vaccines....yet another thread about vaccines.

[Criosphynx]

Just want to start off, that Iam not opposed to NOT vaccinating this dog again...if anyone here is a vaccine nazi, Iam listening...I always hear about them being *bad* to over do, but I'd like more info/detail etc.



Chili is now a year old. He recieved all his puppy vacs and a rabies shot...his rabies shot left a LARGE lump at the site, it took about two weeks to go down and was Ouchy to the touch. I read online it was an allergic reaction?

When I asked the vet if it was normal he kinda dodged the question, when I asked again, he said, Um yeah, sure, normal. I have since changed vets.


here is my concern. Chili came to me @ 5 weeks old, and had been away from mom for AT LEAST a week at that point...I don't know about antibodies and nursing and whatnot and windows of time, but that happens during the first few feeding correct?

He also had the worst case of Demo mange my vet had EVER seen in person. Both my vet and two others, plus my own research indicate that this suggests an underlying genetic problem with the immune system. Either suppression, or a defect.

He has not been ill in any way this year after the initial problems were cleared, not even KC when the other dogs had it. He recovered from the mange and all the fungal/baterial infections, plus his giardia and cocidia with flying colors (he was a *mess* when I got him)

That said, Iam concerned about vacinating him. As the time is coming for boosters...how accurate are titers? Can they run them for multiple things? Iam afraid of killing him or messing him up more with repeated vacs...I know that the rabies vac is supposed to last up to a decade.


anyway, sorry if that seems a bit all over the place...and info/thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Saeleofu]

Personally, I would booster rabies and distemper/parvo. However, I'd probably do them separated by 3ish weeks (or more if you like). I've seen a lot of little dogs not do well with vaccines when given multiple vaccines at once, and much better if they've given a few weeks apart.

For the record, Gavroche gets a rabies bump every time too. It's usually nothing to worry about, it goes away fairly quickly, and doesn't really have lasting effects. some dogs get them, some don't. I wouldn't necessarily say it's "normal," but it's not uncommon.

After the boosters this year, I'd wait at least 3 years before thinking of vaccinating again.

sorry forgot to address this part:

That said, Iam concerned about vacinating him. As the time is coming for boosters...how accurate are titers? Can they run them for multiple things? Iam afraid of killing him or messing him up more with repeated vacs...I know that the rabies vac is supposed to last up to a decade.

As far as I know titres are very good. If you want to do that instead, great. You can run multiple titres from one blood sample. I know the distemper/parvo titer is affordable at least, but I don't know the cost of a rabies titer or who does them. Last time we had someone ask (couple years ago), we called K-Sate and they said they don't do them, and said they didn't know of anyone who did. However, I have known people that have had rabies titers done, so apparently someone does them.

 

[GlassOnion]

Just tell the vet the dog has had allergic reactions in the past and they'll give some benadryl before the shot. That usually does the trick.

 

[corgipower]

I'd run titers and see how they look. If the titers indicate good immunity, don't booster.

Usually I do the boosters at a year old. Somehow, we never did Morgan's...(I was moving across the country, had a couple pups, looking for a vet, and it just got missed.) We realized it had been missed a couple years later. And we titered. And she looked fine.

Ares hasn't had any vax in 9 years. He's a lot healthier than he used to be and his titers are great.

 

[BostonBanker]

Meg just got titred for Distemper/Parvo a couple weeks ago - she hasn't been vaccinated since she was at the WV shelter a bit over four years ago (vaccination history before she got dropped off was unknown). Still well within the "protected" range. I'll probably recheck her in another 3 years or so for the sake of curiosity. I'm honestly not sure I would even bother revaccinating if the titre came back low - more of a curiosity thing at this point.

She did get her 3 year rabies vaccine. We travel a fair amount for agility trials, and will be taking a big trip to Nationals this fall in Kentucky. I don't know all the laws in various states (my town will accept a rabies titre for registration; some others won't), and don't want to take the chance of running into trouble. She has never had any sort of vaccine reaction.

 

[elegy]

i would revaccinate this year, and then either go to three year boosters or titers, depending on what you're comfortable with. but i do think it's important to have those one year boosters. after that, boosters become much less important imo.

 

[Tailcreek]

How old is you dog now?
Parvo/Distemper is mostly seen in dogs under 1 yr of age. I would definately go with a titer.

Jennifer

 

[corgipower]

She did get her 3 year rabies vaccine. We travel a fair amount for agility trials, and will be taking a big trip to Nationals this fall in Kentucky. I don't know all the laws in various states (my town will accept a rabies titre for registration; some others won't), and don't want to take the chance of running into trouble. She has never had any sort of vaccine reaction.

Ares is medically excused from getting the rabies vaccine, which it sounds to me would be valid for Crio's dog. Technically he doesn't need a rabies titer. He gets a handy dandy letter from the vet explaining why he's unable to be vaccinated.

 

[Saeleofu]

Ares is medically excused from getting the rabies vaccine, which it sounds to me would be valid for Crio's dog. Technically he doesn't need a rabies titer. He gets a handy dandy letter from the vet explaining why he's unable to be vaccinated.

Not around here. Your dog has to have had a VERY bad reaction, close to death, to be excused here. Doc has written letters for dogs before, and some of them have been rejected by the city for the reaction not being severe enough.

 

[corgipower]

Not around here. Your dog has to have had a VERY bad reaction, close to death, to be excused here. Doc has written letters for dogs before, and some of them have been rejected by the city for the reaction not being severe enough.

pffffft
Doc isn't writing the correct letter then, IMO. There are reasons other than an adverse reaction to the vaccine itself. Vaccines should never be administered to unhealthy animals.

Unhealthy is up to interpretation.

 

[Southpaw]

i would revaccinate this year, and then either go to three year boosters or titers, depending on what you're comfortable with. but i do think it's important to have those one year boosters. after that, boosters become much less important imo.

This. Especially with the rabies, I know it's the one he had a bad reaction to but that's also the one that he's never had boostered, either.

 

[Criosphynx]

Thanks everyone. I was thinking of doin' just one more set and then titers, Iam glad to see a similar thought echo'd here.

Thanks again