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Cocker Specific Discussion => Health => Topic started by: Louis on November 20, 2004, 03:46:53 PM

Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Louis on November 20, 2004, 03:46:53 PM
Hi everyone, louis has just had his yearly booster and i was talking to my mam who works in a pharmacy.  Apparently the pharmacist has a dog and she only takes her dog to the vets for a booster every 2 years!!  Does anyone else do it on a 2 yearly basis, or should it definitley be every year :D  :D

Gemma&Louis

 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Sharon on November 20, 2004, 05:41:53 PM
We took all 4 of ours recently for their boosters.  The older two ages 5 & 3 only had to have the lepto booster, whereas my younger 2 who are both just over a year old had to have the full booster, but next year will only need the lepto.

My vet has agreed that they only need a full booster every 3 years.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Cob-Web on November 20, 2004, 06:48:46 PM
I know that there is a lot of discussion in the veterinary profession about this at the moment; but I am interested to know how this will effect boarding kennels.

Most require annual vaccinations, don't they?
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: shonajoy on November 20, 2004, 08:09:54 PM
Yes, most kennels will expect vacc certification. However, you can do something called a titer drawn, it shows immunity/or not, and maybe will therefore be able to only booster once every 2 years, but since they are expensive (about seventy pounds at our vets) they tend to put people off doing that.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on November 20, 2004, 09:08:22 PM
I had one of my dogs titred and it cost £34.

I vaccinate minimally since losing Saffy to SLE - an auto immune disease that was triggered by her booster (there was no doubt about this in the opinions of the specialists who treated her ) when she was 3 years old.

Tilly has not been vaccinated since she was 2 - she is 6.
Lola has had one single Parvo jab which she reacted badly to - she had that at 7 months old, and is now 20 months old.
Hattie has had none so far but will most likely have a single Parvo in a few weeks time - she is nearly 6 months old  :o  

I do not do this out of ignorance or apathy before anyone tells me off, I do have an informed opinion - honest I do !!!  :D



 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: *Jay* on November 20, 2004, 09:18:41 PM
The vets where I work use a vaccine which the manufacturers recommend a full booster annually. Vegas has now had 2 annual boosters and Dallas has had 1 with his next one due in January. When I got Disney, I actually went down to another vets and bought a course of vaccines from them as the data sheet for that one states that a full booster is only required every 3 years, but the lepto component will be given every year. I did a lot of thinking and decided this was the safest option for my situation rather than not vaccinating at all. Of course, thats not to say that that won't change in the future as more research is done. Next year, both Vegas and Dallas will just get the lepto component rather than the full booster...much to my vets disappointment.  What with me not neutering my boys and not vaccinating my boys with their vaccination of choice, I think they may just start to despair of me :lol:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on November 20, 2004, 09:52:45 PM
Quote
I think they may just start to despair of me 

 :lol:  that sounds familiar !  actually I have a fab relationship with my vets - they all know I research everything before making any decisions, and they are more than happy to candidly discuss everything with me !   they are very open minded about me seeing a homeopathic vet, and using complementary therapies wherever possible - they don't even mind me feeding a raw diet !
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: shonajoy on November 20, 2004, 10:21:45 PM
Oh, Gill - I know that feeling well,lol. All the vets seem to be on a drive to get Indie castrated, they can't see why I wouldn't, even after big talks about it :rolleyes:

 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Lindaphills on November 20, 2004, 11:15:22 PM
Hi Penel,

Welcome to COL.  I remember your name from Britbarf when I joined to get raw feeding info for my cocker Jess.  She's 15 months now and have now got another cocker blue roan called Jimmy, he's 19 weeks old and has just started having chicken wings too and he absolutely loves them :D

Hope you and your dogs are well  :D

 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Sharon on November 21, 2004, 12:12:20 AM
It's only if your dogs have the Intervet vaccine, all others you have to have boosters annually.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: lizzy on November 21, 2004, 08:28:48 AM
Quote


I vaccinate minimally since losing Saffy to SLE - an auto immune disease that was triggered by her booster (there was no doubt about this in the opinions of the specialists who treated her ) when she was 3 years old.

I do not do this out of ignorance or apathy before anyone tells me off, I do have an informed opinion - honest I do !!!  :D
Molly is due her booster this months, but after reading these posts I'm a little worried now, does she need a booster even though she had one last November?
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on November 21, 2004, 11:05:16 AM
Which brand of vaccine is she vaccinated with - it should say on her vaccination card - as Sharon said, if its Intervet then not *all* the vaccine has to be done annually to conform with the manufacturers recommendations.

Its a very personal choice Lizzy - one I have spent ages researching.  I can give you some links to have a look at - and then you will have a lot more info which might help you to decide.  A friend had her goldie titre tested at 17 months old - he had had only one multiple vaccination at 12 wks old.  All his levels came back sky high so she knew she did not have to have him vaccinated again that year.  So titre testing is a choice - although - its complicated - it measures circulating antibodies - it does not measure memory cells.  If your dog has come into contact with the virus / disease lately, then circulating antibodies could be very high.  However, even if they are low (the titre results) it doesn't necessarily mean that your dog is not immune, as the memory cells will kick into action if needs be and multiply.  I'll try and find a link to explain it better than I have !!!  you could ask your vet if they would titre test - as we said before the cost does vary tremendously.


http://www.ivis.org/advances/Infect_Dis_Ca...er_frm.asp?LA=1 (http://www.ivis.org/advances/Infect_Dis_Carmichael/schultz/chapter_frm.asp?LA=1)
As part of a minimum disease prevention program, every dog should receive CPV-2, CDV, CAV-2 and rabies vaccines at least one time at or after the age of 12 weeks (Table 2). If that were the only vaccination a dog ever received, and the products used were modified live CPV-2, CDV, CAV-2 and a 3-year killed rabies, the dog would have a >80% probability of developing immunity to those four viruses for 3 or more years..................
Coronavirus vaccines -  Although approximately 50% of practices routinely use coronavirus vaccine, most vaccine experts agree that this vaccine is not needed. Some experts consider CCV vaccines useless.
 
http://www.doglogic.com/vaccination.htm (http://www.doglogic.com/vaccination.htm) (Jean Dodds protocol)
For breeds or families of dogs susceptible to or effected with immune dysfunction, immune-mediated disease, immune-reactions associated with vaccinations, or autoimmune endocrine disease (e.g., thyroiditis, Addison's or Cushing's disease, diabetes, etc.), the following protocol is recommended:  see link for table ...
.....After 1 year, annually measure serum antibody titers against specific canine infectious agents such as distemper and parvovirus. This is especially recommended for animals previously experiencing adverse vaccine reactions or breeds at higher risk for such reactions (e.g., Weimaraner, Akita, American Eskimo, Great Dane)...........
...............I do NOT use Bordetella, corona virus, leptospirosis or Lyme vaccines unless these diseases are endemic in the local area pr specific kennel. Futhermore, the currently licensed leptospira bacterins do not contain the serovars causing the majority of clinical leptospirosis today
 
http://www.alternativevet.org/dog-diseases.htm#vaccination (http://www.alternativevet.org/dog-diseases.htm#vaccination)  - this is written by Chris Day, homeopathic vet, chairman of the BAHVS.
 
http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/vaccination.htm (http://www.irishwolfhounds.org/vaccination.htm)
 
http://www.weim.net/homeovet/English/Vaccine.htm (http://www.weim.net/homeovet/English/Vaccine.htm)
 
http://www.weim.net/homeovet/vaccstories.htm (http://www.weim.net/homeovet/vaccstories.htm)
 
http://www.doglogic.com/vaccineinfo.htm#news (http://www.doglogic.com/vaccineinfo.htm#news)
"Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces an  immunity which is good for the life of the pet (ie: canine distemper, parvo, feline distemper).  If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the  first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is  little or no effect.  The titer is not "boosted" nor are more memory cells induced.
 
http://www.vetinfo.com/dogvacc (http://www.vetinfo.com/dogvacc)
 
http://www.bccc.pair.com/vaccinat.htm (http://www.bccc.pair.com/vaccinat.htm)
 
http://www.altvetmed.com/pages/articles.html (http://www.altvetmed.com/pages/articles.html)  - click on Vaccination decisions
 
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/VACCINE1.HTM (http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/VACCINE1.HTM)  - scroll down to find........
For example, at 14 weeks of age, less than 5% of pups would have maternally derived antibody interference with one or more components in a combination vaccine, whereas at 6 weeks of age, more than 50 % of pups would be unable to mount an active immune response to one or more components in the vaccine
 
http://www.labbies.com/immun.htm (http://www.labbies.com/immun.htm)  - very good links with tons of info
 

 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: lizzy on November 21, 2004, 12:24:52 PM
Hi Penel,

Thank you so much for your links, I am going to have a thorough read through them later on.

Molly's vet does use the intervet vacciantion, last year I did question whether she needed a booster and he said that all dogs need a booster every year and that I was putting her in danger if I didn't have her vaccinated. I didn't feel adequately knowledgeable to question him, but after reading your links, I'm sure I'll have more of an idea of what I'm talking about! ;)  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on November 21, 2004, 03:33:04 PM
Quote
Molly's vet does use the intervet vacciantion, last year I did question whether she needed a booster and he said that all dogs need a booster every year and that I was putting her in danger if I didn't have her vaccinated

If that is what your vet said then I'm afraid they are wrong unless he just meant the Lepto part of the vaccine.
See the Intervet website for further info on this... and then you will really be able to discuss it !

http://www.intervet.co.uk/species_pages/dog/news.asp (http://www.intervet.co.uk/species_pages/dog/news.asp)

"Intervet can now offer an extended duration of immunity on its canine vaccines giving proven protection against killer diseases like parvovirus, hepatitis and distemper for three years"
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: lindsey on December 03, 2004, 07:55:03 PM
I am a veterinary nurse with 5 cockers, all who have yearly vaccines with no adverse effect.  They have the full vaccine against Distemper, hepatitis, Pavovirus, Parainfluenza and leptospirosis one year and the following year they are vaccinated against Parvovirus, parainfluenza and lepto.  

In the time that I have been working at the practice (8 years) there has never been a dog that has had a reaction to a vaccine.(1 cat has).  In the past 6 months since this whole debate abou vaccines has come about we have had 4 outbreaks of Parvovirus and of the total 12 dogs we had hospitalised 6 died (4 puppies). People are being scared into not vaccinating their animals and obviously there is a small risk of an adverse reaction to any injection that is given to our dogs, but I think the risk of them being infected with some horrible disease like parvovirus is much greater, especially with dog showing and dog training classes.

If anyone has had to nurse a dog with one of these disease they would definetly vaccinate their dog! :wacko:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: suki1964 on December 03, 2004, 08:46:08 PM
Quote


If anyone has had to nurse a dog with one of these disease they would definetly vaccinate their dog! :wacko:
I agree that dogs need to be vaccinated but I dont believe that they need yearly boosters and Im lucky that my vet agrees with me. Alfie has had his first year innoculations and will only be having his booster every three years apart from lepto which will be done yearly
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Louis on December 04, 2004, 03:16:49 PM
This is all very interesting but very complicated :blink:  I've just looked at the receipt for louis booster and it is NOBIVAC DHPPI BOOSTER.  So is this something that he should have yearly.  I'am a bit confused :unsure:  :unsure:

Gemma&Louis
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: *Jay* on December 04, 2004, 03:28:32 PM
Quote
This is all very interesting but very complicated :blink:  I've just looked at the receipt for louis booster and it is NOBIVAC DHPPI BOOSTER.  So is this something that he should have yearly.  I'am a bit confused :unsure:  :unsure:

Gemma&Louis
That's the full vaccine and according to the datasheet should only need done every three years. As has been said, the Lepto component has to be done yearly ;)  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: betastorm on December 04, 2004, 04:17:27 PM
Quote
This is all very interesting but very complicated :blink:
I agree :rolleyes:   I think I'll have to phone my vets to see what they do <_<  I always assumed it was like cats and you just took them once a year to have the jab :unsure:

Wendy
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Louis on December 04, 2004, 06:22:48 PM
Thanks for that info Gill :D  I think when his next booster is due, which won't be untill next Nov, i will have a chat with the vet about this.  At least i now know that he doesn't actually need the full booster every year, but only the component you mentioned :D

Gemma&Louis
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 04, 2004, 06:38:16 PM
Quote
If anyone has had to nurse a dog with one of these disease they would definetly vaccinate their dog! 

The same applies to "if you have lived with a dog with auto immune disease triggered by a vaccine, you would not over vaccinate your dog".  

It is proven that vaccinating every year for every disease is not necessary - so why do it and risk over vaccinating ?

I would also like to point out that many vets would not recognise a vaccine reaction - and certainly would not report it.  Most owners do not realise that a dog being "off colour" is a vaccine reaction - thats just the smallest of reactions .....

Cockers are genetically predisposed to vaccine reactions - even David Sutton (big cheese at Intervet) has admitted this - in an article I was involved with in Dogs Today in June 2001 he admitted that cockers are more prone to reactions than some other breeds.

I'm not saying don't vaccinate, I'm saying don't over-vaccinate.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Hel on December 04, 2004, 07:20:16 PM
Quote
In the past 6 months since this whole debate abou vaccines has come about we have had 4 outbreaks of Parvovirus and of the total 12 dogs we had hospitalised 6 died (4 puppies).
I know of lots of dogs (old and young) who have died of Parvovirus in the last couple of years- all have been vacced.

Many of the current strains around are not covered by the vaccine.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Michele on December 04, 2004, 08:57:35 PM
Rather than resurrect a thread from June last year on the same subject, I have copied & pasted my reply, which reads as..........

Quote
Neneh was due for her booster, and rather than just going straight ahead and having it done, I chose to have a blood test done (titre testing) to determine the level of antibodies in her system.

Leptospirosis - is not included in titre testing as the vaccine doesn't remain in the system, so she had a shot for this.

The results were as follows:-

Hepatitis - moderate. so still covered, no need to boost.

Distemper & Parvovirus - high, definitely no need to boost.

The interesting thing is though, that Neneh was last boostered just before the mating resulting in Otis, which was November 2001, over 2 1/2 years ago!!!
I found it quite alarming that especially the levels of the Distemper & Parvo should remain so high after this length of time. My vet said that as long as she comes in contact with strains of Parvo (out on walks, meeting other dogs etc), she will probably remain covered for this for the rest of her life!

The reason I took particular interest in having this done was that I wanted to have another litter from Neneh, and whilst I wanted her to pass on protection to the puppies, I didn't want to overload her system with something she didn't possibly need.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: suzysu on December 04, 2004, 09:03:31 PM
Michele - Thats really interesting - its so difficult to know what to do for the best?! :unsure:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 05, 2004, 12:06:58 AM
"strains of parvovirus " erm how many do you think there are then ?!
 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Colin on December 05, 2004, 12:45:51 AM

I'm sure I once read that their were two different versions of the Parvo Virus and that vaccinations only cover one of them, there is no vaccination available for the second. I do have a bad memery though, so could be completely wrong about this. :unsure:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 05, 2004, 11:39:06 AM
I've been doing some searching - and it doesn't seem totally 100% clear - there is different info wherever you look - certainly it isn't a lot of strains like it is with lepto - the lepto vaccine definitely only covers a couple of strains - when there are loads around.  
Here's what I've found anyway about strains of Parvovirus ... for those of you interested in the vaccine debate there is some really good info in these links.

Quote
Virus drift is small. There are no new parvovirus strains, and the virus in the vaccine has remained essentially the same. Parvovirus vaccination provides cross immunity for all types
this is taken from
http://www.northernlight-uk.com/cyd_11.htm (http://www.northernlight-uk.com/cyd_11.htm)

http://www.ivis.org/advances/Infect_Dis_Ca...chapter_frm.asp (http://www.ivis.org/advances/Infect_Dis_Carmichael/truyen/chapter_frm.asp)
"Two distinct parvoviruses (CPV), are now known to infect dogs - the pathogenic CPV-2, which was recognized as a new disease of dogs and wild canines in 1978, and the "minute virus of canines" (MVC, CPV-1) reported by Binn in 1970"

http://www.topdogboarding.com/vaccine_controversy.htm (http://www.topdogboarding.com/vaccine_controversy.htm)  

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:_TD...arvovirus&hl=en (http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cache:_TDv3PAEGscJ:www.geocities.com/kineticdobies/Vaccines.pdf+Schultz+strains+of+parvovirus&hl=en)

http://www.danebytes.com/vaccine_article.htm (http://www.danebytes.com/vaccine_article.htm)

http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.js...tm/bc/24100.htm (http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/24100.htm)  "Toy Poodles and Cocker Spaniels appear at decreased risk for developing the enteric disease. Mortality associated with canine parvovirus infection is reported to be 16-35%. "
" current vaccines protect dogs against all strains of the virus"

http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vpb560/Handouts/parvo_canine.pdf (http://www.vet.purdue.edu/vpb560/Handouts/parvo_canine.pdf)
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Michele on December 05, 2004, 12:41:24 PM
Quote
"strains of parvovirus " erm how many do you think there are then ?!
By looking at your latest reply Penel, it seems you've answered your own question. I only repeated what my vet told me  :)  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 05, 2004, 03:53:20 PM
Well, no, because if you read all the links, they all say different things !  I tend to listen to what my vet tells me and then do my own research.  Vets aren't always right you know !
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Colin on December 05, 2004, 04:26:48 PM
I'm sure we are all aware that vets aren't always right. Having read Michele's posts over the years I'd take her word over my vets in most things. :)

This link suggests that CPV1 is not covered by vaccinations. It isn't where I originally read this, so they are not alone in their claims.( There isn't a date on the article so who's to know if newer vaccines have been found since that do cover CPV1 )

http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/parvovirus.htm (http://www.provet.co.uk/health/diseases/parvovirus.htm)

I'd agree there is a lot of conflicting opinions around and so it's hard to know what to do for the best really. :unsure:
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: motobrox on December 07, 2004, 09:40:56 AM
I was told by my breeder to have the first booster, then every three years after. Apparently we are introducing needless toxin in to our dogs bodies, whilst lining the vets pockets?
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Michele on December 08, 2004, 12:22:06 AM
Quote
Well, no, because if you read all the links, they all say different things !  I tend to listen to what my vet tells me and then do my own research.  Vets aren't always right you know !
Can you tell just what it is that I have said to offend you?

If you read back you will see that I have done the same as yourself, ie. made an informed decision and considered other possibilities before boostering.

I haven't actually disagreed with any of your information, merely repeated what my vet (who I have a good relationship with) informed me.

Oh by the way, I haven't got a ring through my nose  ;)  :)

 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 08, 2004, 11:00:54 AM
Quote
Can you tell just what it is that I have said to offend you?

If you read back you will see that I have done the same as yourself, ie. made an informed decision and considered other possibilities before boostering.

I haven't actually disagreed with any of your information, merely repeated what my vet (who I have a good relationship with) informed me.

You haven't "offended " me.  I just don't "repeat what the vet told me" and assume that this is correct - I research it myself and find out - thats what I meant when I said vets aren't always right - I know this to my cost.

Quote
Oh by the way, I haven't got a ring through my nose   

I beg your pardon ?!  :blink:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Sue H on December 08, 2004, 09:21:45 PM
Well, I get Barley and Bramble boosted year after year  ...

At the Blue Cross at Burford we were supposed to be getting two litters of puppies from Ireland (not sure if N or S) into our Southampton Centre last week .. well, they arrived, but they were already dying because they had Parvo .. now, our Southampton Centre is in isolation because of that... puppies have already died and maybe they all will .....

At the Blue Cross, we take in canine strays (albeit until the local Dog Warden can come) and also dogs and cats from homes who are not vaccinated.  We try as best we can to keep them isolated, but in many Centres, such as Burford, we do not have the facilities to keep dogs, cats, kittens and puppies in the sort of isolation that Parvo demands ... that, and Feline Influenza, Aids and other transmittable diseases are endemic amongst strays and other itinerant animals and so these outbreaks keep on happening ....

For people who think that we have eradicated Parvo - well, I think that what I have described above is probably just the tip of the iceberg - animals coming in from another country whose vaccination records are sort of 5% - you don't have to look beyone the EU for that !  Now we have opened up the borders and anyone can bring a pet into the country from wherever, are we going to get reports of rabies ?? It can be carried by foxes or squirrels as well as domesticated pets .. It is not the responsible pet owner that we are looking at, rather the owner who catches their cat and smugges it into the UK and so it goes on ....
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 08, 2004, 09:27:52 PM
I don't think anyone on here - certainly not me - is suggesting we shouldn't vaccinate at all.
I am saying don't over vaccinate.
It is proven that annual boosters for all diseases are not necessary.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Cob-Web on December 08, 2004, 10:03:07 PM
Quote
It is proven that annual boosters for all diseases are not necessary.
So when are boarding kennels going to begin to recognise this?

We are having to board Molo overnight at short notice next week due to a close family members funeral - if he had not had his annual booster, regardless of whether it was 'needed' or not, he would not be accepted by any local kennels  :(  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Pammy on December 09, 2004, 07:40:48 AM
Quote
Quote
It is proven that annual boosters for all diseases are not necessary.
So when are boarding kennels going to begin to recognise this?
 
Exactly Rachel - for those of us who board their dogs periodically - not vaccinating is not an option.

Diseases like Parvo and Kennel Cough are rife, not sure I saw anyone suggest Parvo had been eradicated, but at the end of the day vaccination comes down to personal choice. Responsible onwers such as COL members will always want to do the best for their dogs, problem is we're up against those who don't behave responsibly who think it's OK not to have vaccinated dogs as such vaccination will always be necessary to protect our fluffballs.

Perhaps the blood testing screening should be the norm and accepted throughout the whole canine community with the results going on the vacc record where the vacc goes IF a top up is necessary.

Just my two penn'orth :ph34r:  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: *Jay* on December 09, 2004, 07:43:48 AM
Quote
Quote
It is proven that annual boosters for all diseases are not necessary.
So when are boarding kennels going to begin to recognise this?

We are having to board Molo overnight at short notice next week due to a close family members funeral - if he had not had his annual booster, regardless of whether it was 'needed' or not, he would not be accepted by any local kennels  :(
I don't know about the kennels near you, but there doesn't seem to be that problem here. If you are vaccinating according to the manufacturers protocol, then the dog is fully vaccinated, regardless of whether its the alternate vaccines that you give or full annual boosters . The vaccine we use at work is Vanguard and the manufacturers state that an annual booster should be given so if I decided against giving Dallas that booster next month, the vet would have to state that he isn't fully covered. However, next month Dallas will only be getting the Nobivac Lepto as he had his 1st full booster this year. According to those manufacturers , he will be fully covered so the vet has to go with that. As long as you have a signed, up-to-date vaccination certificate, the kennels shouldn't have a problem.

I've just read through that again and I don't think I've put it very well - its too early in the morning :lol:  I know what I'm trying to say :P  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 09, 2004, 10:49:13 AM
Intervet are supposed to be informing local authorities, who will in turn inform local kennels - that if dogs are vaccinated with their vaccines, then yearly boosters for every disease are not necessary.   I have their email somewhere will try and locate it for you.

I also do know some kennels that accept dogs who have been given homeopathic nosodes and not conventionally vaccinated.

Parvo is not rife - please let's not exaggerate and frighten people.  My local vets has seen it 3 times in 12 years, he has never seen distemper, he has seen lepto a couple of times.

Don't forget, even Intervet / David Sutton admits that cockers are more prone to vaccine reactions than some other breeds.

I agree with Pammy - titre testing should be accepted as the norm - and hopefully it soon will be - its very common in the US now.  

Gill - I know what you're trying to say   :lol:  !
 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: cbabe on December 09, 2004, 12:33:49 PM
Quote

Parvo is not rife - please let's not exaggerate and frighten people.  My local vets has seen it 3 times in 12 years, he has never seen distemper, he has seen lepto a couple of times.
 
This comment concerns me. The occurance of infecton in dogs may have declined since the early 80's when it was at epidemic proportions. But the infection is still out there. The number of cases being controled by the use of the vacination programes.?

Saying that Parvo is not rife contradicts the information i have been given over the years both from professionals and owners who have cared for infected dogs.
Although your vet may have not witnessed many cases, this may not be the case for different areas of the country, i do know that only 5 years ago they were warning of a distemper and Parvo epidemic in the totnes region of Devon due to people failing to innoculate.

I too do not want to scare people, but i also think it dangerous to become complacent.

As Penel has sated, ensureing your dog is covered, however often you decide a booster is required, is essential.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 09, 2004, 07:04:55 PM
The word "rife" is what concerned me.  Kennel cough is common, not rife.  Parvo is certainly not rife.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Pammy on December 09, 2004, 07:58:45 PM
Quote
The word "rife" is what concerned me.  Kennel cough is common, not rife.  Parvo is certainly not rife.
If you want to be pedantic then common will suffice. However the definition of Rife is:

In widespread existence, practice, or use; increasingly prevalent.
Abundant or numerous.

It is not fair to let people believe that either is rare or uncommon because they are not. Depending where you live will also affect how common/rife these dreadful illnesses are.

If your vet has only seen 3 cases of Parvo in 12 years - than that suggests he is very lucky!  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: lindsey on December 11, 2004, 10:25:40 PM
I think alot of cases of Parvovirus are not actually diagnosed, as they show typical haemorrhagic gastroenteritis symptoms and tend to go down hill so quickly that there is no time for diagnostics or are just mis-diagnosed.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: PennyB on December 11, 2004, 10:46:36 PM
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Parvo is not rife - please let's not exaggerate and frighten people.  My local vets has seen it 3 times in 12 years, he has never seen distemper, he has seen lepto a couple of times.
 
Actually summer before last we had a large number of cases of parvo in our area (Cardiff and Barry). It is a problem in some areas but not in all

And if your dog swims in rivers it is important I feel to keep up to date with the lepto element. My vet advocates alternate years for parvo and every year for lepto in our area.



 
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on December 12, 2004, 10:29:46 AM
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I think alot of cases of Parvovirus are not actually diagnosed, as they show typical haemorrhagic gastroenteritis symptoms and tend to go down hill so quickly that there is no time for diagnostics or are just mis-diagnosed

Actually they are often misdiagnosed as Parvo when in fact it is haemorraghic gastroenteritis or campylobacter.  Parvo can only be correctly diagnosed by a lab.

The lepto vaccine available at most vets only lasts 6 - 9 months anyway - so don't be fooled into thinking your dog is covered for a full year - unless you are having the new lepto vaccine just out, which is guaranteed to last 12 months - its made by Nobivac I think and is called Lepto 2.
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Kim on December 12, 2004, 05:58:57 PM
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And if your dog swims in rivers it is important I feel to keep up to date with the lepto element.
It's not just rivers that are risky, Squirrels, rats, foxes etc all can carry lepto, but you may not even be aware of where they have been !
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Cob-Web on December 14, 2004, 06:12:51 PM
I have to confess that although I am all in favour of healthy debate, I don't like threads like this as they leave me totally confused and more likely to be an 'overprotective mum', with no idea of what to do for the best........... :(  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Colin on December 14, 2004, 11:01:19 PM

It confuses me too Rachel, I don't really understand enough of it to make an informed decision on my own - so I'm going with my vet's advice. He gave Misty her annual booster recently and said she'd be covered for 3 years but to get the Lepto vacc annually.  
Title: Yearly Booster
Post by: Penel on January 01, 2005, 05:33:11 PM
Just thought I would add these links here for information - from the Intervet website...

this is the datasheet for Lepto 2, the newest Lepto vaccine which gives immunity for at least one year.  If I was going to vaccinate for Lepto, this is the one I would use...
http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/...t_Datasheet.asp (http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/Nobivac_Lepto2/090_Product_Datasheet.asp)

and here is the data sheet for the Nobivac DHPPi vaccine, so you can see the recommendations for how often each component should be given.  Please note this line too which people (including vets) often don't know about:

Contra-indications, warnings, etc

Only healthy dogs should  be vaccinated. The vaccine may not be effective in dogs incubating the disease at the time of vaccination.

http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/...t_Datasheet.asp (http://www.intervet.co.uk/Products_Public/Nobivac_DHPPi/090_Product_Datasheet.asp)

For some more general news see http://www.intervet.co.uk/species_pages/dog/news.asp (http://www.intervet.co.uk/species_pages/dog/news.asp)