Booster Vaccinations (Again!)

[White Bryony]

Just wanted to share my experience.

Untll I found this site I think I was a very bad cocker mummy.  I have learnt so much on here, and the help and advice has been invaluable.

Anyway, Woofie and Maddie are due for their vaccination booster, and after blithely going to the vet year after year and not bothering with what stuff he was injecting, this time I have read through all the old posts.

I decided to give him a ring about my concerns about over vaccination.  He told me that they give the 5 in 1 every third year and just para-influenza and Lepto in the intervening 2 years.  I was happy with that, but just before I put the phone down I asked what injections they had had last year and the year before and they had been given the 5 in 1 both years!  He said that was because the guidelines for the 3 yearly one had only just been implemented!

Anyway they are now booked in for just the para/lepto.

[jools]

Lisa, the timing of this is perfect for me - both Bramble and Poppy are due boosters and I have never been convinced about them.

Thanks

[spanielcrazy]

I'm curious as to why he gives para and lepto yearly. Is there a lot of lepto in your area?

From what I have read, para-influenza has many strains and the vaccine is only effective against a couple of them. Lepto is a not common(and pretty treatable) disease that tends to be regional. Also, the Lepto vaccine is one that seems to be linked with later problems.

The 5in1 includes para and lepto, so in effect you are vaccinating yearly for the two diseases that, of the 5, your dog is least likely to contract 

[White Bryony]

I'm curious as to why he gives para and lepto yearly. Is there a lot of lepto in your area?

From what I have read, para-influenza has many strains and the vaccine is only effective against a couple of them. Lepto is a not common(and pretty treatable) disease that tends to be regional. Also, the Lepto vaccine is one that seems to be linked with later problems.

The 5in1 includes para and lepto, so in effect you are vaccinating yearly for the two diseases that, of the 5, your dog is least likely to contract 

TBH my knowledge wasn't sufficent for me to question him.  He seemed to indicate that this was standard procedure now.  To do the 5 in 1 every 3 years and the other two inbetween.

I haven't heard of any cases of lepto in this area, we had a lot of parvo a couple of years ago but not now I don't think.

[Helen]

My vet always pushes for the Lepto spanielcrazy (and this is the one I don't think they titre test for...)...and your thoughts on Lepto/Lepto vacs are the same as mine 

[Cob-Web]

This vaccination schedule is the way in which some Vaccines are now licensed - it doesn't really have anything to do with the *regional risk* of particular diseases, but the findings of scientific research studies which have passed the required Pharmaceutical and Veterinary Licensing requirements 

Molo was vaccinated with Nobivac products as a puppy, which was the first vaccine range to be Licensed to be delivered on a three yearly schedule - and there are now other vaccines that have the same schedule, which is fabulous, as it reduces the risk of adverse reactions I am sure that research will continue, and there will be further changes to Vaccine schedules as more information is discovered

[Helen]

sorry Rachel, I can't agree with you - as long as drug companies are making the fortune they are out of vaccinations it is highly unlikely that the truth about the length of immunity and effects of over-vaccinating dogs will ever be published - after all, they could only 'afford' to keep the lab dogs for a finite time...and that is what they based the length of vaccine immunity on...and who will finance scientific research that doesn't back the Pharmaceutical companies?    I don't follow your enthusiasm for the Nobivac 3 year cycle - I still think there are a lot of unanswered questions and still a lot of over vaccinating -  I'm sure the CIMDA group doesn't share the same opinions for one 

why don't you get your dogs titre tested before you next booster?  Just for your own research?  I know you will booster anyway as you need to use kennels, but it may be interesting to see how what the titre levels are before you booster.

[Cob-Web]

sorry Rachel, I can't agree with you - as long as drug companies are making the fortune they are out of vaccinations it is highly unlikely that the truth about the length of immunity and effects of over-vaccinating dogs will ever be published - after all, they could only 'afford' to keep the lab dogs for a finite time...and that is what they based the length of vaccine immunity on...and who will finance scientific research that doesn't back the Pharmaceutical companies?    I don't follow your enthusiasm for the Nobivac 3 year cycle - I still think there are a lot of unanswered questions and still a lot of over vaccinating -  I'm sure the CIMDA group doesn't share the same opinions for one 

why don't you get your dogs titre tested before you next booster?  Just for your own research?  I know you will booster anyway as you need to use kennels, but it may be interesting to see how what the titre levels are before you booster.

Every three years is better than every year imo  As you say, I don't have the choice not to vaccinate, so for me, choosing a three year schedule was important and I was pleased that it is becoming more widely available 

I'm afraid I don't have the disposable income for blood tests "for my own research", I have to have them vaccinated, so the three-year schedule is the compromise I make in order to be able to keep dogs   

[Joelf]

I'm afraid I don't have the disposable income for blood tests "for my own research", I have to have them vaccinated, so the three-year schedule is the compromise I make in order to be able to keep dogs   

I agree; our dogs are on the same vaccination schedule which seems to suit them (I've never noticed any adverse reactions to their jabs) & my vets most definitely don't do any procedures with the dogs that aren't strictly necessary.