Vaccines vs. Titers

[chocolatepuppy]

My dogs and cats have been getting vaccinations every three years for a few years now, not yearly.

[pomtzu]

The Fuzzbuttz no longer get routine yearly vaccines - their vet agrees that they aren't need.. They do get rabies vaccine once every 3 years, and I do keep up with a yearly Lyme's vaccine also, even tho it's questionable as to how effective it is. Sparky ended up with Lymes a few years ago, but it was caught and treated early.

[Freedom]

If you are concerned about the rabies vaccine causing a reaction, discuss w/ vet. In many states, it is permissible for the vet to get a titer test and, if the result is high enough, they can obtain a waiver from the state veterinarian board, for you. Ask about the risks going this route if your dog does bite someone. I know of a few folks online who do this for rabies, but they have small house dogs and it isn't quite the same as for those of us who are taking our dogs out and about regularly, IMO.

While vaccine reactions seem rare, they are also becoming more and more common, and THAT is scary. Maybe the diagnosis is getting better, maybe the social media lets us share more to a wider audience, maybe the vaccines are stronger than 20 years ago, maybe generation by generation dogs' bodies are adapting differently, I don't know. But SOMETHING is changing.

Yes, the protocols did change recently, here is one link: http://www.dogster.com/dog-health-ca...ation-schedule

[Jessika]

Yes, the protocols did change recently, here is one link: http://www.dogster.com/dog-health-ca...ation-schedule

A side note on that article alone: while there were many reactions to lepto vaccines back "in the day", the vaccines we have now are MUCH MUCH more safer and I've only seen maybe 1 puppy in the past 2+ years come in for a vaccine reaction at my clinic.

On the topic of titers vs vaccines, I think it is important for you to discuss this concern with your vet. Many are more than happy to run the titers for you in lieu of vaccination. But I do stress the importance of discussing it with your vet, because some areas have a higher risk of contracting certain diseases (ie lymes, lepto, etc) and you may not want to cut those particular vaccines out of your yearly protocol if your pet is at a high risk for them.

[Freedom]

You also need to know your breed. Bichons have a very high rate of reaction to the lepto vaccine; we never give it to them.

[Jessika]

You also need to know your breed. Bichons have a very high rate of reaction to the lepto vaccine; we never give it to them.

That is true in some cases, but we do regularly give lepto to Bicons with no reactions that I've been made aware of at my clinic. I have heard this though, and clients who purchased Bicon's from a breeder will oftentimes have a handout stating the breeder doesn't recommend the vaccine. We never push the vaccine on owners, but make it known that it is a known problem in this area and allow the owners to make the decision if they want to vaccinate for it or not. We serve the pet and client, not our pocket books (not that it matters, anyway, the cost for a DHLPP is the same as a DHPP at my clinic lol).