Need Info On Pup/Dog Vaccines...

[redhen]

Thanks for all the info everyone! Really appreciate it..

 

[tcbfan5]

Parvo, Distemper, rabies, & heartworm pill i believe is your main concerns..
(heartworm pill or shot if your vet does the shot...)
Heartworm is Bad if a dog gets it..that's what i hate about gettin for my dogs..The pill ya gotta rememeber to give em, & the cost?!!! The shot i believe lasts 6 mos. Lots of coughing with heartworms & the heartworm treatment (if caught in time) is terrible on a dog...Multiple Trips To The Vet, & the vet has to give an injection in the dogs spine basically each trip...So Bad deal there...
ringworm/roundworm can be treated if they get it..
Vets like to run series of tests, but i would reccommend to go with the basics & go with the flow from there...Parvo, & heartworms can kill a dog for sure...
If you're dogs not being boarded or going to dog parks or the lake, the kennel cough nasal 'shot' isnt THAT big of a deal if ya don't get it, but it might be a good idea for the first yr, However, just an fiy, I Have Heard Of Dogs Having An Allergic Reaction to the kennel cough 'nasal' vaccine. It's RARE, But i know it has happened...
I know some people vaccinate their own dogs, but i personally prefer to take my dogs to the vet.. just reassures my dogs getting good treatment, not to mention the vet can check for things like possible arthitis, lumps...ect...
Dunno if i was much help. i just tell my vet, "Gimmie The Basics" lol ~ looks like ya gotta lot info! Good Luck!

 

[gritsar]

Red, I agree with everything KellyHM had to say. I can give the shots myself, but I like knowing my vet has had her hands on my boys entire body at least once a year. She can spot problems that I may have missed.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:
Are you crazy?!! Do you know if your dog is bitten by a possible rabid animal you must keep it in quarenteen for a minimum of 6months and YOU have to pay the costs. Either that or your dog will be destroyed and it's head cut off, brain sent to the state to check for the disease. Not to mention that you and anyone else who has come in contact will have to take a series of painful shots so that you don't get it.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

Quote:

Rabies is usually 1 year for the initial shot then a 3 year shot after that. 1st shot isn't usually given until 6months old.

Heartworms--We use Revolution-flea, ticks, heartworms year round. Down here you never know when when the skeeters are going to bust loose. Better safe than sorry.

And like Grit said, I like my vet to have the their hands on my "kids" once a year. I have my hands on them all the time, petting, massaging, tickling them. You learn what is normal and not normal for them. I was able to pinpoint my Bashfuls cancer and Spooks skin changes before we even went to the vet.

I do spread out the shots of my older kids over a 2 week period. They tend to feel bad for a few days if their shots are given all on one day.

 

[lorieMN]

Quote:
Are you crazy?!! Do you know if your dog is bitten by a possible rabid animal you must keep it in quarenteen for a minimum of 6months and YOU have to pay the costs. Either that or your dog will be destroyed and it's head cut off, brain sent to the state to check for the disease. Not to mention that you and anyone else who has come in contact will have to take a series of painful shots so that you don't get it.

yes,I know all that,,and again I will say,,titers,research it.

 

[lemurchaser]

I titer my dogs, they definitely are NOT good for life!!

My one dog lost her immunity to parvo at 5-6 years old (she had last been vaccinated for parvo at 1 year of age.). I boostered both parvo and distemper at that time and she's now eight, so due for titers again soon. Every dog is different, some may be good for a decade, and others may be good for 3 years. So unless you titer each dog yearly, it's worth vaccinating every 3 years. The every 3 years vaccine isn't that much on their immune system.

I recommend everyone keep their pets up to date on rabies vaccine, it is required by law, it is 100% fatal and can be caught via saliva from an infected pet, and there are some super long quarantine requirements in some areas. It just isn't worth the hassle to not do it.

You should note that there are different types of vaccines, not every vaccine is created equal. Some of the new cat vaccines are ONLY good for a year because they removed the adjuvent that was causing reactions and cancer in a few. This means the body has a much smaller reaction to the vaccine and develops less immunity.

Basics for me are: Rabies, DA2PP (distemper/parvo/parainfluenza), and my one dog that goes hiking with me gets the lepto vaccine. I don't do Bordatella, lyme, giardia, because the diseases are quite easily treatable and rarely life threatening.

 

[Peck Johnson]

The Lyme vax does not prevent Lyme but it will greatly reduce the likelihood of kidney failure if the dog does get Lyme.