# Probably a really dumb question about home vaccines, etc



## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

For those of you that give vaccines at home and buy them other places, where do you get them? Is it cheaper than going to the veterinarian? How do you provide "proof" of the vaccine when taking the dogs to places like doggy daycares, hotels, etc? I know most vets want to see them to do a health assessment prior to giving the vaccines. I'm not sure if that's something I want to miss out on though even if it saves money... 

Harley is up for his three year Rabies vaccine this January, so I'm curious...


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

tractor supply carries vaccines, but the storage of them may make them compromised. Most have peel off labels that you attach to health records includes the lot # of the manufacturer. Personally, I'd rather spend the extra with the vet giving the injections if you only have one dog...
BTW rabies vaccines in most states have to be administered by a licensed vet or won't be recognized as legit.


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

I get mine at Walgreens. It's $12, plus my discount (I work there), and there's a number on the package that you either write down, or it's a sticker. We have little vaccine booklets for each of our dogs with their shot records. 

It's much cheaper than the vet.


----------



## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

No, we have two dogs. It used to be very cheap to go to the base vet to get all shots there, but this one at Carson is terrible. Also, no veterinarian I know of here gives a discount off of office visit fees even if bringing in the two dogs at once. With one dog,  I had no idea rabies had to be done by a licensed vet. Makes sense though. How else would we get the county rabies tag?

126 bucks for distemper/parvo, 3 years rabies, and bordatella vaccines here at the local vet which is the cheapest around. Doesn't seem so cheap to me. Is this about what you all pay when getting these vaccines?


----------



## Salem (Oct 26, 2010)

Unless someone knows how to properly administer a vaccination, I would not suggest doing it. Even if they knew how, I would still suggest going to a veterinarian.

No doubt it is probably cheaper than going to a veterinarian, but I wouldn't want to risk my pet's health because of improper injection or not getting a properly-made vaccine. If there is any doubt I would personally still consult in a veterinarian.

I know that a veterinarian is required to administer a rabies vaccination (there are no rabies vaccinations available for retail), so there is no way of getting around that.

I am in undergraduate studies in order to go onto veterinary school so I have researched vaccinating my pets at home when I receive my DVM.  I have only searched a little bit, but I found the following article with advantages/disadvantages:

Is it Safe to Vaccinate Your Dog at Home? - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

Hope it helps!


----------



## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Salem said:


> I know that a veterinarian is required to administer a rabies vaccination (there are no rabies vaccinations available for retail), so there is no way of getting around that.


There are actually rabies vaccinations available other than the vets office. Here in Arkansas you can buy rabies vaccines at the farmers coop, the local vet supply store, and tractor supply. They have the 1 year dose and 3 year dose. However, if you give the rabies and the dog bites someone or something happens where you are taken to court over your dog that vaccine will not hold up in court since a licensed DVM did not administer it. 




The only vaccine I give my dog is bordetella vaccine. It saves me 4 bucks at the vets office. Yeah, I know, not very much but it's 4 bucks. Other than that I take my dog to the vet for everything. I find that yearly worming is not even cheaper buying from the local vet supply store.


----------



## Salem (Oct 26, 2010)

> There are actually rabies vaccinations available other than the vets office. Here in Arkansas you can buy rabies vaccines at the farmers coop, the local vet supply store, and tractor supply. They have the 1 year dose and 3 year dose. However, if you give the rabies and the dog bites someone or something happens where you are taken to court over your dog that vaccine will not hold up in court since a licensed DVM did not administer it.


Ah! I did not know that. I'm not sure if it's the same in Michigan or not, but I've always heard that they aren't sold in retail. Very interesting


----------



## Heagler870 (Jun 27, 2009)

Yep. I worked at Petco in the grooming section and one time this lady called and wanted to make an appointment for her Golden to be bathed. The dogs rabies expired the day before. We told her the vet that took walk in for rabies and she said "Okay, I'll just take her to the vet really quick so they can give her a shot." She comes in about an hour later and says "I wasn't able to get to the vet because they closed right before we got there but I went and got this rabies shot to give to her right in front of you." The manager explained to her the policy of why we couldn't bathe the dog even if she did give the dog the rabies. She was like "I'm a nurse I should be able to give it to him! I know how to give shots" we once again explained to her why a licensed DVM had to do it and she still continued and threw an epic b!tch fit for a good 10 minutes. The main manager had to come in and calm her down. 

Okay, sorry that got off subject, back to point! lol


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

First, look for a rabies clinic. They probably hold them near you somewhere. If there is a low cost spay/neuter clinic they probably give rabies shots as well.

You are only required by law to have a rabies shot. The core vaccines, please look up the recommendations on the AAHA website. After the 1 year booster, they are recommended every 3 years. If you give them yourselves, just tape the label to a record stating what date they were given on. 

However, you still should take your dogs in for HW/Lyme's/fecal testing every year so you'll still have to go to the vet. The vaccines aren't that expensive. It's usually the office call that jacks the price up.


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

At Petco (Vetco), they offer rabies shots for $12 here. Is everything here $12? LOL


----------



## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

Jax08 said:


> The vaccines aren't that expensive. It's usually the office call that jacks the price up.


Our office visit is 27 bucks.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

How old are your dogs? if over 9, no way would I vac with distemper/parvo anymore.

In that $126, is HW/Lyme's and fecal included? Or just the vaccines?


----------



## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

They're young. Hannah is almost 3 and Harley is almost 2. No Lyme's, no HW, and no fecal.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

That does seem pricy then. Ask them for a break down on the fees.

I give the core vaccines every 3 years as recommended by the AAHA. Harley shouldn't be due for them until she is 4 if she had the one year booster. Same with Hannah.


----------



## Verivus (Nov 7, 2010)

Wow, your vet is expensive! I paid only about $50 total for my dog's puppy vaccinations, including rabies. Her second rabies shot (the 3 year one) a year later at a new vet (I moved) cost only 14 bucks, administered by a DVM. They never charged me an office visit fee for it either.


----------



## will_and_jamie (Jul 8, 2006)

Verivus said:


> Wow, your vet is expensive! I paid only about $50 total for my dog's puppy vaccinations, including rabies. Her second rabies shot (the 3 year one) a year later at a new vet (I moved) cost only 14 bucks, administered by a DVM. They never charged me an office visit fee for it either.


Lucky. There's plenty more expensive veterinarians around here.


----------



## vicky2200 (Oct 29, 2010)

You can get them at stores as mentioned, but I would never do that. I want to know its being done 100% correctly and 100% legit. I would also want my dog examined before it gets the vaccines. I don't think vaccines are that expensive anyway, save yourself the worry and take your dog to a vet.


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

will_and_jamie said:


> Our office visit is 27 bucks.


That must be nice! The standard price here is $50


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Jax08 said:


> It's usually the office call that jacks the price up.


At both of my regular clinics, it's unfortunately not just the office call that makes the price go up. Both clinics charge over $150 for a healthy adult to get annual vaccines and pull blood for HW. Many vets overcharge for all the little things. For example, both my vets charge $40 for a HW test.

It's $15 - $20 at every clinic I've ever gone to.

Moose and Dante both received all their puppy shots at only $15/visit. Rabies when Moose is a bit older causes the last set to be about $25. 

Just an example. It's been so long since I've had my dogs receive vaccinations at a regular clinic that I can't even tell you how much it is anymore for the actual vaccines. But I did call one of them when Akira was due this yr and it was $160 for exam, vaccines, and HW blood draw. Absolutely ridiculous IMHO!


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

Rerun said:


> That must be nice! The standard price here is $50


 our last "annual" came to $390 for Sadie. I wonder if that's at all related to the fact that vaccines aren't available in stores here?


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Jax's Mom said:


> our last "annual" came to $390 for Sadie. I wonder if that's at all related to the fact that vaccines aren't available in stores here?


Possibly. We've looked at the vaccines at TSC...they are between 5 and 7 bucks for the 5 and 7 way, but I've only ever given a shot to an animal once and it was my horse, and I was told specifically where and how to give that shot by my vet. I'm just not comfortable yet giving them to my dogs. Also worried about quality control by the employees at TSC, etc...


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

I've worked for a pharmaceutical company before... My specialty was making the vaccine vials because I had the patience and small enough hands for the machine... We used to joke that more effort goes into a box of bon bons than vaccines  (although there is a lot of quality control there). 
I'd be pretty comfortable administering my own vaccines if I was taught properly.


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Jax's Mom said:


> I've worked for a pharmaceutical company before... My specialty was making the vaccine vials because I had the patience and small enough hands for the machine... We used to joke that more effort goes into a box of bon bons than vaccines  (although there is a lot of quality control there).
> I'd be pretty comfortable administering my own vaccines if I was taught properly.


Did you work in ONT at the pharmaceutical company? By chance, the one in Cambridge?


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

will_and_jamie said:


> Lucky. There's plenty more expensive veterinarians around here.


 
see thats why i like Crossroads Vet back there in the springs. They're reasonable IMO. If we didnt live on base housing, i would do home vaccines but housing are idiots so i'm not allowed to save money. I've done home vaccines with no issues. I always did the vaccine and peeled the sticker and put it on a paper with all the dog info on it and date the vaccine was given and when its due again.


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

elisabeth_00117 said:


> Did you work in ONT at the pharmaceutical company? By chance, the one in Cambridge?


It was in On but not Cambridge... It was when Novartis still had locations in Canada about 10 years ago.
Fond memories but wouldn't want to do it again LOL


----------



## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

I don't vaccinate my dogs every year. They get rabies every 3 years required by law and I do puppy shots, 1 year booster and then I vaccinate again at 5 years and that's it. :shrug: Chance will never have another parvo shot because he had parvo as a puppy. (Which is one reason I can't board him, but sorry I refuse to give him an unnecessary shot and I sure as heck ain't vaccinating him every 6 months for KC and distemper.)

Vaccines have their place but too often does more harm than good. TBH, my family has never given our dogs regular (ie. yearly) vaccines and all of them have lived long and healthy lives.

I use the money I save on NOT vaccinating to instead spend it on much more important care. Yearly I have a physical exam done on my dogs (checking eyes, heart, lungs, feeling the dog for anything abnormal, ect), full blood panel run on my dogs to check their internal health and functions, a heartworm/lyme test, thyroid test, urinalysis (it can tell you a lot about your dogs health as well!) and a fecal done. By doing this I gain a head start on catching any possible future diseases before they can progress to a point where normally people who DON'T run these test finally catch it and it is at a fatal stage. It also allows me to have an idea of what is "normal" for my dogs functions so that in the case between each yearly check, something comes up, I KNOW what is "normal" and what isn't.

Cost me a whole $180 per dog but if I can catch oh idk...Cancer? before it becomes a death sentence then I'd say that is $180 well spent.


----------



## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Oh and rabies is I -think- $23? for 3 year? I honestly couldn't give you a price about the rest of the vaccines. But my vet never really charges me an "office fee" if I'm just coming in for that because I -do- come into my vet often enough (Even if I'm just picking up Zoey's thyroid meds or getting a weight on the dogs) that they know me and my dogs and are willing to work with me. One reason I've never been a fan of cheap clinics or home vaccines. Most people only take their dog in each year for vaccines and if they go to another clinic for it or do it themselves, how are they ever to get to know their actual vet? I know if I didn't know my vets as well as I've always known them (Here in SC and when I lived in GA and NC) they would NOT be as willing to work with me, especially when my girl had pyometra and I didn't have $1,000 up front to pay. If I was someone the vet never saw, she wouldn't have allowed me to do a payment plan because doing that for people who never come in could mean them disappearing never to pay that bill.


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

ChancetheGSD said:


> Oh and rabies is I -think- $23? for 3 year? I honestly couldn't give you a price about the rest of the vaccines. But my vet never really charges me an "office fee" if I'm just coming in for that because I -do- come into my vet often enough (Even if I'm just picking up Zoey's thyroid meds or getting a weight on the dogs) that they know me and my dogs and are willing to work with me. One reason I've never been a fan of cheap clinics or home vaccines. Most people only take their dog in each year for vaccines and if they go to another clinic for it or do it themselves, how are they ever to get to know their actual vet? I know if I didn't know my vets as well as I've always known them (Here in SC and when I lived in GA and NC) they would NOT be as willing to work with me, especially when my girl had pyometra and I didn't have $1,000 up front to pay. If I was someone the vet never saw, she wouldn't have allowed me to do a payment plan because doing that for people who never come in could mean them disappearing never to pay that bill.


Personally speaking, with 5 dogs and usually fosters, we know our vets all too well and they know us. Just because one uses vaccine clinics doesn't mean they don't see their vet. Really, the same could be said for you. You give puppy shots then 1 and 5 yr shots. Most might assume you don't see your vet for 4 years. How is that any different from someone who uses a shot clinic.


----------



## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Jax's Mom said:


> It was in On but not Cambridge... It was when Novartis still had locations in Canada about 10 years ago.
> Fond memories but wouldn't want to do it again LOL


My Uncle runs the one in Cambridge which is why I asked.


----------



## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

We do all our dogs vaccinations except rabies because in Maryland it must be done by a registered vet for registration with the county. Most vaccines can be given subcutaneously and therefore no skill is exactly needed. It's a whole lot cheaper for us and we simply bring our stickers in from the vial and the vet pastes them directly into their records


----------



## ChancetheGSD (Dec 19, 2007)

Rerun said:


> Personally speaking, with 5 dogs and usually fosters, we know our vets all too well and they know us. Just because one uses vaccine clinics doesn't mean they don't see their vet. Really, the same could be said for you. You give puppy shots then 1 and 5 yr shots. Most might assume you don't see your vet for 4 years. How is that any different from someone who uses a shot clinic.


I'm in the vet every 2 months for Zoey's medications and weigh-ins and once a year for regular checks for each of my dogs as I stated above that post. (I actually take my dogs in a couple months between each other but each get seen every 12 months)



> I use the money I save on NOT vaccinating to instead spend it on much more important care. *Yearly* I have a physical exam done on my dogs (checking eyes, heart, lungs, feeling the dog for anything abnormal, ect), full blood panel run on my dogs to check their internal health and functions, a heartworm/lyme test, thyroid test, urinalysis (it can tell you a lot about your dogs health as well!) and a fecal done. By doing this I gain a head start on catching any possible future diseases before they can progress to a point where normally people who DON'T run these test finally catch it and it is at a fatal stage. It also allows me to have an idea of what is "normal" for my dogs functions so that in the case between each yearly check, something comes up, I KNOW what is "normal" and what isn't.
> 
> Cost me a whole $180 per dog but if I can catch oh idk...Cancer? before it becomes a death sentence then I'd say that is $180 well spent.


My vets know me quite well. The point is, MOST (Or if the word "many" makes you happier) dog owners, don't see their vet for anything EXCEPT vaccines. (Unless there is an emergency) But because of prices, they're often now seeking low cost clinics to get those vaccinations or just simply doing them at home. If the person is JUST going to the vet in non-emergencies for vaccines but stops going to their regular vet so that they can get them done cheaper at a low cost clinic, how are they suppose to get to know their vet or their vet get to know their dogs?

Maybe it's where I live but in NC, GA and here in SC, I've only known maybe a handful of owners who do anything besides yearly vaccines.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

The WDJ had an article about annual vet visits and how they will overlook the dog that is obese or coughing and just give the unnecessary vaccinations, hand you the bill, because many owners aren't versed in the health of their dogs. So annual visits are important, but annual vaccines are not!
Over-Vaccination - Dog Owners Beware - Whole Dog Journal Article


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

It makes you wonder though, if the average joe stops vaccinating but continues taking fluffy in for annual visits to the average clinic, if the vet will start trying to upsell other things.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I think vets will convince the average joe to vaccinate...they will sell those vaccines instead of telling them they can do titers. Vax make $$ and titers go to the labs, so the vets may make a bit, but the labs make more.
Titers costing the same or more than vaccinating will have the uninformed owner opting to just give a shot anyway.
What I find so sad is the senior dogs having this invasion when it is so unnecessary and probably harmful to their health.


----------



## shannonrae (Sep 9, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I think vets will convince the average joe to vaccinate...they will sell those vaccines instead of telling them they can do titers. Vax make $$ and titers go to the labs, so the vets may make a bit, but the labs make more.
> Titers costing the same or more than vaccinating will have the uninformed owner opting to just give a shot anyway.
> What I find so sad is the senior dogs having this invasion when it is so unnecessary and probably harmful to their health.


I think if you were to ask around you may find that lab work sent out is marked up quite a bit. 
While a clinic makes (usually) $5-15 for profit on a vaccination, they could easily hit the $100-200 mark for profit on lab work sent out (as in a titer).
So sending lab work is definitely more profitable . . .


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Oh, I know...there is profit, but the lab is cutting in on the vets profits when sending out!


----------



## shannonrae (Sep 9, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> Oh, I know...there is profit, but the lab is cutting in on the vets profits when sending out!


What I am trying to say is that lab work sent out is often marked up to 100%.
This means that titers (provided owners agreed to pay for them) would be HUGE bread winners for a clinic. But because pet owners often don't want to spend that kind of money, and would rather spend less on the vaccines . . . 
clinics end up making more money on the vaccines. Having a bunch of pet owners agree to pay several hundred dollars on lab work is WAY more profitable than having those same pet owners agree to spend $75 on vaccines. . . if that makes any sense.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

But is the vet making the profit or the lab? I assume both, that was my point and owners would rather just give the dog a shot instead of paying for the titer. I paid over $300 for an allergy test and I know the vet profited from the blood draw/clinic fees and probably took a cut of the lab fee.


----------



## shannonrae (Sep 9, 2010)

Like I said . . . 100% markup, this means the lab charges say, $100 for a titer. The pet owner will likely be charged $200. So the lab makes $100, the clinic makes $100, minus the cost of shipping ($5, maybe) and the cost of syringe/needle/blood tubes (change) and staff time ($3). So that is still a pretty hefty profit when compared to that of the same pet having a rabies vaccine on which the profit will be in the $10 family.
All the numbers I have just thrown at you are approximations to demonstrate the cost/profit. I am confident that they are very much within the realm of reality. 

Please keep in mind the profit I am referring to is from lab work and vaccines alone . . . not including office visit, 4DX or fecal.


----------

