# Another Vaccination Question (4 sets of puppy shots?!?!)



## 1der_girl (Aug 16, 2006)

I'm confused about this and wanted some opinions;
We brought Tober home at the end of December, with a bunch of paperwork from the breeder, including her shot record and the dates she needed the remainder of the vaccines. 
She was born on October 23, 2010.
On 12/16 she had her 1st 5-way vaccine.
According to the paperwork we brought home, she needed
2nd 5-way on 1/13
3rd 5-way on 2/10
Rabies on 2/10
Heartguard/frontline in the spring

So, being a good puppy owner (or so I thought) I brought her to the vet on these dates;
2nd 5-way on 1/10 
3rd 5-way and rabies on 2/7

After giving her the shots, the vet told me to bring her back IN ANOTHER MONTH FOR HER 4TH SET OF SHOTS (!?!?) 
I have proof of all vaccsines given up until this point. I have never heard of a fourth set of shots 
Is this guy trying to make $$ off of me, or am I missing something?


----------



## GSDBESTK9 (Mar 26, 2002)

Pretty much YES. They like to over vaccinate big time!!! And of course get your money! 

We only give our pups 3 shots 2 (5 ways) and 1 (7 ways), then we ignore the vet. 

They even push us now to give the rabies super early. :nono: I wait till the dog is 5 to 6 months old. I don't care what they say, I think my vet is starting to leave me alone now since she knows I don't give a **** about what she says.


----------



## 1der_girl (Aug 16, 2006)

That's what I was thinking... what a rip off for the average Joe who just wants to do what's best for their puppy!! 
I've also heard all of the talk about vaccinosis and vaccine reactions- I'm surprised that vets are willing to put their profits over valid health concerns!!


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

also don't let them overload,,as in I would never (and neither does my vet) give a rabies at the same time as a booster 

I don't do vac's anymore on my older dogs, and stopped when they were around 5 years old. I titer every other year.

Masi who is 2.5 will get another booster this year most likely and that's it for her to.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I agree with Diane. DO NOT let them give the rabies and other shots together...wait a few weeks. And if possible wait til the last minute legally for the rabies vax when the pup is older. 

This site has excellent information regarding vaccines:Dr-Dodds-ChangingVaccProtocol


----------



## 1der_girl (Aug 16, 2006)

Thanks for the link, Onyx. 
It's too late now to split up the rabies and last puppy shot- she got them both yesterday 
Hopefully she will be OK, and I'll know for next time to split them up.
Just out of curiosity, is there a national vaccine protocol, either put out by the government or whoever regulates vet practices? Or can the vets just make it up as they go along? I know rabies is the only one required by law- but there must be a standard in place somewhere?


----------



## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

Actually I work for two vets and to be honest, the AVMA's new protocal is against so many vaccines. (don't get me wrong, I love the vets i work for and understand what they are trying to do, but think we vaccinate too much, one vet agrees with the new protocal, the older vet is more set on the old one)
Giving puppies a series of three shots is pretty normal and what the protocal calls for. Three shots about 4 weeks apart will get the puppies immunity system going, since the mom's immunity goes up and down during that 8 week period before going to new homes, giving the shots every 4 weeks hits the low spots. Especially if you get a puppy at less than eight weeks when the first shot is usually given the immunity might be lower than at eight weeks. Anyway, 3 shots, every 4 weeks.
Rabies should be given at 4-6 months according to laws, then that shot is good for a year, then the next booster is good for 3 years. (check with your state laws, some only go for 1 year annually)
Now, the adult distemper/parvo combo shot. After the initial 3 shots as babies, the new protocal is to give a booster at 1 year, then, and this is where it gets sticky, the AVMA protocal is now every 3 years. But, most vets are not going to go with that because they lose the revenue of annual vaccinations/office calls. My older vet likes the yearly vaccination protocal, he says he needs to see the animals yearly for a good overall exam which I do beleive is true since alot of folks don't feel bumps, lumps or potential problems in their dog unless a vet finds it.. So, a lot of vets instead of following the AMVA protocal of 3 year vaccines are still using the annual booster to bring in the client to vaccinate and do a yearly physical.
I vaccinate my puppies as recommended, give an annual booster after that, then very rarely vaccinate for dist/parvo, etc again. I go to dog shows alot and my dogs are healthy and build up their own immunity in a healthy way. I do continue to do the rabies as required, one because of federal/state laws and the problems with an accidental bite or nip and two because we have wild animals surrounding us and don't want to risk the chance of one of my dogs being bit by something. Hope this helps


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

1der_girl said:


> Thanks for the link, Onyx.
> It's too late now to split up the rabies and last puppy shot- she got them both yesterday
> Hopefully she will be OK, and I'll know for next time to split them up.


I know you already had them done, just info for any others reading your thread 
If you look on Dr. Dodds site, there are many articles on vaccinations.


----------



## RipleysMomma (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm having the same kind of issues with the vet I'm going to. Ripley got her first set of shots when she was two days shy of 8 weeks. Second shot was given three days shy of 12 weeks. Since she is due for her 3rd set TWO days before turning 4 months, the vet is saying that she needs to have another set. Their reasoning behind it is that it's not EXACTLY on the day she turns 16 weeks. 

They originally told me she would have to have 4 sets because she needed them every 3 weeks (I guess 4 sets is standard for them) but since I decided to do them every 4 weeks, they're now saying she needs another set. 

Is there any legitimacy with the 16 week mark, or is that just them trying to get more money? They're AHA certified, and I noticed that their recommendations for shots is only three sets, 4 weeks apart. 8-12-16 OR 6-10-14. What are your thoughts?


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

You might consider printing out the 2011 guidelines and taking them into your vet:

https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf

It depends on where you live and how current your vets are on AVMA protocols. 

Around here most, but not all, vets recommend 3 sets of shots, boosters at 1 year and then 3 years for everything but I know in other places there are still lots of vets who tell you to revacc every year for everything.


----------



## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

If your puppy was two days shy of 8 weeks, then four weeks later, then four weeks later, she doesn't need a fourth set of shots. 
The protocal is three to four weeks between shots.
I'm sorry, but the vet is being ridiculous. Say you bought the puppy 4 days before it was 8 weeks old on a saturday. It was Monday when you took it into the vets for first shot, 2 days later. If she did not tell you" wait you need to come back in two more days, exactly when she is 8 weeks old to get her first shot" then again, this vet is wanting to give an extra shot.
We have had puppies brought in at 7 1/2 weeks old, give their first set, have them come back in 3 to 4 weeks, for the second, then 3 to 4 weeks later for final set.
Now if the puppy was 6 weeks, you might give four sets, because the immunity is pretty much going up and down from mom, but if she was 2 days shy of 8 weeks, she only need three.
Its like vaccination experation dates. The bottle might say expires on 6/5/2012... Okay, so what, the vaccine in the bottle says" oh, we are one day past the experation date, we are no good anymore".. The vaccine bottle does not read the paperwork, most vet clinics I imagine give vaccine that are a few days past due, they will not throw out vaccine.
With the new protacol from AVMA, I think the vets are realizing they will not be getting that yearly booster and want to make money another way.. Sad, but true.


----------



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I definitely think it is a push for more money out of you. There is ZERO need for four sets of puppy shots.

K9 Instinct - Dog training, dog obedience training, raw diet, raw feeding, minimal vaccines: Vaccinations: The danger of overvaccinating.


----------



## RipleysMomma (Apr 24, 2012)

Yeah, that's what I thought. Thanks for confirming what I feared!

They also require an exam for every set of puppy shots and every rabies vaccination. Exams are (no joke) $68 there. Is it normal to do exams for those?


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My vet charges for an exam, and another office call charge when doing puppy vax. I contested it the 2nd visit and they waived the fees in half....still a rip off when all the vet did the next couple of visits were pet my dogs ears when I wanted her to leave them alone!


----------



## wyominggrandma (Jan 2, 2011)

We do the same thing, and I hate charging for an exam for every set of shots. 
Funny, if you go to a rabies vaccination clinic, they don't do anything but give the vaccination. They charge you the shot, thats all.


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

1der_girl said:


> That's what I was thinking... what a rip off for the average Joe who just wants to do what's best for their puppy!!
> I've also heard all of the talk about vaccinosis and vaccine reactions- I'm surprised that vets are willing to put their profits over valid health concerns!!


 After having to live with and deal with a compromised dog (from vaccinations) for almost 12 years before her death, we decided that our current dogs would get 1 parvo and 1 distemper (my vet agreed) when they were puppies and then titer every year to see if they needed a booster. To date our 5 year old and 3 year old’s titer numbers are very high and they have not had another! But this is, of course, is a personal decision.
You may want to consider using homeopathic’s to counter act any possible side effects (vaccinosis) from the vaccinations that could occur from 1 day to 1 year or more. Most often, Thuja and Sulphur is used for the combo shots and Lyssin (not the supplement L-Lysine) is used for the Rabies Vac.

Hope these articles will help! 


Vaccinations and Vaccinosis: The Vaccine Controversy 
*Taking The Risk Out Of Puppy Shots* by Dogs Naturally on July 12, 2011 Taking The Risk Out Of Puppy Shots | Dogs Naturally Magazine 
*Protecting Your Puppy From Disease:* Protecting Your Puppy From Disease | Dogs Naturally Magazine
*Bordatella Vaccinations:* Bordetella Vaccination Fraud | Dogs Naturally Magazine
*The Purdue Vaccination Studies and Auto-antibodies* by Catherine O’Driscoll on April 26, 2011 Catherine O’Driscoll | Purdue Vaccine Study 
*Dr. Jean Dodds Vaccine Protocol*: Dr-Dodds-ChangingVaccProtocol


----------



## aswencak (May 8, 2006)

RipleysMomma said:


> I'm having the same kind of issues with the vet I'm going to. Ripley got her first set of shots when she was two days shy of 8 weeks. Second shot was given three days shy of 12 weeks. Since she is due for her 3rd set TWO days before turning 4 months, the vet is saying that she needs to have another set. Their reasoning behind it is that it's not EXACTLY on the day she turns 16 weeks.
> 
> They originally told me she would have to have 4 sets because she needed them every 3 weeks (I guess 4 sets is standard for them) but since I decided to do them every 4 weeks, they're now saying she needs another set.
> 
> Is there any legitimacy with the 16 week mark, or is that just them trying to get more money? They're AHA certified, and I noticed that their recommendations for shots is only three sets, 4 weeks apart. 8-12-16 OR 6-10-14. What are your thoughts?


Hi RipleysMomma, you are your pups voice. Do not let them talk you into a 4th round there is no reason for it. Bear did not get his first shot Distemper/Parvo until he was 12 weeks old (as per some research I did they have their moms immunity up until 14 weeks). Then he got the additional every 4 weeks for a total of 3 sets; there was even one set where he went to 5 weeks before getting that next set. In addition because of skin issues and bordatella (he had the nasil and still got it - it only prevents 2 out of the 8 strains) he didn't get his rabies until 9 months. I had him titered prior to this and it came up as .5 (Still some immunity from mom). This year I had him titered prior to the 3 year rabies, which he still hasn't gotten because of allergies, and he tested at 3.5. Also I don't booster either for the Distemper and Parvo and opted out of all the other shots. I use a holistic vet and my traditional vet. My holistic vet treats against reactions from vaccines and will make sure the pup is 100% healthy before sticking, she also give me the option whether I want him stuck or not. You may want to look for a holistic vet in your area for vaccines and keep your traditional vet for other things. I hope that this has helped.


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

aswencak said:


> Hi RipleysMomma, you are your pups voice. Do not let them talk you into a 4th round there is no reason for it. Bear did not get his first shot Distemper/Parvo until he was 12 weeks old (as per some research I did they have their moms immunity up until 14 weeks). Then he got the additional every 4 weeks for a total of 3 sets; there was even one set where he went to 5 weeks before getting that next set. In addition because of skin issues and bordatella (he had the nasil and still got it - it only prevents 2 out of the 8 strains) he didn't get his rabies until 9 months. I had him titered prior to this and it came up as .5 (Still some immunity from mom). This year I had him titered prior to the 3 year rabies, which he still hasn't gotten because of allergies, and he tested at 3.5. Also I don't booster either for the Distemper and Parvo and opted out of all the other shots. I use a holistic vet and my traditional vet. My holistic vet treats against reactions from vaccines and will make sure the pup is 100% healthy before sticking, she also give me the option whether I want him stuck or not. You may want to look for a holistic vet in your area for vaccines and keep your traditional vet for other things. I hope that this has helped.


Hip-Hip-HOORAY for YOU Aswencak!!!!:apple:


----------



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

RipleysMomma said:


> I'm having the same kind of issues with the vet I'm going to. Ripley got her first set of shots when she was two days shy of 8 weeks. Second shot was given three days shy of 12 weeks. Since she is due for her 3rd set TWO days before turning 4 months, the vet is saying that she needs to have another set. Their reasoning behind it is that it's not EXACTLY on the day she turns 16 weeks.
> 
> They originally told me she would have to have 4 sets because she needed them every 3 weeks (I guess 4 sets is standard for them) but since I decided to do them every 4 weeks, they're now saying she needs another set.
> 
> Is there any legitimacy with the 16 week mark, or is that just them trying to get more money? They're AHA certified, and I noticed that their recommendations for shots is only three sets, 4 weeks apart. 8-12-16 OR 6-10-14. What are your thoughts?


 If you want to find a Holistic Vet from a reliable source, go to the site below this is the American Holistic Veterinary Member Association.org Try to choose one that is versed in Homeopathy if possible.

Just remember that “HOLISTIC” is a loose term these days in some cases, so research a vet before you commit. Some may advertise Holistic Practices to get you in the door but then they still want to push ALL the shots on you! 
Find a Holistic Veterinarian
Wait for page to fully load, then go to the pull down bar and choose TX. There are about 22 of them but I don’t know who would be close to you. 
Read each site to examine their vaccination protocol and if they give Homeopathic Remedies afterwards to counteract the effects, if this is what you are interested in.
You can PM me if you want additional info.
Hope this helps!


----------

