Yearly Vet Check

[kbuchanan66]

Well the time has come for my boys yearly Vet Visit. I myself LOVE going to the vet with my animals. I chalk it up to have wanting to be a vet since I was 6 years old but I never went down that path. Grades weren't good enough and I had no patience or money for the schooling. Anyways enough about me.

From the Vet's records I know they will be pushing to re-vaccinate both boys. Barron they will want to give Rabies, Bordetella and his Parvo/Distemper Booster. Duke the Rabies and Parvo/distemper Booster.

Both boys got their rabies last year and by what I have been reading they really do not need it for another 6 years. Is this the general consensus to those who read and are informed about over vaccinating?( I live in Canada and Rabies is not mandatory but we have all the vermin that could carry it as well as I live in the MD). Parvo/Distemper Boosters I have read are bogus after the first 2 vaccinations at puppyhood as they should be have enough antibodies to stay immune. Is this also what you have heard? I may opt to titer both boys as my Vet has their own in house Lab for blood work.

The only Booster I am thinking of doing is Bordetella. My dogs are very social and quite a few people around here Kennel their dogs when they go on Vacation and I know a lot of people around here do not vaccinate at all through a dogs life. I have had a dog that got Kennel Cough and it spread SO fast and was a real PAIN to get rid of that I am thinking of doing the Nasal Booster for it.

I am going to get them to check Dukes range of motion in his hind end as Last fall he did get run over by a truck and recently I noticed his stiffness. The truck was only going 20km because the man was going through the yard. It was a complete accident as Duke and the other dog Buster were rough housing and Buster basically pushed Duke in the path of the truck. Duke got out of it as lucky as a dog could. He was bruised and road rash(Tire rash) and had some cuts. He came out of it with no internal bleeding and no broken/fractured bones and only needed stiches and pain meds and some RR.

Barron is just going to get the regular check as nothing seems to be bothering him. The only other thing I can think of is a Fecal test.

Does any one have any input on what else to get checked or look for?

 

[Duetsche_Doggen]

Not really the only vaccine I do is rabies. Ruth has more knowledge in this department she should be along soon.

 

[Robtouw]

My em is vet checked once a quarter. Annual vacs are distemper/parvo/lepto, bordatella, (this year 3yr Rabies), tests heartworm, fecal, thyroid. I have an additional lepto in 3 weeks after the initial vac. And an additional bordatella at 6 months (my choice) because Cruiser has regular visits and playdate at a local pet resort. At the very least, if your dogs are around others or people I would suggest rabies and bordatella. Three years ago, I watched a neighbors dog die from being unvaccinted. She was a beautiful amsted that deserved much better.

My cats are different, after their original round of vacs, the only annuals I give are rabies and feline leukemia.

 

[kbuchanan66]

My em is vet checked once a quarter. Annual vacs are distemper/parvo/lepto, bordatella, (this year 3yr Rabies), tests heartworm, fecal, thyroid. I have an additional lepto in 3 weeks after the initial vac. And an additional bordatella at 6 months (my choice) because Cruiser has regular visits and playdate at a local pet resort. At the very least, if your dogs are around others or people I would suggest rabies and bordatella. Three years ago, I watched a neighbors dog die from being unvaccinted. She was a beautiful amsted that deserved much better.

My cats are different, after their original round of vacs, the only annuals I give are rabies and feline leukemia.

A yearly Rabies vaccine or every three years rabies vaccine?

 

[Robtouw]

The first one as a pup is for one year, but the second one after age 1 can be the 3 year vaccine as long as the dog is healthy.

 

[kbuchanan66]

The first one as a pup is for one year, but the second one after age 1 can be the 3 year vaccine as long as the dog is healthy.

Okay I get what you mean now. Thank you.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I've lost track of how old your dogs are, so ... comprehnsive post lol

Check your local laws for Rabies. If they've only had ONE rabies shot (the puppy shot) then they really ought to get a one year booster. If they've HAD their one year booster then they're good for 3 years OR till their titer comes back low---as long as your local laws will let you do this, in the US a titer is not acceptable in most states, but the 3yrs is usually acceptable.

Parvo/distemper/adeneovirus: I highly recommend titering in place of automatically re-vacinating. At the very least your dogs are probly good for 3 years on one shot even if you dont want to titer, but studies have shown that the average dog's immunity lasts 7yrs on just the puppy shots.

Kennel cough: its up to you. I find it an incredibly useless vaccine. It doesn't cover even MOST of the variations of the virus, so you can vaccinate and STILL have a dog getting sick from it (I've personally had it happen). So I don't see the point in vaccinating, and putting the extra stress on the immune system, when its useless anyway. Yes its a pain when they get it, but the vaccine doesn't really help, and with a healthy dog their chances of getting SERIOUSLY ILL from it are actually fairly small. Arty had a case as a pup that we didn't even medicate for and he got over it fine.


I always have a fecal done.

 

[kbuchanan66]

Duke is 9 years old and Barron is 15 months. So Barron will need his Booster Rabies and I will have to check into Dukes Records as I need to verify he had 2 (I am pretty sure he has). Here in Alberta their aren't any laws in place in regards to Rabies and Vaccinating. It is just highly recommended for animals in areas that are exposed to wildlife.

 

[ruthcatrin]

Studies on the rabies vaccine show that that one year booster DOES seem to make a difference in the animal's immunity to rabies, but after that 3 years at least, and there are currently studies on-going to push that to 5 and even 7 years. I personally think rabies is worth it, I just wish I could titer after the one year booster....

 

[kbuchanan66]

Studies on the rabies vaccine show that that one year booster DOES seem to make a difference in the animal's immunity to rabies, but after that 3 years at least, and there are currently studies on-going to push that to 5 and even 7 years. I personally think rabies is worth it, I just wish I could titer after the one year booster....

That is all very interesting. It is amazing how many studies are being done in regards to animals vaccination these days. Why can't you titer? You live somewhere that Rabies Vaccine is mandatory?

 

[ruthcatrin]

Yup, they won't accept a titer for proof of vaccination. But I can do it every 3 years at least.

 

[kbuchanan66]

I could not imagine living in a place with mandatory vaccination schedule. I understand the concept but it seems like an over vaccination to me.

 

[ruthcatrin]

I can titer for the rest of them, just not rabies....well, in theory if I had to fly them somewhere I might have to vaccinate depending on the airline policy and hte like.

 

[kbuchanan66]

I can titer for the rest of them, just not rabies....well, in theory if I had to fly them somewhere I might have to vaccinate depending on the airline policy and hte like.

I understand the airline thing. Is there a vaccination protocol at Shows and sporting events?

 

[ruthcatrin]

Rabies as required by law, and I have to have paperwork showing when his next vax is DUE, but my vet marks that by when the last titer was done, so thats ok.

 

[ruthcatrin]

(though I have yet to actually be asked to SHOW any of it)

 

[kbuchanan66]

Well that is not to bad then.