Author Topic: Help Please  (Read 1252 times)

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Offline MillicentWight

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Help Please
« on: December 17, 2017, 09:59:35 PM »
After two years of problems with willows eyes, operations and various eye drops continuously, we have just realised that she missed her yearly booster vaccinations back in March and now the vet has informed us that she must start her
vaccinations again from the start just as when she was a puppy (she is just 4 years old). We have been having a very bad time with personal health problems ourselves, no excuse I know but this is partly why her boostesr were overlooked.
We lost our last dog to Thromocytopenia, a terrible disease seen in middle age cocker spaniel bitches and the jury is stll out on whether it can be triggered by the yearly vaccinations. so for this reason  I am frightened of over vaccinating and don’t know what to do now.  Any advice please?

Offline bizzylizzy

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2017, 10:27:42 PM »
If I was in your position, I‘d ask for titer tests to be  done which determine the level of immunity still present and only have those done which you feel are absloutely necesary. Contrary to what a lot of vets advise, some of the basic immunizations provide lifelong cover and don‘t need to be refreshed. If, like me, you‘re concerned about the effects of over immunization, then I think the tests are a sensible alternative.

Offline Ben's mum

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2017, 12:06:43 AM »
Completly agree with bizzylizzy, i would not rush to vaccinate without knowing if Willow needs anything. I would ask for a titre test to be done before you decide anything.  We always had Ben titred and after the age of about 4 he never needed any more vaccinations he had full immunity.  There was one year his parvo was low suggesting he had been in contact with the virus somewhere but it was fine after that.

I worry about the effects of over innoculation and will not risk Harry being innoculated without knowing if its absolutely necessary. 

Offline elaine.e

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2017, 08:23:38 AM »
I agree with what's already been said. My two are no longer vaccinated but are titre tested instead. As an example, my 8 year old Cocker had the normal puppy vaccinations and a booster one year later. At ages 4 and 7 he was titre tested to check immunity against parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis (those are the three diseases covered by the core vaccinations given to dogs in the UK). He still had immunity and didn't need a booster, let alone re-starting the lot from scratch. I will have him titre tested again when he's 10.

The vaccination that there isn't a titre test for is the one for Leptospirosis. Most vets recommend that it's given annually because it only lasts for 12 months at the most. I don't have my two vaccinated against Leptospirosis at all. The vaccine only covers a few of many strains and anecdotally is more likely to cause a reaction than the parvo, distemper and hepatitis vaccination. Leptospirosis is a nasty disease, but is very treatable if recognised early enough.

If you decide to go for titre testing you'll probably find that your vet doesn't do it in house and will want to charge you around £100 to take bloods and send them to a lab. for testing. Try phoning other vets on the Island to see if any offer in house testing using the Vaccicheck kit. An increasing number of vets do, and will probably charge around £40.

I'm in the New Forest and my vet at Lyndhurst does in house titre testing, so that might be worth considering if you can't find one on the IOW.

Offline BonnieScot

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2017, 08:41:02 AM »
Great advice to test first rather then give them something they don't need.

Does anyone have any experience of using the results of a test for kennels and day care who ask to see the booster certificate?

Offline Joules

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2017, 08:56:21 AM »
Another fan of titre testing here.

I stopped vaccinating Coco a few years ago (she is now 12) as I had become increasingly convinced of the dangers of over vaccination and felt that they were also unnecessary. 

Titre tests are not easy with Coco and there is no chance of getting a blood sample while she is conscious  >:( so, a few months back, when she was having a dental, I had her titre tested.  My vet offers the Vaccicheck test which is quick and cheap (about £40)  They test for parvo, hepatitis and distemper and the test is done in house so it is much better value and I got the results the same day.  The score is from 0 (no immunity) to 6 (maximum immunity) and Coco scored 5 on all three tests.  I was very happy with that and feel vindicated that she now has her own immunity and doesn't need boosters. If you look on the Vaccicheck website, they have details of vets that offer their test   ;)

The only thing to consider is if you travel abroad or use kennels or dogminders you might struggle as you will usually need proof of vaccination for these  ;)
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Offline Mudmagnets

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2017, 09:03:19 AM »
Another thing to consider is insurance, some pet insurance firms make it part of their policies that if the dog is ill through something he can be vaccinated against, they will not provide cover for those ailments.
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Offline Emilyoliver

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2017, 10:51:51 AM »
As far as I'm aware, the now recommended vaccination schedule (as supported by the british vet associations as well as vaccine manufacturers is 3 yearly boosters (aside from Lepto which is annually as it only lasts for about 6 months).  This is what my vet advocates so my dogs have their puppy vaccs, then boosters at a year and from then on just lepto annually, and the rest every 3 years.  Mine have lepto as they work so are in areas with standing water/ rats, etc on the shoot.  I'd have a chat with your vet and ask what is really recommended rather than what they'd prefer (just because that's how they've always done it).  Otherwise, perhaps have a look online for evidence from the vet council (or whatever it's called) that they are happy with once every 3 years.
Michelle, Emily and Ollie

Offline Emilyoliver

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #8 on: December 18, 2017, 10:57:10 AM »
Here is a link with the relevant info (taken from vet guidance):

https://www.dfordog.co.uk/blog/dog-vaccination-guidelines-2015.html
Michelle, Emily and Ollie

Offline Jaysmumagain

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #9 on: December 18, 2017, 11:37:15 AM »
I was quoted £112 for tetre test for Ollie, have been told it can be for £50 in other areas...........I think some vets just like to rake it in.
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Offline sodpot2000

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #10 on: December 18, 2017, 02:03:22 PM »
Quote
Here is a link with the relevant info (taken from vet guidance):

https://www.dfordog.co.uk/blog/dog-vaccination-guidelines-2015.html

Thanks for the link Emily. That seems to make sense.

Offline Joules

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2017, 03:26:05 PM »
I was quoted £112 for tetre test for Ollie, have been told it can be for £50 in other areas...........I think some vets just like to rake it in.

I really don't think it is that - it costs a lot more if the samples have to be sent away to a lab which is what has always been the only option in the past.  If the vet offers the Vaccicheck titres it costs a lot less as it is done in house - about £40  ;)

The first time Coco had a titre test a few years back it cost over £100, my vet now offers the Vaccicheck test so it was a lot less last time  :D  Tbh I think a lot of vets are starting to get asked for titres and are looking into the options.  If they are not asked for it, there is no incentive for them to pursue it.  Since Coco had hers in August (when I had to push for the Vaccicheck as the vet I saw didn't even know they did it in house) there are advertising the service in their reception area  :D
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Offline elaine.e

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #12 on: December 18, 2017, 04:38:56 PM »
Another thing to consider is insurance, some pet insurance firms make it part of their policies that if the dog is ill through something he can be vaccinated against, they will not provide cover for those ailments.

But many now accept titre test results in the same way that they accept vaccination records, and therefore the dogs are still insured for those diseases. My insurer does.

Offline MillicentWight

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #13 on: December 18, 2017, 07:11:35 PM »
Thanks to everyone for the information and the link for 'dfordog.co.uk' which makes very interesting reading and I have noted the warning about insurance too. I have decided to talk to the vet on Friday and if he insists on starting afresh I will go for the titre test instead. With our last dog we did everything the vet advised, she was spayed at I year old, had all her vaccinations and boosters and at three years old developed this awful autoimmune thrombocytopenia and spent the next and last  three years of her life on high dose steroids and bleeding internally and bringing up and passing blood. I really don't want to do anything which could trigger off a similar situation with Willow.
One thing I don't understand is why we just cannot continue with the booster vaccinations when allot of dogs are only having them every three years anyway.

Offline phoenix

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Re: Help Please
« Reply #14 on: December 18, 2017, 10:55:28 PM »
I had a dog with an autoimmune condition and she took two weeks to get over a booster of multi stuff. The vets agreed she over reacted, and I just kept the lepto going.   They wrote a letter to for the kennels.  Whether inspectors would allow this now, I don't know.  It's so difficult
now that drug companies  only make a multi vaccine, 5 in 1, or 7 in 1.     At the time, titre testing was much more expensive.
RIP Marti  the EPI springer age 12,  and beloved black cocker Bobby, 8 yrs old, too soon, from PLN.
Now owned by TInker, tiny hairy grey poodle/terrier rescue from Greece and Jack, local rescue,   scruffy ginger terrier mutt.