To boost or not to boost. Are we wasting our money?

[Cazzie]

Dunbarney - apologies, as I think I mis-read your posts (or have they been edited?); I thought that you were referring to ALL of your dogs when you stated that you wouldn't let them mix with un-vaccinated dogs.

I agree with you - I think that if a dog is un-vaccinated, it's owner should tell the owner of a puppy that has not had a full schedule of vaccinations. It is then up to the puppy owner whether they allow the puppy to mix or not - some owners, like Helen, would let their pup socialise, and others (like yourself) wouldn't  - but it is up to the puppy owner, not the owner of the un-vaccinated dog, imo 

I am acutely aware of the risks associated with vaccines in animals and people - a close family member is chronically disabled as a result of a post-vaccination autoimmune reaction and has been for the last 16 years.  I hope that one day, people like myself who are dependant on professional dog-care will have the chance to make informed choices about the risks we expose our pets too 

No rachael I havent edited anything I have said 

[Joelf]

Our dogs are jabbed every year for lepto & parainfluenza & every three years for everything else which seems to suit them ( I haven't had any adverse reactions from them on that schedule. )

Having said that the labs were always jabbed every year throughout their lives & all lived to ripe old ages with no problems at all.

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I really hate this whole subject... having 'probably' lost a dog 'possibly' because of too many vaccinations it's really rattled my nerve, but I'm not confident enough in the information available to leave my dogs unvaccinated either and titre tests, although a step forward, still seem to be very 'if's and buts'.

Personally I wouldn't socialise a pup with non-vaccinated dogs but...... If I chose not to vaccinate, I can't see how you'd stop your adult dog coming into contact with non-vaccinated dogs and let it live a relatively normal life unless it was on the lead all the time . I guess which ever decision you make you have to have confidence in that decision and take whatever happens in your stride but I dearly wish it wasn't such an open book 

Hannah x

[Cob-Web]

I really hate this whole subject... having 'probably' lost a dog 'possibly' because of too many vaccinations it's really rattled my nerve, but I'm not confident enough in the information available to leave my dogs unvaccinated either and titre tests, although a step forward, still seem to be very 'if's and buts'.

Personally I wouldn't socialise a pup with non-vaccinated dogs but...... If I chose not to vaccinate, I can't see how you'd stop your adult dog coming into contact with non-vaccinated dogs and let it live a relatively normal life unless it was on the lead all the time . I guess which ever decision you make you have to have confidence in that decision and take whatever happens in your stride but I dearly wish it wasn't such an open book 

Hannah x

((hugs)) - it is so hard to know what to do for the best   Sadly, so much advice in relation to dog care is contradictory - diet, castration, vaccination, training......it seems that for those of us who like a set of instructions to follow, dog care is a never-ending source of conflicting advice and subsequent stress 

(Thinking about it, that's a lot like raising children, too  )

[Cazzie]

It is hard to know what to do for the best, and tbh im not convinced about anual boosters either My friend who works in an animal research Lab has seen enough evidence from the americans she works along with over 30 years to be 100% confident not to annually booster for anything, she only does puppy jabs 

[Cazzie]

I also remember that when at school it was time for the girls to have their german measels jab, now im petrified of needles and as I had had german measels my mother wrote saying I wasnt to have the Jab. Now when I decided to start trying for a family, the doctor asked me if I had been imunised against german measels and I said no. Now as it was years and years later he said that they could test my blood for the amunity so they did. The test came back with an extremely high amunity towards the german measels virus  The doctors were happy that if I did fall pregnant that any baby would be well protected against the disease 

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I really hate this whole subject... having 'probably' lost a dog 'possibly' because of too many vaccinations it's really rattled my nerve, but I'm not confident enough in the information available to leave my dogs unvaccinated either and titre tests, although a step forward, still seem to be very 'if's and buts'.

Personally I wouldn't socialise a pup with non-vaccinated dogs but...... If I chose not to vaccinate, I can't see how you'd stop your adult dog coming into contact with non-vaccinated dogs and let it live a relatively normal life unless it was on the lead all the time . I guess which ever decision you make you have to have confidence in that decision and take whatever happens in your stride but I dearly wish it wasn't such an open book 

Hannah x

((hugs)) - it is so hard to know what to do for the best   Sadly, so much advice in relation to dog care is contradictory - diet, castration, vaccination, training......it seems that for those of us who like a set of instructions to follow, dog care is a never-ending source of conflicting advice and subsequent stress 

(Thinking about it, that's a lot like raising children, too  )

True...... and my son was vaccinated VERY late for all of his jabs...  he just seemed too small IMO so I told the doctor he had a 'bad cold again' and we'd have to postpone   

It is hard to know what to do for the best, and tbh im not convinced about anual boosters either My friend who works in an animal research Lab has seen enough evidence from the americans she works along with over 30 years to be 100% confident not to annually booster for anything, she only does puppy jabs 

Yes... think I might opt for not so regular and later on those... if at all... but who knows 

Hannah x

[Helen]

That's what I have done, puppy jabs, his booster at 1 year....and now I dither.......whatever I do now I have to Titre test as the vet will tell me since I've lapsed (jarv was 2 in June) they will have to start the whole programme again which obviously, I won't be doing.....

[Nicola]

That's what I have done, puppy jabs, his booster at 1 year....and now I dither.......whatever I do now I have to Titre test as the vet will tell me since I've lapsed (jarv was 2 in June) they will have to start the whole programme again which obviously, I won't be doing.....

Same for Alfie, he'll be 2 in January, had his 1 year booster in March and will be due the next one in a few months but the jury's still very much out as to what I'll do   

[Cob-Web]

That's what I have done, puppy jabs, his booster at 1 year....and now I dither.......whatever I do now I have to Titre test as the vet will tell me since I've lapsed (jarv was 2 in June) they will have to start the whole programme again which obviously, I won't be doing.....

If he had his "big" booster at one year (and assuming your vet uses a three year schedule) then the one he is now due (my vet will still booster within 6 months of the due date) is the small booster; against lepto only, isn't it?

Are there still vets out there giving "big" boosters every year?  the products are now Licensed for a three year schedule, so there is no reason for any vet to be using an annual schedule still 

[speedyjaney]

I am really un-informed on this topic but my vets operate a vaccination for life policy which both of our have..we paid for last years boosters and £60 and every year we get the boosters free!

I have checked the vacc schedule tonight and it shows each dog getting an injection which keaves 2 stickers in the card 

I have heard the vets say to people who have missed their booster that they have to restart the course!

Janey

[Tasha]

If it was just dogs that you had to worry about them coming into contact with and did no travel then it might not be such a risk but a high majority of the diseases they can get that they are vaccinated against come from other sources - rats etc.

[spanielcrazy]

Errrrmmm, you all are aware that vaccinated dogs can still be carriers of disease? That the point of vaccine is to stimulate the immune system so it "knows" how to fight that particular disease, that a dog can be exposed to, and become a carrier of a disease, but not develop it? That an unvaccinated dog is no more or less likely to be a carrier than a vaccinated one? All the vaccines do is give immunity to developing the disease (hopefully--I have seen Parvo and KC vaccine fail enough times to lack confidence) if exposed, but does not create a golden bubble around the dog where it cannot also pass it along.

Just throwing a wrench in the works here  Since vaccinated dogs can also shed viruses without anyone ever even knowing that the dog has been exposed to, let alone carrying a disease, then the point of not allowing dogs to mingle with unvaccinated dogs becomes irrelevant. 

Makes the decision making process that much harder. With puppies and immuno-compromised dogs we just have to excercise common sense and do what each of us feels comfortable with, with the information we have.

[Cazzie]

Errrrmmm, you all are aware that vaccinated dogs can still be carriers of disease? That the point of vaccine is to stimulate the immune system so it "knows" how to fight that particular disease, that a dog can be exposed to, and become a carrier of a disease, but not develop it? That an unvaccinated dog is no more or less likely to be a carrier than a vaccinated one? All the vaccines do is give immunity to developing the disease (hopefully--I have seen Parvo and KC vaccine fail enough times to lack confidence) if exposed, but does not create a golden bubble around the dog where it cannot also pass it along.

Just throwing a wrench in the works here  Since vaccinated dogs can also shed viruses without anyone ever even knowing that the dog has been exposed to, let alone carrying a disease, then the point of not allowing dogs to mingle with unvaccinated dogs becomes irrelevant. 

Makes the decision making process that much harder. With puppies and immuno-compromised dogs we just have to excercise common sense and do what each of us feels comfortable with, with the information we have.

Golly isnt this all  so difficult to understand im even more confused 

[Helen]

Errrrmmm, you all are aware that vaccinated dogs can still be carriers of disease? That the point of vaccine is to stimulate the immune system so it "knows" how to fight that particular disease, that a dog can be exposed to, and become a carrier of a disease, but not develop it? That an unvaccinated dog is no more or less likely to be a carrier than a vaccinated one? All the vaccines do is give immunity to developing the disease (hopefully--I have seen Parvo and KC vaccine fail enough times to lack confidence) if exposed, but does not create a golden bubble around the dog where it cannot also pass it along.

Just throwing a wrench in the works here  Since vaccinated dogs can also shed viruses without anyone ever even knowing that the dog has been exposed to, let alone carrying a disease, then the point of not allowing dogs to mingle with unvaccinated dogs becomes irrelevant. 

Makes the decision making process that much harder. With puppies and immuno-compromised dogs we just have to excercise common sense and do what each of us feels comfortable with, with the information we have.

wondered where you'd been, thanks for that info