boosters ?

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

are they actually nessacary? (cnt spell sorry)

Skyla is due her boosters this month (payday)

put are they actually needed!?

when we got bings we had him for 6 years before we got him his jabs redone (cuz we were getting blaze) n he n blaze had their yearly jabs after than n have had them done every year

BUT

are they actually needed?

what are your opinions on this?

[Elyse]

Suka gets his every year, but he only gets his rabies once every 3 years, I think, so he's due for his rabies this year too.

I heard both sides of the story, but I'm still going to get them every year. Not only is it illegal where I live to NOT have your dog vaccinated against certain diseases, but PetSmart requires him to be up to date (he goes there for a bath/good brushing every 6 or so weeks.) as well as his petsitter.

Also, I take him to the dog park frequently, and I would hate it if he would pick something up from there that could have been prevented if he was vaccinated.

Besides, his vacs are covered underneath his pet insurance so...

I heard of dogs who have never got any shots except for their puppy ones and they lived to a good age, but I wouldn't risk it. He's worth the couple hundred I drop every year. Besides, its an excuse to get him in for his yearly checkup...which is originally why vets suggested having vacs every year cause, apparently, most people didn't bring their dog in for yearly checkups...

[lebe03]

I've heard both sides of the argument regarding boosters and I'm of the opinion that they should be given as it's better to be safe.

[Marley & Lumikkis Mummy]

I always thought it was a waste of time but then Marley got poorly and I panicked whether he was still covered by his vacc. luckily he was so it eased my mind that what he had wasnt parvo. Anyway to cut a long story short I will be now getting his booster because its just not worth the risk.

[stormchaser09]

I think it depends on where you live to an extent, we used to be in a fairly dog free zone so less chance of catching things but now everyone lets their dogs poo everywhere around here so not worth the risk. Also our insurance requires them to be up to date with vaccs. I would rather be safe than sorry.

[Austinville]

I've heard both sides as well. Ryn is vaccinated against almost everything as my heart would break if I lost her, especially to something I could have vaccinated for.

That said, 20 years ago, I never vaccinated my dogs and all lived to be golden oldies.

I suppose there is something to be said for not vaccinating - all the foreign things we put into their bodies...

[Elyse]

I think it depends on where you live to an extent, we used to be in a fairly dog free zone so less chance of catching things but now everyone lets their dogs poo everywhere around here so not worth the risk. Also our insurance requires them to be up to date with vaccs. I would rather be safe than sorry.

That's true - I forgot my insurance company would freak out and drop my coverage if I skipped on his vaccinations for a year!

Yeah, people don't pick up their dogs' poo...at least in my neighbourhood...and that's how a lot of diseases spread.

[Povodny]

My mother had dogs as a child and again as an adult. In all that time non of her dogs were ever vaccinated and lived past 16 to boot. With never a visit to the vet either. But she always said and still does pedigrees are less robust than mixed breeds

I think if you socialise your dog a lot with other dogs it's wiser to limit the potential risks of infection by vaccinating

[cas]

Mine have boosters every year as i'd rather be safe than sorry, they mix with lots of other dogs and there seems to be loads of dog poop lying around all the time whilst out and about.

[Bec]

All dogs should be vaccinated but it is a fact that yearly vaccinations are not necessary. It's not opinion, it is science. My dogs aren't vaccinated yearly and if I was concerned I would titre test them to prove they had immunity. There is more danger in vaccinating yearly IMO. Immunity isnt something that runs out once 12 months are up, there is no science or research that proves yearly vaccination is neccessary. plenty out there to prove it isn't though.

[Austinville]

All dogs should be vaccinated but it is a fact that yearly vaccinations are not necessary. It's not opinion, it is science. My dogs aren't vaccinated yearly and if I was concerned I would titre test them to prove they had immunity. There is more danger in vaccinating yearly IMO. Immunity isnt something that runs out once 12 months are up, there is no science or research that proves yearly vaccination is neccessary. plenty out there to prove it isn't though.

I understand that and agree. There were several vaccines that my golden oldie, Bo, didn't get annually, as the vet understood this as well and actually provided me with information to help me make the decision not to vaccinate for certain things.

[stormchaser09]

All dogs should be vaccinated but it is a fact that yearly vaccinations are not necessary. It's not opinion, it is science. My dogs aren't vaccinated yearly and if I was concerned I would titre test them to prove they had immunity. There is more danger in vaccinating yearly IMO. Immunity isnt something that runs out once 12 months are up, there is no science or research that proves yearly vaccination is neccessary. plenty out there to prove it isn't though.

I have heard/read about this alot but how can we get around the fact that insurance companies require vaccs every year

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

I have heard/read about this alot but how can we get around the fact that insurance companies require vaccs every year

also vets will re-start vaccs again if u leave it too long too - they wont just give the booster

[Bec]

I have heard/read about this alot but how can we get around the fact that insurance companies require vaccs every year

I would be calling them and asking if I provide proof of immunity via titre testing is an option.

also vets will re-start vaccs again if u leave it too long too - they wont just give the booster

I'm not sure what you mean - what is the difference between the first vacc and the annual booster?

[SA DA KA]

http://www.caberfeidh.com/PuppyVax.htm

Here is a good article in regard to vaccines. Hope this helps some of your questions in vacc. or boosters.

Husky Lovers in Vermont

[persephona]

Well, I do vaccinate my dog because it is the law. Unfortunately, you can't just do a titre test here and they do require you to do all the yearly boosters.

I need him to be able to go to public places, like public transport et caetera and that is impossible if he doesn't have all of his yearly vaccinations written down and stamped and signed for by a vet in his health book.

I am not convinced that the yearly vaccinations are necessary, obviously a titre test will show whether the dog still has immunity or not. But it's not up to me to decide whether to vaccinate my dog or not... and in any case, I would never decide to skip on a vaccination without a titre test first. Considering how many stray dogs roam this city, it would be very unwise to do so. There are many diseases circulating; parvo and distemper especially are quite common. I just wouldn't take the risk, living in this city.

There are plenty of dogs that do just fine without yearly boosters (I see this all the time in the country side, but then again, there aren't many stray dogs in the countryside and certainly parvo and distemper are much less common) and I am sure yearly boosters are pushed by vets also because of the extra $$$$. There is a pretty slim chance of introducing titre tests instead of yearly boosters, so I'm not holding my breath.

[SA DA KA]

Well, I do vaccinate my dog because it is the law. Unfortunately, you can't just do a titre test here and they do require you to do all the yearly boosters.

I need him to be able to go to public places, like public transport et caetera and that is impossible if he doesn't have all of his yearly vaccinations written down and stamped and signed for by a vet in his health book.

I am not convinced that the yearly vaccinations are necessary, obviously a titre test will show whether the dog still has immunity or not. But it's not up to me to decide whether to vaccinate my dog or not... and in any case, I would never decide to skip on a vaccination without a titre test first. Considering how many stray dogs roam this city, it would be very unwise to do so. There are many diseases circulating; parvo and distemper especially are quite common. I just wouldn't take the risk, living in this city.

There are plenty of dogs that do just fine without yearly boosters (I see this all the time in the country side, but then again, there aren't many stray dogs in the countryside and certainly parvo and distemper are much less common) and I am sure yearly boosters are pushed by vets also because of the extra $$$$. There is a pretty slim chance of introducing titre tests instead of yearly boosters, so I'm not holding my breath.

VERY WELL STATED, OUR VET'S WILL DO TITERS AND RABIES MAY BE EXEMPT IF THEIR TITER SHOWS THEY HAVE ADEQUATE VACCINE STILL IN THEIR SYSTEM.

HUSKY LOVERS IN VERMONT

[SA DA KA]

Here is a little FYI on Titers:

Husky Lovers in Vermont

[Arooroomom]

I have gotten all of my dogs vaccinated with their regular adult vaccines. Yearly revaccination is unnecessary and anything but healthy. Rabies is the only vaccine required by law here so we get the "3-year" vaccine for that.

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

I would be calling them and asking if I provide proof of immunity via titre testing is an option.

I'm not sure what you mean - what is the difference between the first vacc and the annual booster?

i mean if u miss their boosters , vets like to re-start the whole thing , by giving them 2 lots of vaccs , as if they were puppies

[persephona]

i mean if u miss their boosters , vets like to re-start the whole thing , by giving them 2 lots of vaccs , as if they were puppies

That's a bit over the top, I mean, surely they can recognize how unhealthy it is to pump a dog full of vaccines when you don't even know whether he is still immune or not! It's not like immunity expires after 1 year, period. To be honest, we did miss the booster deadline by a couple of weeks once (was not for rabies though) and the vet didn't seem too worried about that. I wouldn't agree with re-starting the whole thing, I am sure they just propose that to pad their pockets with some more cash. That seems pretty unnecessary to me.

From what I knew, puppies were administered more than just one shot because for the first one you do, it's not sure whether they still have immunity from their mothers or not and in case they do, the vaccine won't be effective. So the second one is to cover that option, as it's administered when the protection from the mother has gone away. That and the fact that at that age, their immune systems are not very good. But why do the same for an adult dog?

[BingBlaze n Skyla]

That's a bit over the top, I mean, surely they can recognize how unhealthy it is to pump a dog full of vaccines when you don't even know whether he is still immune or not! It's not like immunity expires after 1 year, period. To be honest, we did miss the booster deadline by a couple of weeks once (was not for rabies though) and the vet didn't seem too worried about that. I wouldn't agree with re-starting the whole thing, I am sure they just propose that to pad their pockets with some more cash. That seems pretty unnecessary to me.

From what I knew, puppies were administered more than just one shot because for the first one you do, it's not sure whether they still have immunity from their mothers or not and in case they do, the vaccine won't be effective. So the second one is for that case. That and the fact that at that age, their immune systems are not very good. But why do the same for an adult dog?

i dunno , i mean if u wait longer then a few weeks tho , when we got blaze we got bings vacc n he had to have 2 vacc

[blue bayou]

i have always taken my dogs for their boosters just taken my bitch clio who is 14 for the sake of £22 i would rather be safe than sorry. dont know if it would make a difference if i didnt get them done but want my dogs to be covered everyone is different some dont bother and their dogs are fine peronal prefrence.

[Arooroomom]

That seems like a scare tactic and money making scheme than anything to me.

For what it's worth the AAHA states in their official vaccination guidelines that core viral vaccines last 5 years up to the life of the dog. They also state that adults who have "missed" a vaccine would be considered immune after one vaccination. Dosing multiple times is unnecessary.

https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf

I use dr. Jean dodds vaccine protocol which is different but the link above is proof that practicing vets know yearly revaccination is unnecessary.

[Leyka&Diva]

i know quite a few people who dont get their dogs jabs done mostly because they cant be bothered others because they dont want to. id would rather get them done to be on the safe side xx