What's your view on giving booster vaccinations?

[DennyK]

Paddy's due to be given his boosters at the end of January.

However, from reading I've done on here, and some information someone else has sent me, it looks to be (a) a small but real risk to Paddy's well-being and (b) of no proven use to "boost" vaccinations.  One comment from vets I read was along the lines of annual boosters being a matter of custom and practice rather than of scientific and health value to the animal.

What do you guys think/do?

Denise

[supaspaniel]

I have had people tell me this for a fews years now, but to be honest if the dogs became ill because I hadn't taken them for their booster I wouldn't be able to live with myself

Also living in the country with quite a few foxes about I'll not take the risk

[silkstocking]

I went on advice I read, my breeder and my own gut instinct. Milo has his initial injections and his first booster, Nance had her initial injections thats it, she is a bit allergic to things, and I know one of her relatives had a nasty reaction to the drugs.

My vet said maybe have them done every other year. But also said it was the "surgery" policy to advice to have them annually.

It also depends on if you are planning to take Paddy out of the country, I was discussing this with a friend the other day. His family are all medics and his uncle works for a vet. pharmacitcal company. His dad has always got the drugs "wholesale" to booster their animals. But know they are moving abroad, he needs vaccination certs in order to be able to take the animals out of the country, which means getting a qualified vet to do it and sign it off.

[kate.s]

Sam had his this morning and to be quite honest it gives me peace of mind  

Also, he needs up to date vaccines for our training classes that we are going to start so if I hadn't have taken him to the vets he would not be allowed in the class.

[silkstocking]

I have had people tell me this for a fews years now, but to be honest if the dogs became ill because I hadn't taken them for their booster I wouldn't be able to live with myself

I know what you mean Lisa, it does cross my mind too, but I am more worried about the reaction that could happen from a vaccine, but thats bc I know it has happened to a dog in Nancys "lines" and Nance has had various reactions to vet. "equipment"

My OH has always been very specific about ( even in their first year of vax) not letting the dogs in stagnent water etc when we are out so as not to harber any nasties!

[Cob-Web]

There are vaccines that are Licensed with a three year cycle which you could ask your vet for, if over-vaccinating is a concern to you - Molo is on these, but the training activities that Molo and I take part in, and the fact I use kennels, means I don't have the option of not vaccinating, no matter how "risky" some reports make it out to be 

[Helen]

you could always consider titre testing rachel - your reputable kennel should accept titre immunity results as an alternative 

we will be titre testing jarvis this year, and my gut instinct is not to vaccinate him.  I don't think there is any point in over vaccination and if you read other reports it is evident that there has been insufficient research on the length of immunity a dog is given from the vacc  (which was largely due to lab dogs being expensive and not viable to keep over 12 months, information my vet has given me if you would like the source)  This contributes to the 'annual' booster hype.

At least *some* vets are now acknowledging you don't need the entire booster spectrum annually, mine are saying lepto/para annually, and parvo/distemper every 2 years

there has been talk of vacc every 3 years as well....and i know a 4 year study in sweden on distemper has confirmed that dogs still have immunity at the 4 year mark.

my suspicion is you can't titre test for lepto tho - can anyone confirm or deny this please?

i know that losing a dog to a preventable disease is unthinkable but losing a dog to an auto-immune disease bought on by over vaccination is equally tragic  

[supaspaniel]

A friend of mine stopped getting his springer jabbed, but the dog was fairly anti-social ( a rescue that had had a terrible start and no amount of behavioural therapy helped) so my friend didn't really go far with him like I do with my lot ( he had the best possible life for him tho)

His springer died last year and he now has 2 labs that he's had as pups that he will be having vaccinated as they are completely different temperament and he can go out and about with them, so it depends on personal views and circumstances.

[LinsR]

I vaccinate them when they are puppies and for the 2nd year, but after that I don't.

Auto - immune is not brought on by over vaccinating. Giving a booster can trigger the disease.

Our orange roan bitch has auto - immune and spent nearly 2 months at the Cambridge Vet College.  

Research that they have done shows after the first booster, the drug lies in their blood stream for years.

Hope this helps making a decision.

Lindsey

[Helen]

I vaccinate them when they are puppies and for the 2nd year, but after that I don't.

Auto - immune is not brought on by over vaccinating. Giving a booster can trigger the disease.

Our orange roan bitch has auto - immune and spent nearly 2 months at the Cambridge Vet College.  

Research that they have done shows after the first booster, the drug lies in their blood stream for years.

Hope this helps making a decision.

Lindsey

sorry if i worded that badly lindsey,  my opinion is that currently boosters ARE over vaccinating 

[LinsR]

Dont worry just wanted to make it clear to any body that maybe was un aware of the disease

Lindsey

[Helen]

Dont worry just wanted to make it clear to any body that maybe was un aware of the disease

Lindsey

thanks

i have vaccinated our dog the same way, first vacs, first boosters...and i will titre test this year.

from what i can see incidences of AI are on the increase or are we becoming more aware of it? 

and sorry to go kinda off topic but how is your orange roan girl?

[*jean*]

I give mine boosters as Im frightened not to.

[Tori]

Having been off work i am unable to see whether or not you can titre test for lepto, i'm pretty sure its a no, altho its is a annoying as the VLA do a MAT lepto titre test as a requirement for dogs to travel to Austrailia

Personally i always make sure that mine are vaccinated yearly for Lepto and Parvo, as they do only last for 12mths ( referenced from a work seminar i was sent on) i live and my dogs walk on river bank areas were rats are present, Lepto is a zoonotic disease and both of the these diseases are still previlant.  Through work i have sadly seen the horrible and painful deaths that both these disease cause, in puppies and adults, and in my opinion (i respect that lots of you will disagree) seeing as there are vaccines thats prevent these two i will use them.  With regards to the rest that are incuded, i have a full one done every 2 - 3 yrs until they are 7yrs then just stick with the L and P.

We all have individual opinions on this subject, as is our right, and it will continue to cause much debate in the future.  What ever your opinion one thing that should not be forgotten is that each of us believes that what we are doing is the best for our beloved 4 legged friends and that is what counts the most.

Good luck in making your choice.  

Tori x

[DennyK]

Before those of you with lots of knowledge jump up and down at the following - can I ask you to be gentle with me?  I'm asking for views because I don't know enough to put the information I've read into a wider context.  I've previously been in Jean's school of thought - too frightened not to vaccinate.  With my gentle forays into raw feeding, homeopathy etc, and being hugely impressed by things I'd have said were cobblers a year ago (through ignorance, basically!) - I'm now a fan.  It's from the same gentle forays that I'm coming upon more information but as I've said - I don't have a context - not a scientist and not an experienced dog owner.

On the parvo issue - one of the sources I've seen says that the duration of immunity for parvovirus, adenovirus and distemper is up to seven years. 

On the lepto issue, it says that this vaccine is the single biggest cause of vaccine reactions - and shouldn't be a core vaccine because it doesn't stop infection - merely symptoms - and thus the "infected vaccinated" dog actually spreads the disease to other dogs and to humans - and the types of lepto vary/mutate, so in the US they're finding that the vaccines don't cover the new types of lepto which exist and so are pretty useless.    On the autoimmune issue - it was suggested that lepto should, if given, never be given in conjunction with other vaccines because it is so "immune suppressant" in its effects.

Views?

Denise