Over Vaccination Issues, and Titers

[Jessika]

Someone on the bichon forum just brought home a puppy, age 12 weeks, through a rescue group. She was looking through the vaccination paperwork, and this wee baby has already had DHLPP THREE TIMES!!! She needs to work with her vet and give this baby's immune system a break for as long as possible.

If they are going to have a reaction to a vaccine, though, they will get one within a few hours of administration. So if her Bichon has not has a reaction to lepto, chances are likely she won't in the future, either.

[Freedom]

That is not the point, Jessika. With so many vaccines (and doubled up, at that!) she is now high risk for thyroidism, allergies and wide range of issues.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Thanks for posting this info. I know that used to overvaccinate my cats because the vet's that I went to required yearly vaccines. It wasn't until I went to my current vet that she told me to stop giving Storm vacccines because he was over 10 years old. I had stopped giving them to Sky because he had bad reactions which then made him sick. She also does the 3 years shots and I really don't need to give them rabies shots because I live in a city that doesn't require them for cats. All of my cats are indoor only too. Ziggy and Pearl did receive another FVRCP shot this past year because Alani & Blaze had been very sick and they hadn't been vaccinated in a while. I'm one of those people that will still bring in their pets for annual exams only with no shots. My vet knows this so doesn't try to push me to get shots unless they are really needed. I still feel that my RB Starr's Colitis/IBD may have been caused by overvaccinating him.

[Jessika]

That is not the point, Jessika. With so many vaccines (and doubled up, at that!) she is now high risk for thyroidism, allergies and wide range of issues.

I did misunderstand since the sentence prior you were mentioning how Bichons have a higher reaction rate to lepto...

As puppies, it is very important to vaccinate a series of times to catch when the maternal antibodies wear off (since there is no exact "date" of when this happens). I hope the poor thing wasn't given lepto with the distemper three times as two is all that's necessary for lepto (at least, that's protocol at my clinic...). She should be getting the third one at 12 weeks; if she had three vaccines prior to 12 weeks that's a bit much (and wasted... some breeders vaccinate their puppies at 3 or 4 weeks!!!!!).

[KYS]

Very good topic.
I am curious what the vet techs on this board will post.

THe new protocal I thought was not to give yearly shots?
I think depending on the county/state some vets still follow the old school way of thinking.

[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.