Are annual shots overkill!!!

[wolfsoul]

My dog almost died from parvo all because the vaccine weakened her immune system and left her vulnerable to the parvo in the environment (the very thing the vet said it would prevent).

I do parvo and distemper seperatly and that's it. One shot for each, nothing more. Visa is titred if she needs proof of vaccination for anything, and the vet has someone that forages rabies vaccine certifications if we ever need to cross the border.

[.sarah]

Jordan, I am curious why you even vaccinate at all, especially since Visa almost died from it. Do you do it at 16 weeks when the natural immunity wears off?

My dogs are never getting vaccinated again, and no future dogs or puppies will be vaccinated.

Also, you must have a cool vet! I wish I could find one that didn't want to shoot my dog up any chance they got.

[Jessika]

So you think rabies shots are unnecessary? I got Charlie 3 year shots and Jamie one year.. but that's pretty much the only vaccinations they've had or that I do routinely.

Sarah, what do you do when you have to bring them somewhere and you have to show proof of vaccinations?? Like, for example, grooming or dog events, etc.

[.sarah]

Rabies shots are very, very unneccessary except to abide by the law, which I have found a way to get around. Luka is suffering from one she got in March and there is no cure.

Also, three year and one year are the same. They are the same shot marketed with a different label to abide by state laws.

Sarah, what do you do when you have to bring them somewhere and you have to show proof of vaccinations?? Like, for example, grooming or dog events, etc.

I have titers done to proove immunity so that we can attend obedience classes. For Rabies - I have a way to get around it that I don't want to say publicly, but could PM to you if you're curious.

[Jessika]

Rabies shots are very, very unneccessary except to abide by the law, which I have found a way to get around. Luka is suffering from one she got in March and there is no cure.

Also, three year and one year are the same. They are the same shot marketed with a different label to abide by state laws.


I have titres done to proove immunity so that we can attend obedience classes. For Rabies - I have a way to get around it that I don't want to say publicly, but could PM to you if you're curious.

Hm, I have never heard of a titre before. Yeah, please pm me, I would love to discuss this and learn more!

[wolfsoul]

I don't do the parvo and distemper when the dogs are adults. Only once when they are puppies (at 15 weeks if I am able to -- Visa's breeder and my friend I am getting a sheltie pup from both do their shots while the puppies are still very young so they can get them done before they go to their new homes, but I am going to talk to them and tell them that I want to do it myself at 15 weeks), and no more for the rest of their lives. Parvo and distemper are very very rare around here, the only times they ever happen are from vaccine reactions, but I feel that since the dogs will be going to shows and trials for their entire lives, and coming to work with me all the time, one shot for each disease won't hurt, as long as it's only done once and never again. After that I do titres and nothing else.

Yeah, my vet is awesome. She is both holistic and conventional but likes things done the holistic way if possilbe. She uses her judgement well though. When Visa and her littermates got parvo, there was no way she would treat them holistically. She absolutely refused. I trust her and her judgement. This is her site.

[Cinder & Smoke]

Rabies shots are very, very unnecessary except to abide by the law,
which I have found a way to get around ...

For Rabies - I have a way to get around it that I don't want to say publicly ...

Rabies is the worst, it effects the nervous system.
It can cause fear, aggression, and anxiety.
Because of the [rabies] shot Luka is afraid of pretty much everything now,
even our backyard. I think it caused Mandy's aggression too ...

I'm pretty sure all 50 of the US States, or in the case of Ohio - all the COUNTIES,
require Rabies Vaccinations; usually for dogs, cats, and ferrets.

The big rub comes if your dog is accused of *biting* a Human or another Pet -
You are then required to Prove your dog has a current Rabies Certificate -
which in Ohio must be signed by a licensed VET.
Without proof of the Rabies Vaccination - the law allows the Health Department to
order the biting dog quarantined and if suspected of being rabid, euthanised for testing for rabies.

Falsifying a Rabies Certificate - is probably a criminal act - I'd hate to accused
of doing that.

As for the Rabies Vaccination *CAUSING* "fear, aggression, and anxiety"
in a vaccinated dog - NEVER heard of that being a problem.

Long & Short of it - YOU can't be certain that your dog will "never" come in
contact with a RABID wild animal - thereby running the risk of being infected with Rebies.

Not worth the risk to me - even Boots, da INSIDE Kat, gets his Rabies Shot
every three years!

/s/ Phred

[wolfsoul]

As for the Rabies Vaccination *CAUSING* "fear, aggression, and anxiety"
in a vaccinated dog - NEVER heard of that being a problem.

On my vet's website (I posted th link in my second post) she talks about rabies vaccines causing behavioural problems, she has experienced it herself firsthand. Cali has also gone through it with her dog, Happy -- I'm sure she'll pipe in eventually.

[Lady's Human]

Rabies vaccines are given to dogs by law because the easiest way to control a disease is to control the disease vector. For humans, the most common vector for rabies was dogs. Hence, rabies vaccines for dogs.

[.sarah]

I'm pretty sure all 50 of the US States, or in the case of Ohio - all the COUNTIES, require Rabies Vaccinations; usually for dogs, cats, and ferrets.

The big rub comes if your dog is accused of *biting* a Human or another Pet -
You are then required to Prove your dog has a current Rabies Certificate -
which in Ohio must be signed by a licensed VET.

It is different here in Florida, a vet does not have to give the vaccine.

Falsifying a Rabies Certificate - is probably a criminal act - I'd hate to accused of doing that.

Me too, but what are the chances? I never leave my dogs alone with strangers, so what is the chances of them biting? I'm really not worried.

As for the Rabies Vaccination *CAUSING* "fear, aggression, and anxiety" in a vaccinated dog - NEVER heard of that being a problem.

Read the links I provided. It can happen and it happens all the time. People just brush it off as "just another fearful dog" because it has become "normal". It's NOT normal for a dog to be afraid of everything, especially when it's never been abused. It has happened severly to one of my dogs, and Mandy could have also been affected but it was so long ago that we can't prove it. Nova was affected by one of the other vaccines.

Long & Short of it - YOU can't be certain that your dog will "never" come in contact with a RABID wild animal - thereby running the risk of being infected with Rebies.

There aren't very many rabid animals in comparison to the non-rabid animals. Yes, it is possible. But having had one, possibly two, of my dogs been affected by the vaccine, I'll take my chances.

[Kfamr]

It is different here in Florida, a vet does not have to give the vaccine.

Hm? I was under the impression that they needed their rabies in order to obtain licences - which are a must have by law. Atleast I was under the impression that that's how it is in my county.

[.sarah]

PDF link on number of rabies cases in Florida in 2005. They were none in my county or two surrounding counties. But also notice that there are only 201 cases in all of Florida. That has got to be a tiny, tiny percentage of the actual number of animals here.

War against overvaccinating cats and dogs continues (article)

Hm? I was under the impression that they needed their rabies in order to obtain licences - which are a must have by law. Atleast I was under the impression that that's how it is in my county.

I am not exactly sure what you mean, but since you quoted my comment about Florida not needing a vet to administer it, here are the states that do not require a veterinarian to administer the vaccine:

COLORADO
DELAWARE
FLORIDA
IOWA
KENTUCKY
MASSACHUSETTS
MICHIGAN
MISSISSIPPI
NEW HAMPSHIRE
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
PENNSYLVANIA
SOUTH DAKOTA
VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN

[KYS]

In CA you you must show proof of rabies every 3 years.
My dogs do get their rabies shots.

As for the other shots for your dogs....
This subject has been on the Akita lists for several
years now. When I purchased Sheba 12 years ago, her
breeder did not believe in shots and used Nosodes instead.
(not sure of the spelling)
My vet was and still is adamant about using annual
shots unless I did a titer test.

Now this is what I was told by two different vets other than
my own vet.
I can not remember the exact wording since it has been a couple of years.

1: If your dog does not have a compromise immune system the
yearly shots should not affect the dog.
2: The annual shots immunity stay with your dog for over a year, so
annual shots should not be needed and you should be able to be given every 2 or 3 years. exception would be if you live in a area where a disease
is prevalent.
3: an senior dog should have developed a build up and should not
need shots in their remaining years.

Now I am not a Vet, so what I have done with my dogs
is my choice from the info I have gathered.
(I do not use the 7-1 shots nor any extra shots)
Sheba is 12.5 years old. I no longer take her on trips and I stopped giving
her shots at age 10. The only shot she gets is the rabies.
Rocky is 6 years old. I give him the 5-1 or puppy shots (not the 7-1 every 1.5 to two
years now. I do not give him any extra shots such as kennel cough and
bordello etc.
When rocky turns 9 years old I will stop giving him shots accept for
rabies.

You can also spilt the shots up too.

[binka_nugget]

This is very, very bad and I probably shouldn't even be saying this but I photoshop old certificates when I need "proof" of vaccination. They do get rabies vaccines though because it's required by law... but since it's every 3 years and the only vaccine they receive, I'm quite fine with it.

[wolfsoul]

LOL that's awesome.