# vaccinations question



## jencarr (Apr 21, 2009)

It is time for Jackson's 1st annual checkup with the vet. I am wondering what people's feelings are on which vaccinations are truly necessary? When we got Jackson his breeder warned against over-vaccinating. Obviously, we have to get rabies & I do get the kennel cough booster for when we have to board them. I also treat for heartworm and use the flea/tick preventative. Is there anything else I should be doing? His reminder card said he was due for Rabies, Cough guard and K9 DAPP 1st 3 yr vaccination. Not sure what that one is. What about leptospirosis, lyme booster and something called DA2CPL? In the past I have always gotten whatever the vet said I should get but the breeder's comment has me thinking twice about that.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

There are a wide variety of opinions on vaccinations these days. Personally I am not quite ready to go the route of NO vaccines, so this is what I do.

Puppy shots - all of them.

I do all the boosters at 1 yr, I do not do lyme, and the "kennel cough" vaccine is all but useless. They get a 3 yr rabies.

At this point, they get the normal annual vaccines every 3 yrs. When only the 1 yr rabies was available, it was still every 3 yrs.

I do treat for fleas/ticks, and they are on monthly HW preventative spring through fall. Until someone can explain to me how a mosquito transmitted disease is transmitted in the middle of winter when there are no mosquitos in central Indiana in the winter, I will continue to successfully prevent HW's by treating only spring through fall.

My dogs have medium to high exposure to various ailments, as I do a lot of fostering and tend to take in some pretty sick dogs from large urban shelters rather than fostering for breed specific rescues who are vetting prior to placement in a foster home. When they come home with me from places like animal care and control, they come with a host of issues ranging from being kenneled in or immediately next to parvo puppies as well as full blown kennel cough, URI's, all sorts of intestinal worms, etc. Thus not being quite ready to go vaccine free given the high exposure.


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

I use a minimal vaccine sched. and tend to follow Dr. Jean Dodds.....Dexter will be titer tested for rabies when the time comes.

Vaccination Schedule Recommendations For Dogs
Dr-Dodds-ChangingVaccProtocol

I do not use flea or tick meds. and have not had a reason to yet....I also do not use conventional heart worm.....lyme and lepto not endemic here, so it really depends on if it is in your area....not sure what that other one is!


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

The only vaccines that *MIGHT *need to be boostered at a year are Parvo and Distemper.

Personally, I would titer for those and only revax if necessary - and *NOT *with the alphabet soup vax. I would do single vaccines.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

jencarr said:


> When we got Jackson his breeder warned against over-vaccinating.


Great advice :thumbup:




> Obviously, we have to get rabies & I do get the kennel cough booster for when we have to board them.


It looks like your vet used a 1 year vaccine at the age of a year. That wasn't necessary, a vax with a 3 yr label should have been used.



> His reminder card said he was due for Rabies, Cough guard and K9 DAPP 1st 3 yr vaccination.


The only one he needs is the Rabies. He really doesn't need that, the old one is still protective, but it's the law. The others are unnecessary and potentially harmful.



> What about leptospirosis, lyme booster and something called DA2CPL?


A lot of people don't get lepto, it can cause a lot of reactions and not be protective. It's just not a good vaccine. The same is true of lyme, which can cause all sorts of problems. the CA2CPL is a vaccine which contains just about everything.



> In the past I have always gotten whatever the vet said I should get but the breeder's comment has me thinking twice about that.


I'm glad to hear that you are questioning. Here are some links that might make for interesting reading: Vaccination - GermanShepherdHome.net


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## Gib Laut (Feb 21, 2010)

Lauri & The Gang said:


> The only vaccines that *MIGHT *need to be boostered at a year are Parvo and Distemper.
> 
> Personally, I would titer for those and only revax if necessary - and *NOT *with the alphabet soup vax. I would do single vaccines.


I always understood that the Parvo and Distemper had to be boostered at the one yr age to ensure the longer term immunity and then titered thereafter, but it sounds like that may not be the case.....just wondering if you have any links I can add so I can keep myself up to date!!!! thx


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Gib Laut said:


> I always understood that the Parvo and Distemper had to be boostered at the one yr age to ensure the longer term immunity and then titered thereafter, but it sounds like that may not be the case.....just wondering if you have any links I can add so I can keep myself up to date!!!! thx


No, that's not the case. If the first vaccine "took", then they don't need the one year booster. However, vaccines work better in immune systems that have matured, so if that vaccine was given too early, some argue that the year booster is needed.

There are all sorts of links at the link I put in the post just above yours.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i didn't think there was a titer to test the Rabies?? i was under the impression they could only titer for the others but none for Rabies????


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## Dainerra (Nov 14, 2003)

it depends on the law in your area. I believe that AR now allows the 3 year vaccine. Actually, I've been told by different vet that it's the exact same vaccine, just what the law requires.

I'm not sure if titers are legally acceptable for rabies? here, you can buy vaccine yourself for rabies, but if your dog were to bite someone, legally, they are un-vaccinated. They would be confiscated/quarantined/you fined for not having the rabies vaccine.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

i don't know if rabies titers are excepted either or if there are even titers to measure rabies anitbodies.....but in the case of having a dog with health issues and unable to safely have vaccinations they probably just write waivers and i know some towns take them and some don't.........


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

debbiebrown said:


> i didn't think there was a titer to test the Rabies?? i was under the impression they could only titer for the others but none for Rabies????


I think there are very few places that will accept titers for rabies, so it's not talked about much. I think they go through a university in Kansas - it's listed on Jean Dodds' form, and she does have the best price for a rabies titer.

It's possible that some vets will write a waiver letter if the pet has a high enough titer. For Indy's waiver letter, that wasn't necessary.


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## debbiebrown (Apr 13, 2002)

thanks Lisa, i am sure most towns city's would probably not accept a rabies titer........even if they accept a waiver it still doesn't cover anything if the dog were to bite someone etc.........


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## VegasResident (Oct 4, 2006)

This if course is not professional advice, but what I do.

After puppy shots, I do the one year old distemper and parvo (rabies was at 6 months to stay off cycle) titter annually and if needed Parvo and Distemper (other shot may be necessay in your area, please make sure you know). Rabies every three years or as required by law.

Also if you use daycare, training centers etc you may need corona or others. Your choice.

Use recombitek.

I would not ever ever use the 5 in 1, etc combo shots. If you have to exceed three vaccines, spread them out. Some of those in those combo shots can cause serious reactions in your dog

Can you imagine if you had that many in one sitting at your doctor? 

We dont have ticks....hard to find a tree as it is or anything the live in.

We do HG throughout the year with annual bloodwork.


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## ILGHAUS (Nov 25, 2002)

FL acknowledges 3 year rabies vac. in all counties though some owners still choose to purchase 1 year and some of the older vets still recommend them. FL also accepts titers in lieu of a vac. for health reasons - including being a SR. if your vet will agree it is better for the dog not to receive a vac.

This is what I wrote on another thread -- Vacs for EPI dogs ... 

_My 9 year old EPI male doesn't get any vacs. He gets an annual rabies titer.

Karl had his annual rabies titer about a month ago and his results came back at 4.3. The legal minimum is 0.1 so even after all of these years (he hasn't had a rabies vac. for about 5 years) his level is still that high in the legal range. 
_
_We get a letter from his vet with titer info and he also gets a rabies tag. The form has a space below 1 year rabies / 3 year rabies to fill the titer info in. _


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