I am so unceratin of what to do after reading countless & varying opinions on vaccinating! I've decided not to vaccinate every year, which every vet in my town recommends.
According to my vet, my lhasa is due next week for the following ANNUAL vaccines: DHP-PV Lepto Bordatella Wellness Exam, blood profile, heartworm test
1. Are there titer tests for DHP-PV and lepto? If so, can they get the blood for the titer and his profile in one stick? Any recommendations for titer testing? I understand that there is no standard for results.
2. The daycare that I take him to requires annual bordatella. My vet does this nasally. Should I permit it or is it too high risk? Is there a titer test for bordatella?
3. How do boosters come into play, if at all?
I really appreciate any experienced recommendations. I'm really struggling with what to do.
A Great Dane Lady2008-01-31T09:43:37Z
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Titer tests are more expensive. Wisconsin University still stands by the duration of immunity study that was done by Dr. Schultz in 1999. http://svmweb.vetmed.wisc.edu/articles/68/5/39 http://www.critteradvocacy.org All 27 U.S. vet schools have been using a 3 yr protocol on vaccines for years. Check any vet school online. And this too will change to a longer protocol. Bordatella is only good for 6 months, so what good does it do to get one annually?? Also, there are now some reports of intra nasal tumors in dogs who have had the nasal vaccine. I have not vaccinated for anything in 5 yrs now. I have one dog who seizures are getting farther and father apart since I stopped vaccinating. She was having 4 per year. She is now only having 1 or 2 seizures per year and I just noticed this year that they are getting shorter in durations. As for the heartworm test, read what Dr. Malernee has on his website. http://www.evidencebased vet.com Click on articles and scroll down to the one on heartworm. If you have been faithful on giving the heartworm pill , then there is no need to have the test. Follow the link that Dr. Malernee gives you into the government's website and you will see that the heartworm pill is not neccessary every month.
I understand your concern about too much vaccnines in your dogs body. You can request your vet to do a titer test to see if your dog still has some immunity from past vaccines. If your dog is still protected the vet can give you a certificate to attest to this so you can still bring your dog to doggy daycare.
Titer tests are not cheap, and some people opt to just get the vaccines instead because of the cost. I would not take my dog to a dog daycare until I knew he was protected though, whether from a titer test proof or updates vaccines.
There are vets that will give three year vaccines for some but not all of the ones you listed. Good luck!
here is a little more to read and will answer some of your questions if you haven't already read it. i struggled with this question myself a few months ago. i don't believe there is titer testing for bordetella.
i ultimately decided on the titer testing for parvo and distemper, but not rabies. my dog was 2 and had already had full complement of puppy vax plus booster at 1 year and at least 1 1 year rabies (probably more, but I adopted her at 1 year and former owners didn't give info on that). so, she had a 3 year rabies and nothing else at that time. I will re-do titers later this year, but if all is well, i plan to leave it at that until next year. i probably should do bordetella, but like you i am reluctant to over-vaccinate. best wishes!!
and here is link to my similar question (with some very informative answers): http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvHLcXujn78Y0X2Bj5SIwezsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071121112814AAEaxzB
you have to abide by your local and state rabies laws...but the rest you can have a titer drawn and choose not to vaccinate. sure they cost more than the vaccines...but when you consider the effects that vaccines have been proven to have on our pets...I think paying a little more is worth it to not inject your pet with all the poisons that are in the vaccines.... they lead to temperament issues, cancer, bone disease, eye problems and that is just to name a few...so lets see..test my dogs immunity and reduce the risk of horrible health issues or continue to over vaccinate and maybe watch your dog develop bone cancer at age 5 because of the crap in the shots..
there are ALOT of articles out there on minimal vaccines... I recommend you research them and you will see why the titer is the way to go
Unfortunately the titer tests are usualy not something that is often done and they can be exspensive. It is hard as there is always a worry of over vaccinating but unless you are willing to pay alot of money and have alot of blood work done I would suggest anual vaccinations. It really is a touchy subject !