Pets
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Can you critique a vaccination rec for a dog please!
I know some of you ladies are up to date with all the know-how about vaccinations and avoiding over-vaccinating so I have some questions.
How frequently is it recommended to receive the following for a 3 year old household dog (never stays in a kennel). This is what is suggested by our vet but I thought Rabies was every 3 years and I thought the 5 in 1 was a puppy thing?
Rabies - 1-3 yrs
5-in-1 - annual
Corona - annual
Bordetella - annual
Heartworm test - annual? with preventatives every month
Flea/Tick prevention - every month
I'd love to hear your opinions! Thanks so much!
Re: Can you critique a vaccination rec for a dog please!
The only one I'm questioning is Corona annual. I thought that was a puppy vaccine, not required as a booster for adult dogs.
Dot gets rabies every 3, but some vets do every year. I'd at least ask if they have 3-year vaccines available. Combo is annual for us. Dot also has to get Bordatella every 6 months, per her boarding facility. Our vet also requires heartworm testing once a year and encourages flea/tick/heartworm every month due to us not having a true "cold" season.
So, I'm not 100% sure about Corona, but everything else seems a-ok based on experience. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.
The first rabies shot is for one year, after that it is every 3 years (at least that's my experience).
Why give bordatella if you aren't boarding your dog? If it isn't required by a groomer either, I would skip this.
I also have never heard of an adult dog receiving the coronavirus vaccine.
We test annually for heartworm. We give prevention every 6 weeks instead of monthly, as the dosage does last that long, it's just easier to tell people to give it on the same day every month. I also don't normally give it in the winter when mosquitos aren't around here due to cold, but our winter has been extremely mild and there are mosquitos, so I didn't skip any doses.
I use natural flea/tick prevention with the exception of one dose of Frontline in September when ticks are HORRIBLE here.
For the 5-1 - this is the one that contains distemper? I have our guy's blood titered instead of giving the vaccine yearly. So far, he hasn't needed to receive it again.
As you can see, in general I think that we tend to over-vaccinate and medicate our animals, and I try and go as naturally as I can wherever possible, without compromising his health. I know my opinions on this aren't for everyone.
I'd actually question all of them except a rabies every three years. What does the 5-in-1 entail and why is it being given annually? Bordetella is definitely not necessary unless your dog is being boarded or going somewhere like doggy daycare where it's required.
Definitely test annually for HW despite being on preventative. I also don't give any flea/tick preventative but that's a personal decision and you may feel you need to.
Someone (I know TLB does, I'm sure others do too) has a link to necessary vaccines and info on core vaccines.
If this is the 3 year old that you have had for awhile and has been vaccinated previously, I question most of what is listed.
If you have done rabies previously, the law in mostly places allows you to give it every 3 years and this is what I do.
I assume that 5 in 1 is DHLPP, which is distemper, hepatitis, leptosporosis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. I personally would never give all of these, let alone together. Giving so many vaccines at the same time is typically not done because it can cause more reactions as the immune system is responding to so many antigens at once. Distemper and parvo are certainly important to be vaccinated for, but if your dog has been vaccinated at over 16 weeks, most likely he or she is immune for life. If you are concerned, you can do a titer test but it's just a snap shot, not a true measure of the memory cells. for me though, the risk is also very great that repeated vaccination can cause immune issues like IMHA. Leptosporosis is the most controversial because it can be very serious, it can be transmitted to humans, but the vaccine is only against some serovars and it is regarded as the vaccine that causes the most reactions.
Bordetella has to be given frequently to remain effective and since for most healthy dogs, getting kennel cough is like getting a cold, I don't vaccinate for it even though my dog is around other dogs frequently. Since you do not board, you should not have a reason to need to give it if you do not want to.
Yes, I absolutely would do a heartworm test at least yearly. Typically it's given as an HLEA - heartworm plus three tick borne diseases. Tick borne diseases can cause a lot of issues so even if you don't see a tick, it's helpful to do this test regularly. I usually test about every 6 months. And since this is just a blood draw, there is very little risk to your dog unlike repeated vaccination. As for heartworm pills, this depends on a lot of factors, including where you live. Most people give it, but if you want to consider this more I would look into giving it on a 6 week schedule or some people give it only when the temperature is warm enough for mosquitoes, I do give heartworm pillls and I give milk thistle to help with liver detox.
I do not give flea/tick chemical prevention every month because I don't want to expose my dog to chemicals. Again, this can be dependent on where you live and how prevalent they are. There are more holistic alternatives that can help instead.
Also, if you haven't done a basic chemistry panel on your dog yet, it would be good to have that done as well.
For info on vaccines, Dr. Dodd's protocol has some very good info.
This site is good for a conservative approach to vaccines and care. If you want more info or have questions, please ask.
The 5 in 1, at my clinic covers distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus. As a 3 year old, in my opinion I'd see if your clinic offers titer testing. We do this to test for parvo and distemper antibodies. We like to not over-vaccinate our patients and so we offer this to our clients.
The rabies vaccine is good for 3 years here after the initial 1st year.
The bordetella is given every 6 months here. If he's completely indoor and never around a large group of dogs, you probably can get away with it.
Parasite testing is highly recommended.
Everyone's situation is different , feel free to talk to your vet for their best recommendations! Hope that helps!!
So, here's the deal with the vaccines (based on personal experience and input from our Vet/Techs)...
Rabies: After the inital 1 year Rabies vaccine in his/her puppy series, most dogs will get the 3 year. However, if you don't get the timing right (if you're even a few days late getting the next 3 year vaccine), he/she will have to start over and be vaccinated with a 1 year Rabies, thus being eligible for a 3 year Rabies vaccine the next year. To my knowledge, this is mandated by law in most, if not all, U.S. states (and D.C.).
5-in-1: I believe you are referring to what is known as a DHPP or a DHLPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, [Optional Leptospirosis], Parvo and Parainfluenza). Our dogs get the DHPP since Leptospirosis isn't prevalent in our area - make sure to ask your vet about whether or not your dog should have the Lepto in his/her vaccine. A word of caution - one of our dogs had pretty serious allergic reaction the one time she had the Leptospirosis vaccine (her face swelled up like a cauliflower and she had trouble breathing - she ended up needing an injection of benadryl to reverse the anaphylaxis). Obviously not all dogs have this reaction but if your dog has had a reaction to previous injections, you might as well ask the vet or tech to give him/her some benadryl prior to. This is usually an annual vaccine as puppies and adult dogs alike can get the diseases (although Parvo is more common in younger dogs I believe).
Corona (Virus): Our dogs have never been immunized against the Corona Virus - oh wait, I take that back. Our younger dog was when he was a puppy; it was something the breeder gave to all his pups. Other than that, I think it's similar to the Leptospirosis - you really only need to vaccinate against it if it's prevalent in your area (which it's not where we are).
Bordetella (aka Kennel Cough): If you board your dog(s) or they go to doggie daycare, this will more than likely be a required vaccine. Kennel Cough is easily spread when multiple dogs are in close contact with each other such as boarding, doggie daycare, dog parks, etc. If your dog doesn't frequent these places, it's probably not necessary. Our older dog got a Bordatella vaccine as a puppy but neither has had one since. This vaccine I'm more "on the fence" about than the Corona Virus or the Leptospirosis - I think since we plan to go to the new dog park more often this year... they might actually get a Bordatella.
Heartworm Test: Yep - you got it. Most vets want an annual blood test and for you to keep your dog(s) on a monthly preventative (we use Interceptor but they also have Heart Guard, etc.). If you forget a monthly dose you should have another blood test done just to make sure nothing snuck by in the missed month - it's my understanding that if a dog gets heartworms and is given the preventative it can have serious adverse consequences (up to and including death). Also, make sure to check with your vet's office - a lot of times they will have rebate offers that they forget about until you ask!
Flea/Tick Prevention: Honestly we never put flea / tick prevention on our dogs growing up but having a bout of fleas with our older dog set me straight on this one. YES! Definitely use a monthly flea / tick prevention - you'll be seriously sorry if you don't (and I don't mean just because you'll feel sorry for your dog... you'll feel sorry for you too!). At the time we were living in a condo and our neighbors had gotten fleas and what do you know... ugh.
Wow, you ladies are wonderful! Thank you so much for this information!!
We have had our dog since a puppy and she received all the proper puppy vaccines and 1st year vaccines. She also received Rabies in her second year that was suppossed to last 3 years - so I imagine I don't need that yet.
I will question the others with my doctor. We do have a lot of ticks and live in a wooded area so I will do heartworm and flea/tick prevention regularly.
Thanks for the info on the 6 weeks, I did not know that about the medicines!
I do have a question - what are the holistic approaches for flea/tick prevention? We keep a pretty green household an I'd like to hear other options. Thanks again for all your feedback, this is MUCH appreciated. I have to do some more research, thanks!
I use neem oil shampoo and spray by Ark Naturals. I was speaking with reps from Ark Naturals recently and they actually make a natural flea and tick repellent as well that I may check out this year. Like I said above, the neem works well for us, except at the end of summer when the ticks here are just overwhelming. I don't like giving him the one dose of Frontline (I don't even use the whole tube), but the neem just isn't enough then.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! Do you have a specific place you purchase this? And, how frequently do you bath/apply? I really like an all natural idea, especially with little kids who hug and kiss the dog frequently!
I get the spray and shampoo from Amazon. In the warmer months he gets a bath about once a month, sometimes more if he's gotten truly disgusting and dirty. With the neem, I try and remember to spray it on at least once a week, but sometimes I forget. I use the neem on myself as well instead of insect repellant.
Oh and the other spray I mentioned is called Flea Flicker Tick Kicker
There area a lot of different flea/tick natural sprays that are on the market. I have also used Ark Naturals Neem spray in the past and I have used Vetri Science Flea and Tick Spray. I typically search around for the best prices. This year I'm researching to see if there is something new that I want to try as well. The thing is unlike the chemicals, you do need to apply these more frequently and always monitor your dogs (and yourself) after you have been in wooded areas.
I don't order from here but it lists a lot of the different brands, which use different essential oils.
Also realize, that I would have a conversation with your vet on all of these things but sometimes you will find that they will push for doing them. It can depend on their knowledge of the research and other factors. That's why it's important to discuss it but also do your research.