Are annual shots overkill!!!

[wolfsoul]

I didn't used to believe in giving the shots at 6 weeks -- however, Visa's breeder has turned me over. They say that a pup keeps it's mother's immunity until 15-16 weeks -- then why did Visa and her littermates develop parvo at 5 weeks? Something that Marla was told could never happen. Spirit (the mother) was not sick a day in her life, she had been innoculated for parvo the year before and was titred two weeks before conception, showing that she was immune. So how is it that her puppies got parvo at 5 weeks? After that, Marla now gives the puppies parvo and distemper shots at 6 weeks. The vet thought that the puppies that died (not Visa and her siblings that lived) also had distemper (something else Spirit was immune to), as none of them died of parvo -- they died of heart failure and had distemper-like symptoms.

It just makes you think...

[bckrazy]

Fozzie has gotten all 4 sets of his puppy shots, I think it's totally over-board to with hold boosters from a puppy because the whole idea is that it sets them up for immunity from the diseases. I've heard of people successfully giving only 6, 12, and 16 week shots - which seems fine, and a program that my Vet even encourages.

Because Gonzo is exposed to dogs potentially with kennel cough & such when going to Flyball & Agility and training, he gets vaccinated every 3 years and titers done yearly. In my county, we have to vaccinate against Rabies every 2 years so I do that too, of course.

There is SO much disease out there, and I don't want to lose my dogs to something stupid, so I try my best to be sure they're protected. Of course it isn't the same world as it was 50 years ago... back then, a pet dog rarely came in contact with strange dogs, and there was less disease as people lived further away. Because I live in the suburbs where other dogs are sitting right across a fence, and I bring my dogs everywhere, and there are outbreaks of Parvo at the local dog park, I would rather be on the safe side. I also do not want to over-vaccinate, as it can be just as dangerous.