# Shots, giving them yourself & documenting it



## Gyggles1 (Nov 8, 2005)

I was and have been interested in giving Duke his due vaccination ourself, we have a local feed store and they said they sell what we would need & its cheap, my DH is very comfortable with the idea but the only thing that concerns me is documentation ? 

She said they give out a receipt as well as a sticker to peel off and put in a file that we have at home. Is that good enough proof that you did indeed vaccinate ?


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

I vaccinate all my horses, dogs and cats. I buy shot records for each of them and both document and peel the label off the vials to keep lot numbers etc.. I have never had a problem presenting them for proof of vaccination, I have way too many animals to have the Vet do it.


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## gsdlove212 (Feb 3, 2006)

Just know that even if you decide to vacinate yourself...you still have to take the dog to the vet when the rabies vac is due. Rabies vaccines MUST be administered by a licensed vet.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Depends on where you live. Here the rabies has to be administered by a licensed veterinarian. All other shots are optional so yes, you can do it yourself. 

I keep a binder for each of my dogs. I keep all pertinant information, papers, titles, certificates, health records, microchip info, pictures, etc., in that binder. 

A week or so ago, I asked for copies of my rabies certs and made a separate binder up with current photos of each dog, micro-chip, rabies tag no. and license number. I keep it in my car. If any of my dogs needed meds, that would be in there too. This is in case of an accident, and for training classes, and groomers, etc.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

We order ours online and they come with a pamphelet you peel and stick the labels onto with the dates, lot #'s, and what was given. Our vet accepts them and gives them their rabies vaccines documenting all other shots are caught up on. I pay a little over $4 a vaccine plus $15 for shipping, but I pitch in with my neighbor so the cost is waaaay less than at the vets. Heres the site we use-http://www.drsfostersmith.com/?ref=4397&subref=AA&mkwid=StlHksp7y|pcrid|4170952971&cmpid=PPC-_-G-_-4397


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## windwalker718 (Oct 9, 2008)

State laws vary... keeping a chart with the actual lable tab from the vaccine bottle is often required even where it's allowed.


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

The only vaccine that is governed by the state is Rabies. The only vaccine that you CANNOT give by yourself is Rabies.

Some states require 1 yr revax on Rabies, some 3.

For all other vax you can create your own chart and use the lot # and (if they have it) peel-off labels.

I just updated Spike's vax (given by me) and then took a copy of those records to my vet and had them note it on his chart.


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## LARHAGE (Jul 24, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: DaniellecWe order ours online and they come with a pamphelet you peel and stick the labels onto with the dates, lot #'s, and what was given. Our vet accepts them and gives them their rabies vaccines documenting all other shots are caught up on. I pay a little over $4 a vaccine plus $15 for shipping, but I pitch in with my neighbor so the cost is waaaay less than at the vets. Heres the site we use-http://www.drsfostersmith.com/?ref=4397&subref=AA&mkwid=StlHksp7y|pcrid|4170952971&cmpid=PPC-_-G-_-4397




I'll have to check out Foster and Smith, I order from Valley Vet as I order a bunch of horse vaccines as well, a few of my friends go in with me and we cut the cost down significantly. I of course can't do Rabies, but everything else I do for my horses and dogs.


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

I dont simply because I do not like needles.

When my uncle had hunting dogs he did everything but the rabies, they had a vet come out to their farm for that, but from talking to him and I did watch him and it looked pretty easy to do.

Course, he did it for years and years to, so he had lots of practice, lol.


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## Chris Wild (Dec 14, 2001)

*Re: Shots, giving them yourself & documenting it*

We do our own vaccinations, and peel off the lables off the vials and put those in the health record folder of each dog, also writing down the date that the vaccine was given.

I would caution though *against* using vaccinations purchased at farm stores. The worry here is whether or not the vaccines were handled properly. They would have arrived from the supplier in coolers packed with ice, and the store should be keeping them in a refrigerator... but what happened to them in between? Did they sit in the back room waiting for a week before some stock boy got around to unpacking them and putting them in the fridge? If they did, the vaccines can be compromised.

We order all of ours online. That way we are able to ensure they were handled properly. They are shipped next day air, arrive in a cooler with ice packs, and go straight into the fridge. There was one occasion when UPS got lost and couldn't find our house and it took the vaccines 4 days to arrive, by which time they were warm and the ice packs completely melted. We called the vendor from which we purchased them, and they sent us out new vaccines the next day and a prepaid call tag for us to return the questionable vaccines. All at their cost, even though it was UPS's screw up, not theirs. That way we could be certain we had good vaccines.


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## Gyggles1 (Nov 8, 2005)

Chris, what's the vendor you use if you don't mind me asking ?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Looking at the age of your animals, I wonder why you are even vaccinating, other than rabies.


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## Catu (Sep 6, 2007)

Just a little voice of warning. 

To tell when a dog is sick is easy, to tell when a dog is healthy requires a more experienced eye. To give a shot to a dog that is incubating anything may be dangerous and even when you don't need to be a vet to administrate vaccines you should, at least, know how to take a dog's temperature.

I don't say it specially for the OP, but for anyone reading this thread.


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## doggal (Jan 29, 2010)

I too, vaccinate all my animals myself., except rabies which I get at the free clinic. But even if you use labels from the vials how is that still proof you actually adminsisered the shot?
I get my vaccines from Jeffers.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I do not remember any vet ever taking my dogs' temperatures before administering a vaccine. 

Worse yet, if I know their vacs are coming due, and I have them there for another issue, I usually go ahead and get the vaccination too, to save the extra office call. 

I am just now becoming more concerned with vaccines and vaccinoses. I think dog owners are a lot more likely to notice whether their dog is off color. Vets only see your dog once or twice in a year, and the dog may be nervous or masking any issues while there.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: selzerI am just now becoming more concerned with vaccines and vaccinoses. I think dog owners are a lot more likely to notice whether their dog is off color. Vets only see your dog once or twice in a year, and the dog may be nervous or masking any issues while there.


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