vaccinces

[Lizmo]

Lizzie hasn't had any other shots (except rabies - since it's required ever year) for about 3 years now. It hasn't been something that I actually decided to do baised on research I've done. It was more that Lizzie doesn't like the vet, so we do as little as possible while there - resulting in only have a rabies shot done. She's a healthy, active dog on a good diet. So I've never questioned doing anything differently.

 

Now, Lizzie's due for her rabies shot again. And Blaze will soon be due for his shots again.

 

But I'm now curious about the need for vaccinces every year. Or even the need for vaccines. I've read many people don't vaccinate beyond puppy shots (with of course the exception of rabies).

 

So for those of you who don't vaccinate beyond puppy shots or for those that don't vaccince unless needed, I have a few questions.

 

How often do you titer? Every year, 3 years, or 5 years?

 

Do you have any links or books that would be good to read on the subject?

 

Why do you choose not to do vacs?

 

TIA

[Journey]

Lizmo,

 

I think if you go read the previous thread (vet appointment or something of that nature started by AG) you will find links that Julie, Melanie, Wendy and I posted. All have good info regarding vacinnes and schedules.

 

I for one don't even do titers anymore. Once they are done with puppy shots (I used to only do 2 sets) they are done will all but rabies.

 

Karen

[Lizmo]

Thanks Journey. I went and read the couple links posted.

 

I've got a question, though, regarding THIS link.

 

On the schedule recommended there, it says "Rabies, killed 3-year product (give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster)"

 

Why do vets not give them seperatly, like Dodd recommends? Is it harming them somehow to be giving them the Rabies and other booster shots at the same time?

 

*I haven't read the whole article, just that part. I'm going to print it out later to read*

[Lenajo]

There are a couple of reasons why they give them both at the same time...

 

first, experience and training for most vets has centered around a lot of uneducated clients who will not bring the dog back, or do not want to bring the dog back due to $$ or time reasons for repeat visits.

 

many older vets were taught that vaccines only rarely caused harm, and that was immediate (anaphylactic shock) if it was going to happen.

 

Drug companies sold the "multi" disease shots as more economical, so in that thought what's one more disease that day if you already gave 5 to 8. And since "shots won't harm them"...

 

many vets, like we medical providers, tend to get over focused on disease because it is what is in our face. That is vets tend to see the dogs that do catch diseases like parvo and distemper, who are critically and miserably ill, their focus is naturally skewed towards prevention of these issues being the more important thing. What they don't directly live with is the chronic results of over-vaccination- skin problems, allergies, seizures, auto-immune disease etc (no vaccines don't case all of that, but these are common issues that can be triggered or worsened by vaccination). Seeing these things in a the clinic occassionally is usually must less dramatic than parvo or distemper, and its the day to day stuff that the owner gets the most misery from.

 

I think most vets are good people, who truly want to do right by the dogs they care for. They get complacent like all of us do though, falling back on older learning and "safe zones". You have to be pleasently persistant to get changes made when you are the 1% client who is educated and wants top of the line care. Remember 99% doesn't care, and just wants out of the office with the cheapest fastest visit possible.

[diane allen]

There is also a Yahoo group, Beyond Vaccination, that has a lot of info on titers and vaccines and such.

diane