Over Vaccination Issues, and Titers

[Freedom]

Jessika is a vet tech.

The new protocol goes to 3 years. And as you say, not all vets are switching.

[Sharon_FL]

So I am taking my dog for her yearly check up soon and she shouldn't get her yearly vaccinations? It should be every 3 yrs instead? Is that what I am understanding? Except for rabies? I think my vet is going to disagree with me, but I surely want to do what is best for my dog. I am sort of confused with what harm over vaccinating can do versus the harm under vaccinating might do...??
Like I said, I just want to do what is best for my dog.
Thanks, Sharon

[Freedom]

Rabies goes according to state law.

Distemper, Parvo, etc. every 3 years and even then, you can just titer instead of getting the vaccines.

[Jessika]

So I am taking my dog for her yearly check up soon and she shouldn't get her yearly vaccinations? It should be every 3 yrs instead? Is that what I am understanding? Except for rabies? I think my vet is going to disagree with me, but I surely want to do what is best for my dog. I am sort of confused with what harm over vaccinating can do versus the harm under vaccinating might do...??
Like I said, I just want to do what is best for my dog.
Thanks, Sharon

The best thing to do, in my opinion, is do research and make a decision for yourself which route you wish to take with your pet's health. Then please discuss your decision with your vet. Your vet will have local information on your area, ie say they've seen a lot of distemper cases in wildlife, or lepto cases have risen over the last 2 years, she will have information that pertains directly to you and your pets that the internet can't possibly know that may also play a role in how you decide to vaccinate your pets. Some of these diseases are zoonotic (transmissible from your pet to people) so not only can it be a health risk to your pets, but to you as well.

The vets I work with are on a yearly protocol for DHPP +/- lepto, and a 1 or 3 year vaccine for rabies. HOWEVER, if a client comes to them with these concerns, they are very happy to work with them. There are many clients that titer, and a few that are on a 3 year vaccine protocol. My concerns about blindly offering a 3 year vaccine protocol to clients in my area, however, is that we would not see those pets for 3 years (and coming in once yearly for a pet is like us coming in once every 6-8 years for our health checkups. So if they only came once every 3 years... thats like not going to a doctor for 21+ years!!!).

If you and your vet feel that the previous vaccines are adequate coverage, s/he may agree to go with a 3-year protocol or start titering for distemper/parvo.

Rabies vaccines are regulated via state, so you HAVE to get rabies. Most states recognize a 1 or a 3 year vaccine for rabies, however.