Yearly Vaccines

[jackrussgirl]

This is something I've wondered at for a while. How come dogs have to have yearly vaccines? I know I quit getting vaccines when I was a teenager. I was maybe thinking that it's an exposure factor? If you step on a nail, for example, it's a good idea to get a tetanus shot.

Can someone tell me why dogs get yearly vaccines no matter what?

[bubbatd]

I think some of the vets are wondering this too .... I know they've cut back on the Rabies shots.

[Mordy]

it's mainly a money thing - yearly vaccines are a pretty secure, steady income for vets. it becomes even more clear when you find out that vaccines only cost pennies per dose wholesale but people are charged prices that are quite high. even retail you can get a single dose 5 in one vaccine for about $2 or 3.

personally i don't do yearly vaccines anymore, thank god california has a 3-year rabies schedule. my dog only got his puppy shots, boosters at one year old and will get one more MLV booster for parvo and distemper next year when his next rabies shot is also due. from there on out, it will just be rabies every 3 years, since it's required by law.

here are a few interesting links on vaccines for you:
http://www.drpitcairn.com/talks/New_Look_Vaccines.html
http://www.critteradvocacy.org
http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/ChangingVaccineProtocols.html
http://www.vaccinationnews.com/dailynews/May2002/Vaccinosis.htm

my 13 year old (who lives with my parents now) will not get any vaccines anymore at all, not even rabies.

[bubbatd]

With breeding I do think the boridillo (sp.. it's been years!) is important and here kennel cough. I am tossed on the tick vaccine, but I hate to take chances. Luckily I have a vet that will tell me what I really need ! Using Chip as a therapy dog, they demand certain shots.

[pitbulliest]

My Chi hasn't been vaccinated for about 4 years now..and I don't think he needs it...as for my pit..I'll do her in another three or four years...I agree that its just a secure income for vets...

I don't wanna sound like Grandma country here..but in my country dogs don't get vaccines and they live anywhere from 15 - 20 years..some even more...so uhm...yeah..lol

[jackrussgirl]

Thanks for the information. It's sad that vets have to trick people for income. Maybe once insurance gets more popular, they'll reconsider.

[jackrussgirl]

Well... when should I start vaccinations for my puppy? She turned seven weeks old yesterday. Do any of you know sites that could give reliable information on the pros and cons of each vaccine?

[Gustav]

I vaccinate every year, but it's required for Gus's Pet passport scheme. We have the passport because we have lots of Friends we like to go and visit in the UK. And as the Uk is an island without Rabies they are very strict about what comes in!! And I wouldn't leave my dog in a Kennel!!

[bubbatd]

Your pup really needs to have puppy shots....especially parvo !

[Adrienne]

I have heard that it is recommended to start vaccinations at three months with a rabies at four months.
As for Kennel Cough there are so many different strains (much like the common cold in humans) that a vaccination may not make a difference.
I find it is best to do your research, talk it over with your vet and make a decision based on how often your dog is exposed to other dogs and how healthy your dog is.
I for one, just finished Gunnars puppy shots and will do a booster at one year and then rabies every three years as required by state law.
Neva my APBT is now six years old and will only be receiving her rabies now that I have learned so much more about how unneccesary these vaccinations on a yearly basis are. Up until now she has always had her yearly boosters which worries me now that I know what I know. One of her daughters recently developed lymphoma which is an autoimmune disorder possibly caused by repeated un-needed vaccinations.

[jackrussgirl]

Well, I know she needs her vaccinations. I just want some more information about which are the right ones to get and how long should she get them.

[jackrussgirl]

Thanks Adrienne. :)

[Adrienne]

Thanks Adrienne. :)
Your welcome, Happy to help! This is pretty new news to me as well but it has some really strong arguments to back up the fact that we seem to be overvaccinating. I hope you have a vet that is open to the new research that has been done, my vet doesn't agree but he is resonably priced so I continue to go to him and listen to his arguments for yearly vaccinations and then just say, thanks for your opinion but I am happy with my vaccination plan!

[jackrussgirl]

Yeah, hopefully, the kennel we work with will be as reasonable. =/

Don't worry, it's a good kennel, not a bad one. :) but they do check your vac records. *sigh* It would be a shame if I had to change.

[Mordy]

jackrussgirl, i recommend you check out dr. dodd's vaccine protocol. she is one of the leading authorities in the field of vaccine research and highly respected. many vets still recommend too many vaccinations. you can find her recommendations listed here (http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/MinimalVaccineUse.html).

that page also lists her email address at the top, so if you have any specific questions, do feel free to contact her, she is really good about answering questions.

[avenlee]

We have to license our dogs with the City every year. In order to do that, they need their yearly vaccinations. :rolleyes:

[Barb04]

Avenlee, do they require all vaccinations or just proof of rabies. I'm in Connecticut and the town actually only requires proof of rabies; maybe you can call your town hall and find out.

[Mordy]

avenlee, the only vaccine required by law is rabies.

i have to license my dog every year as well, but our city only requires rabies vaccination on a 3-year schedule.

[avenlee]

Avenlee, do they require all vaccinations or just proof of rabies. I'm in Connecticut and the town actually only requires proof of rabies; maybe you can call your town hall and find out.

I will check into it. Thanks. What I do hate about my vet is she will just go and do shots left and right on my dogs in a matter of seconds without even telling me and then wallop me with the bill. Sadie has or had a ear infection (which she always gets anyway) I didn't even know what I was getting until I got to the receptionist desk and they gave me a big bottle of ear flushing (????) and a small bottle of medication to drop into her ears This was that horrible stressful rainy morning and I just wanted to get out of there. With both dogs' 'yearly' exam, I paid a total of 150.00 that day.

Needless to say, those shoes I've had my eye on to buy will just have to wait another couple of weeks ... hooo hummmm :rolleyes:

[Barb04]

Maybe if you're not pleased with your vet, you could check around with family & friends for a new vet. If you stay with this one, tell the vet that you don't want any shots/procedures done until you are told what they are and you agree to them.

[LuvMyPups]

JackRussGirl
You need to start the Puppy Shots now....they are typically started at 6 wks old...this is when the mothers natural immunities in the puppy start to lessen. If your pup has had no shots then he/she is at extreme risk for Parvo and other diseases now. I recently received (someone dumped on my porch) a puppy with Parvo. It is a nasty and expensive disease...Riley is fine now but the Vets do not think he was current on his shots.
Now if your pup can make it until 3-4 months of age with out getting sick then they only need one set of shots and the rabies....however that is a chance you are taking and believe me Parvo is highly contagious...even if your pup does not go out you can bring it to him via shoes, clothes, and even car tires.
I also do not believe does need shots every year and most Vets will do the titer test to see where they stand....JMO

[avenlee]

Maybe if you're not pleased with your vet, you could check around with family & friends for a new vet. If you stay with this one, tell the vet that you don't want any shots/procedures done until you are told what they are and you agree to them.

I agree :) and thank you Mordy. I will definately check into it for next year. I know they get the rabie shot and distemperment (don't know if that's a requirement for licensing) but I will find out. Nora received a parvo shot of some kind also. She just turned a year and maybe it was a booster shot or something. Oh, and Sadie got a medicated bath rinse also for her skin. I mentioned that I heard that plain yogurt was good and she chuckled shaking her head 'no' while she did yet another shot of some sort. It stinks because this vet is literally just up the road from me and very convenient, but I've never really been confortable with her for any of my pets. Guess I just figure, god help me if there's an emergency, but for routine visits, She will suffice.

Thanks guys!

[gaddylovesdogs]

The girls get only what is required here (like rabies), but our vet tests first, and if they've got enough of it "left in them" she doesn't give it :).

[bubbatd]

Chip had his yearly physical this morning ...Annual Comprehensive test,Rabies Vaccine for 3 years, Heartworm Ag Test, Fecal Analysis & nail clip = $92.50 . His DHPP-3 yr. is not due until 2007. She also spent a lot of time listening to his arrthymia and said she thought it not as severe...(Whew !!). Master Card-$92.50 ----peace of mind, priceless!!

[candy722]

I heard that dogs usually need 1 shot of each. The reason we have them get another shot again is just to be on the safe side. That's what I heard from a vet. But Im still gonna take TOki in for bordatella and rabies. The rest of the booster shot I don't think it's necessary.

[jackrussgirl]

JackRussGirl
You need to start the Puppy Shots now....they are typically started at 6 wks old...this is when the mothers natural immunities in the puppy start to lessen. If your pup has had no shots then he/she is at extreme risk for Parvo and other diseases now. I recently received (someone dumped on my porch) a puppy with Parvo. It is a nasty and expensive disease...Riley is fine now but the Vets do not think he was current on his shots.
Now if your pup can make it until 3-4 months of age with out getting sick then they only need one set of shots and the rabies....however that is a chance you are taking and believe me Parvo is highly contagious...even if your pup does not go out you can bring it to him via shoes, clothes, and even car tires.
I also do not believe does need shots every year and most Vets will do the titer test to see where they stand....JMO

Don't worry, I'm not that stupid. I'm just asking what shots are needed and how often. I've already gotten what she needs. Don't assume that I'm going to let her get mortally ill just because I don't run out and get every shot on the market.

[candy722]

I didn't know in the beginning and I practically got TOki every shot there was except Lyme. Then it got way to expensive so I went out and but the shots myself and my Bf gave the shot to Toki. My bf knows how to gives the shot and this I know because TOki doesn't cry when he gets his shots from my BF.

[bubbatd]

Candy, they combine the shots today. Rabies is alone,(every 3 yrs) DHPP is a combined shot every 3 years...Chip was vaccinated for Bordatella last year because I had to board him, won't until I have to again.

[candy722]

TOki only got 1 shot of rabies and that was at 6 months old. So no TOki just turned 1 year and 2 months. Am I suppose to get him another rabie shot in 3 years from today? I know DHPP or DHLP-P is combine but Bordatella is separate. My vet said that I needed to give him Bordatella every year until he turns 3 years old. But the booster shot DHLP-P I don't don't have to give it to me. So does this sound right?

[LuvMyPups]

Well... when should I start vaccinations for my puppy? She turned seven weeks old yesterday.


To which someone replied:

I have heard that it is recommended to start vaccinations at three months with a rabies at four months.


That is why...I responded telling you to start the vaccinations now. At that point you were not only asking what vaccinations to get but when to start them. I was not assuming that you were going to let you dog get mortally ill since you were questioning what vaccines to get them. Since you asked when to start them I simply told you when and why that it was important to start them.

[jackrussgirl]

Someone already answered that question before you anyway. Next time, try to read the whole thread before responding.

[LuvMyPups]

Actually, the person who answered you told you to start them at 3 months. I read the whole thread and was trying to be helpful. I was not assuming you were going to put your pup in harms way. If you were going to do that...you wouldn't have asked for advice. And all I did was give my advice and do not feel like being berated for it.

[bubbatd]

I used to get the Lymes shot for my dogs when we lived in a wooded area with lots of deer around.. there were too many cases to ignore it. I found a lyme tick on me once and took it to the University Lab which was doing research for the State. After that I allowed their students to comb the area to gather for reasearch.

[showpug]

:confused: After working in a vet clinic for over 4 1/2 years I can honestly tell you that vaccines are NOT a main source of income for vets. Vaccines bring in VERY LITTLE income when you look at the practice as a whole, so don't bank on that being the reason for annual re-vaccination protocol. As an employee, I learned about the risks involved with both vaccinating and not vaccinating dogs. I do agree that dogs that have had a complete set (as in a 3-4 vaccines series as puppies) of vaccines in puppyhood probably do hold immunity for over a year, I do however, know that some immune compromised pets may not etc. The reason for yearly vaccine protocol is due mainly to the lack of research on how long our pets hold immunity. The bordetella vaccine usually only holds immunity for 6 months or less, so dogs that are around other dogs on a regular basis should be updated more frequently. Older "senior" pets are more at risk for fatal diseases and really do need to continue their vaccines on a regular basis. If an owner is concerned about the cost of vaccines, they may want to consider vaccinating at home, as this cuts cost down substantially. I will say, that vets are not always out for the money. The average vet makes about 50 thousand dollars a year. That's not a lot of money for 7 years of school and a (at times) very high stress job. When you look at the cost associated with vaccines at your local clinic, please take the following into consideration: vets have to pay for shipping, employees, technichian time to give the vaccine, bio-hazard disposal fees, lease fees on their building, and syringes etc. It is not just the price of vaccine itself that should be looked at, there is much more that goes into determining a "fair" cost for a vaccine. :confused:

[jackrussgirl]

I was referring to the links that were provided, bubbatd. But nevermind.

Anyways.

You're quite right about cost, showpug. And vaccinating at home is starting to sound really good. Unfortunately, unless my vet will show me how to do it, it's probably not a good idea. I think I'll just stay on the safe side and just follow my vet's recommendations. After all, it is 7 years of schooling right?

Thanks for answering my question all! :)

[bubbatd]

Thanks for the post. I agree, there's a small price for required vaccinations compared to the cost of treatment without them. Luckily I have a clinic ( I trust ALL the vets) who will talk over the needs and agree with me not to give anything that doesn't apply to our lifestyle. I've only used 2 clinics in 50 years (due to moving) and feel their education has put them where they are. I've never felt I've needed second opinions even though they have offered them to me. I would say my annual cost is about $200 for a healthy dog. It's worth it to me

[IlUvMyAnImAlZ05]

You should find a vet to go to near you. Then make an appoutment take your puppy and they will tell you what needs to be done. I know it will neet to be alltered at 6 mos. and needs his puppy parvo and rabies.
Mandy

[Mordy]

After working in a vet clinic for over 4 1/2 years I can honestly tell you that vaccines are NOT a main source of income for vets. Vaccines bring in VERY LITTLE income when you look at the practice as a whole, so don't bank on that being the reason for annual re-vaccination protocol.

it's not only the vaccines themselves as a product (though they do factor in), but yearly vaccinations are what gets the clients into the office. you have the charge for the office visit (or "wellness exam" as the case may be), for the vaccines, plus whatever else the client may need, or gets talked into.

i have read comments from (less conscionable) vets about the changed vaccine protocols that were published on "vets only" forums and forwarded to me by someone, and all i can say it was an "interesting" read. the stupid 6-month heartworm shot was something many were hoping would bring people in once or twice a year who might not come in for vaccines anymore every single year. when it was recalled, you'd think vets would be happy that a danger to people's pets has been removed from the market, but a certain group was again moaning about the loss of a steady source of income.

As an employee, I learned about the risks involved with both vaccinating and not vaccinating dogs. I do agree that dogs that have had a complete set (as in a 3-4 vaccines series as puppies) of vaccines in puppyhood probably do hold immunity for over a year, I do however, know that some immune compromised pets may not etc. The reason for yearly vaccine protocol is due mainly to the lack of research on how long our pets hold immunity.

why do you think there's a lack of research? the answer is quite simple - who has an interest to fund such studies? certainly not the pharma companies who want to sell a product, and independent studies are difficult to fund and coming along slowly - but they do exist!

i strongly urge people to check out bob rogers' website on the topic (http://www.critteradvocacy.org, http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com), he's one of the few people who is actually putting an effort into getting the word out how certain vaccinations are fraud and deception. in addition to that, consider that additional stress from vaccinations is hardly what immune compromised pets need! vaccines should only ever be given to healthy animals - check the package insert. immune compromised animals are not healthy.

The bordetella vaccine usually only holds immunity for 6 months or less, so dogs that are around other dogs on a regular basis should be updated more frequently.

actually that is quite incorrect, since the more a dog is exposed to the environment and other dogs, the better the immune system will be able to "update" itself from the exposure. besides that, kennel cough has many causes and the vaccination only covers few of them. sadly many boarding facilities still require this, but it's definitely not a core vaccination.

Older "senior" pets are more at risk for fatal diseases and really do need to continue their vaccines on a regular basis.

this claim also has been refuted. one thing people need to be aware of is that repeat vaccination does not increase immunity. if immunity is already present, a vaccination does not "strenghten" it. in addition to that, older pets are less likely to be in a state of health where vaccinations are without risk. again, please check out dr. rogers' site.

i'm not saying people shouldn't vaccinate their pets, or not take them to the vet for a wellness exam once a year - but the money you do spend at the vet's is better invested in blood tests, titers etc. rather than in willy-nilly vaccinating the animal every single year for every disease under the sun, regardless of state of immunity and risk of infection.

[chell78]

I just want to ad something here about how everyone thinks we vets want you to come in every year to have the shot is only to bring in money , Well I can tell you thats not true when the dogs come in we dont just give them a shot and throw them out the door we give the a once over health check and talk to the owners about any problems they are having etc, so please dont think we are all in it for the money cause we arent! We care about all our patients and only want whats best for them a yearlly check up it great to pick up little things a lot of owners cant eg heart problems,

[bubbatd]

I'm glad I can trust my vets. There are 4 at my clinic and I like all 4. If one picks something up during a visit I'll follow though with that one. Otherwise, for general check ups , I'll take whomever's free. One vet picked up arrhythmia in Chip. She had me come in for a check in 3 months, then another 3 months. Didn't charge me. When we went for our anual last month, she was pleased there wasn't any change and told me she was scared to death before she checked. We hugged. I went with ElinHunter after Eli was diagnosed with lymphnoma to go over things with his vet (same clinic) .He knew she was leaving Eli with me when she went on her business trip. Said for me to call anytime. I had to call him after hours and the service contacted him. He called me within 5 minutes. God bless caring ,loving vets !!!

[EliNHunter]

I'm glad I can trust my vets. There are 4 at my clinic and I like all 4. If one picks something up during a visit I'll follow though with that one. Otherwise, for general check ups , I'll take whomever's free. One vet picked up arrhythmia in Chip. She had me come in for a check in 3 months, then another 3 months. Didn't charge me. When we went for our anual last month, she was pleased there wasn't any change and told me she was scared to death before she checked. We hugged. I went with ElinHunter after Eli was diagnosed with lymphnoma to go over things with his vet (same clinic) .He knew she was leaving Eli with me when she went on her business trip. Said for me to call anytime. I had to call him after hours and the service contacted him. He called me within 5 minutes. God bless caring ,loving vets !!!

I know... I LOVE our vet clinic :)

[Mordy]

a vet you can trust is a great thing. :) when i moved 5 years ago, i was sad to leave my vet of over 15 years. she was very "old school", open to alternative treatment, took a lot of time for each patient and was very knowledgeable about my breed (dachshund at the time) because she bred them herself. her expertise saved my dog when we had a bad episode with a slipped disk.

since i have been consulting, i've sadly heard many, many horror stories about vets who are only in it for the money, don't take the time to really get to the bottom of things and basically push people out the door with a bag of prescription food after treating the dog with antibiotics, prednisone or whatever else manages to keep symptoms under control but doesn't address the underlying problem.

i apologize if i sound a bit jaded, but there are excellent, good, mediocre and bad people in every professional field and some vets just don't bother much with continuing education once they leave vet school. overall i prefer the kind who can accept that research discovers new facts on a daily basis and are willing to take alternative treatments into consideration.

i understand the principles behind vaccinations and heartworm treatment, but i have also studied the field of canine parasites and diseases long enough to understand that more is not always better and in some cases it's not necessary at all to expose the dog to certain substances. :)

[Adrienne]

Mordy, what do you use for a heart worm preventative? I am a member of a yahoo vaccination group and they recommend using a topical spray everyday they are outside and keeping them indoors during peek mosquito hours. I really am not wanting to do that. Any other options out there?

[Mordy]

adrienne - i have researched the issue and based on the circumstances of where we live, my decision was to not give a HW preventive at all.

i do understand that this is not an option for everyone, but here in southern california the risk of infection is so low that it does not warrant dosing my dog with what essentially is a pesticide. this page explains things very well:
http://www.bullovedbulldogs.com/heartworm.htm

read over the info and determine the risk in your area. if it is fairly high, i would recommend giving interceptor at safeheart dosage, you can read more about that here (http://www.mordanna.com/boards/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=dogtalk&Number=21383).

i hope you find it useful. :)

[bubbatd]

Mordy... you are entitled to your own beliefs, but I disagree with you. The heartworm cases here in Indiana are unbelievable ! I've taken in 4 foster dogs that had heart worm out of my 6. The golden Rescue group had to pay an average of $800 for each dog...not to say that the quiet care you have to give these dogs during recovery which means no adoption for at least 4 weeks. A once a month pill is worth it to most dog owners. Yes, it gets expensive, but then there's the alternative. I have to admit, when I had 4 goldens I didn't give the pill over a hard winter.. I couldn't afford it. But I had them tested early spring and restarted. Now that I'm down to one, I can keep it up round the year. PLEASE don't make young owners think this is an unneccessary thing !! Anyone who questions. look up heart worms on line and see what could happen to your beloved animal !! My old vet had a jar with a dogs heart loaded with heart worms on display ....not a pretty sight. You may not have the problem in your area, but many of us do and this web is world wide.. Thanks.

[Saje]

That's what Mordy said, Bubbatd. That everyone should do the research for their own area. I'm a big believer in doing your own research and making your own decisions about things. There are too many sheep out there.

[EliNHunter]

Unless you can be 100% sure there are no mosquitoes in your area, you should be on heartworm preventative.I don't know of any region of our USA that is 100% mosquito-less.

[bubbatd]

Sorry Saje... I jumped the gun. I was afraid that some of the younger lurkers might jump the gun......

[Saje]

You're right. They might. Hopefully they'll ask questions so we can be here for them. :D

[Mordy]

Unless you can be 100% sure there are no mosquitoes in your area, you should be on heartworm preventative.I don't know of any region of our USA that is 100% mosquito-less.

and that is exactly wrong. look at the page i linked to, there are so many requirements that have to be met for a dog to get infected with heartworm in the first place and then and for the larvae to actually develop and mature, not just the mere presence of mosquitoes.

my husband's family has lived in this area for around 50 years and has never had a single dog infected with HW, not even any of those that have been strictly outdoor dogs.

don't get me wrong - as i stated above and saje pointed out, you have to know the risk. if i lived for example in florida, there would be no way i would not give a preventive year round, and in many other regions at least during the time where development of the larvae inside the mosquitoes takes place. my dog gets tested for HW every 6 months, so it's not like i'm not keeping an eye on him.

i'm not talking about cutting corners and not taking care of your dog properly when i'm discussing these things. but fact is that vaccinations, HW preventives and other chemicals and drugs do have drawbacks indeed and aren't 100% safe either. there are many people out there who only want the best for their pet but don't look at both sides of the coin and in the worst case the pets are the ones paying the price (http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/). just keep that in mind. :)

[JRT_Rattie_Mom]

Having Lucy, our JRT go blind from SARDS (suddenly acquired retinal degeneration) at just 2 1/2 years old, and the official cause "unknown" but a theory on the cause of SARDS being over vaccinating, chemicals from flea treatments, pesticides in the yard etc. We made the choice to not vaccinate Lucy for anything now... including rabies... which she had a terrible reaction to her last shot, and we can get a waiver for this with the county. We live in Oregon, where there is very little risk of heartworm. Before Lucy went blind from SARDS we had given her the Proheart6 heartworm preventative, that was recalled last fall. Who knows if this played a part in what happened with Lucy going blind. Just not willing to take a chance with her anymore. :mad:

Karen G.
http://www.blinddogs.net
http://www.dogrescueusa.com
http://www.natures-paws.com

and that is exactly wrong. look at the page i linked to, there are so many requirements that have to be met for a dog to get infected with heartworm in the first place and then and for the larvae to actually develop and mature, not just the mere presence of mosquitoes.

my husband's family has lived in this area for around 50 years and has never had a single dog infected with HW, not even any of those that have been strictly outdoor dogs.

don't get me wrong - as i stated above and saje pointed out, you have to know the risk. if i lived for example in florida, there would be no way i would not give a preventive year round, and in many other regions at least during the time where development of the larvae inside the mosquitoes takes place. my dog gets tested for HW every 6 months, so it's not like i'm not keeping an eye on him.

i'm not talking about cutting corners and not taking care of your dog properly when i'm discussing these things. but fact is that vaccinations, HW preventives and other chemicals and drugs do have drawbacks indeed and aren't 100% safe either. there are many people out there who only want the best for their pet but don't look at both sides of the coin and in the worst case the pets are the ones paying the price (http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/). just keep that in mind. :)

[showpug]

I am so sorry to hear that your pooch went blind. That is very scary and sad. I hate it when these guys have to go through this stuff and I commend you for doing what you feel is best for your dog. :)

[siemens716]

We gave our puppies all tehir required shots until tehy turned a year old. Now tehy only get a rabies shot every three years.

No heartworm either. They are 75% outdoor dogs and we never had a problem.

[bubbatd]

Good luck....it's a roll of the dice. I feel that the 3 yr. DHPP is important and I'd rather give heartworm prevention than pay $600. for treatment.

[Mordy]

bubbatd, it really depends on location.

giving HW preventive to a dog who lives in an area with a very low risk of infection is like paying for earthquake insurance in a place where one is very unlikely to hit.

people need to look at the other side of the con as well? a HW preventive is not a harmless drug (otherwise it would be available over the counter) and continuous dosing with a pesticide does affect the body. down the road you might have to pay those $600 anyway to have a problem taken care of that was caused by the HW preventive.

[siemens716]

a HW preventive is not a harmless drug (otherwise it would be available over the counter) and continuous dosing with a pesticide does affect the body. down the road you might have to pay those $600 anyway to have a problem taken care of that was caused by the HW preventive.

Thanks. That is exactly the reason we limit HW and vaccines. Decreases life span.

[Martine]

Before Lucy went blind from SARDS we had given her the Proheart6 heartworm preventative, that was recalled last fall. Who knows if this played a part in what happened with Lucy going blind. Just not willing to take a chance with her anymore. :mad:

Sorry to hear about that happening to Lucy - unfortunately PH6 is still available in Europe and our vet is certainly pushing it. :(

I'd certainly like to cut down on the chemicals where I can for Misha as it just seems to be one chemical after another for her. I'm going to be seriously looking at what herbal or homeopathic remedies look realistic for heartworm. Someone sent me this link - http://www.petmedicinechest.com/ . Has anyone tried any of these products? I get sceptical mainly because I like more info on what is in natural rememdies so I can work out what they are likely to do.