How Often To Vaccinate

[Ilghaus]

R.M. Clemmons, DVM, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology & Neurosurgery
Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences

Integrative Medicine With Dr. Clemmons

Quote:
Unfortunately, no one knows the real need for vaccination, but yearly boosters for all infectious diseases are overkill. Clearly, in many cases, the vaccinations are not necessary and giving them may cause problems. The risk of not giving vaccinations (once the healthy young dog has been adequately immunized) is becoming less than the risk of giving them. What appears to be the prevailing view is that dogs and cats should receive their puppy and kitten series against the major canine and feline diseases. These vaccinations should be repeated at 1 year of age. After that time, only necessary vaccines should be given. That includes, of course, the legally required rabies vaccinations.

To read more:
http://neuro.vetmed.ufl.edu/neuro/Drclemmons/Question.htm

[Ilghaus]

2006 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines
http://www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/About_Guidelines_Canine06.html

Quote:
AAHA has released a new edition of its vaccine guidelines for dogs. The 2006 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines are available in their entirety through the following downloadable file. The executive summary of the guidelines is published in the March/April 2006 issues of Trends magazine and the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

AAHA released its first set of canine vaccination guidelines in 2003. The AAHA Canine Vaccine Task Force reconvened in 2005 to re-examine and revise the guidelines to reflect changes in the areas of canine vaccines. Factors that contributed to the updating of the guidelines include the rise of well-documented duration of immunity studies, industry support of extended revaccination intervals, and developing areas of shelter medicine.

and

Quote:
The 2006 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines include detailed recommendations on the use of available vaccines, which are classified as core (universally recommended), noncore (optional), or not recommended. Revised sections of the document include those addressing serologic testing, vaccine adverse events, the vaccine licensing process and the medical and legal implications of vaccine medicine.


28 page report
http://www.aahanet.org/About_aaha/vaccine_guidelines06.pdf

[Ilghaus]

Titers through HEMOPET/Dr. Dodds
http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/HEMOPET.HTM

W. Jean Dodds, DVM
HEMOPET
938 Stanford Street
Santa Monica,  CA 90403
310-828-4804; Fax 310-828-8251
e-mail: hemopet@hotmail.com


Quote:
Why Have Your Animal's Blood Tested through HEMOPET ?

The main reason for sending Dr. Jean Dodds / HEMOPET  the blood samples instead of having the testing done locally, is that HEMOPET is the only group routinely offering expert clinical interpretive diagnostic comments that take into account the age, sex, and breed type of the animal.  This often means an expected normal reference range for an individual pet that differs from the test lab's generic broad reference range. Practitioners usually are unaware of these differences, which have been established by published research and Dr. Dodds' many years (41 years this year- 2005) of clinical and research experience.

[Stefani]

I wrote out a post, and deleted it because I saw this one, but forgot to save what I wrote, to post it in a reply here.  *shakes head*


Basically, my question is, do service dogs have to get shots every year.  I'm wanting to go to an every other year for shots (except rabies, which is every three years).  It has been said at my vets office that that is okay, but, is there something out there that would make Roxie need to get shots every year, because of her going in public? 

[Ilghaus]

Many vets and vet schools are going to 3 years on core vaccines. Of course now here in FL for the rabies, but also for Parvo and Distemper.  For my dogs in my area, if I was giving those 3 every 3 years I would go on a rotating basis such as first year -- Rabies, 2nd year -- Parvo, 3rd year -- Distemper and then start over again the next year.

But I really suggest that you read the latest reports and ask questions here if you need some help looking more info up, then write down your notes, and then go speak with your vet. We might think hey this is the year for Distemper shots but your vet would know if Parvo was extra bad in your area for that year. Just go in with some knowledge and discuss it with your vet. The two of you should be able to come up with a plan based on how you want your dogs treated and in large part on their individual needs.

I have two dogs now that I will not be giving any more rabies shots to if their immunity stays up. They have medical reasons not to get the rabies shots and so they will need rabies titers yearly. I can do this because they both had the required Rabies shots as pups and then a couple annual booster shots. I verified with my county Animal Control that rabies titers are okay and if my vet fills out a form stating that they are doing titers because of medical reasons they are able to go this route.  Besides a rabies titer they will also get titers for distemper and parvo.

My poodle will probably be getting her last rabies shot this year and then in 3 years go to the titers because by then she will be a Sr. My other shepherd will get a rabies shot this year and then again in 3 years which unless things change will be his last one.

So you see, each case because of a dog's situation and even location has to be looked at differently.

There are no laws here in FL that say a dog going out into the public need extra shots.

If you go with all shots every two years (rabies every three years) your dogs should have more then enough protection.

Space the shots out as far as you can. The years that you do rabies shots try to not have any other shots within two weeks of the rabies. This is another practice that many vets are now going to.

[magolin]

I wouldn't think so unless there's some specific state law saying you have to get X shots at X time.  Rabies has to be done every 3 years here.  Laws say nothing about other shots.  The other things vaccinated for aren't really a danger to humans like rabies so they're not typically legally required.  I did rabies shortly after I got Diesel and did all the others this month since I didn't have any proof he'd ever gotten any of them.  I was told he'd gotten everything but rabies from the shelter last May, but didn't have paperwork on that.  Obviously I also needed the rabies tag and paperwork for that for legal purposes.  I decided I'd rather be safe than sorry and know for sure he's had the rest of them, but probably won't do them again for a while.  Probably 3-5 years if I can get away with it.  The thing with yearly vaccines is that if the dog already has the immunity from the previous year's shots he doesn't get any more immune with a new shot.  After several years its possible the body will "forget" how to fight off that particular disease, but that generally doesn't happen in just a year or two. 

Bordetella (kennel cough) is another story.  Research I've seen says it only protects for about 6 months because there are so many strains of it.  Same reason humans have to get the flu shot yearly for it to do any good.  However, kennel cough generally isn't serious unless your dog has a compromised immune system from something else.  Its like people getting the flu or a really nasty cold.

Travel might put restrictions on how often you'd have to do the shots.  Also if you take canine classes they usually require proof of yearly vaccines.  Dog parks are another place that often require proof of vaccines to become members of.

[Stefani]

I have done some reading, and discussed my questions on the annual shots.  It was then that it was said I could go every other year.  I was just curious to know if SDs had to have shot requirements, besides rabies. 

[magolin]

Short answer then?  No, not unless your state requires them for some reason.  Or you're doing something else with the dog like taking it to a park or classes where they have rules saying you have to.

[blkpanther0001]

i have not given any anual shots for several years now. with the exception of rabies, as required. and unless it is requires somewhere or I have to board my animals some where I will not vaccinate them again.

with people we receive our shots only as children and not as an adult. with the yearly flu shot they change the formula every year and try and guess as to what that years bugs are that is why they recommend to have one every year.

[Trilby]

I'm into holistic medicine & tend to believe the body is a powerful self-righting machine when kept in top notch condition both with health, diet & exercise (mind & body) My holistic vet says that puppy shots & then the one year boosters are all a dogs 'needs'. If you continue on you are actually canceling out the shots protectiveness (the strains of disease that happen to be in the given inoculations anyway) Course there are many theories to this, but this is the one I believe in. We only give rabies after the 1st year boosters & that is only because it's required by law...

[Kirsten]

Basically, my question is, do service dogs have to get shots every year.  I'm wanting to go to an every other year for shots (except rabies, which is every three years).  It has been said at my vets office that that is okay, but, is there something out there that would make Roxie need to get shots every year, because of her going in public? 

Unless your state specifically requires a certain vaccination, what schedule you use for your own dog is between you and your own vet, even if the dog is a service dog.  Most states require rabies vaccinations every 1-3 years depending on the state.  Off hand, I don't know of any that require other vaccinations as well.

We still have a moral and legal obligation to keep our service dogs free of zoonotic disease, but if your vet advises you that your dog is adequately immunized with less frequent vaccination, then you have every reason to believe your dog is not a risk to the public.

Any dog who shows any signs of illness should not be in public until cleared by a vet.

[Kirsten]

The other things vaccinated for aren't really a danger to humans like rabies so they're not typically legally required.

Leptospirosis is also zoonotic.  I don't recall the others off hand.

[Trilby]

Lyme disease is another.

[BlindMag]

I need to read more about this. I have gotten the full series of puppy shots for my puppy and for Jinx when he was a puppy; and we do rabies every 3 years here, also.  I know that parvo is VERY bad in my area and we do that one annually for that reason.  I have had to do bordetella to satisfy class requirements.  But I want more info on the others.  Thanks!

[magolin]

AAHA now recommends a 3 year vaccination protocol.  I don't think a lot of vets are up on that, but its what AAHA has just approved.  They're looking into seeing if vaccines last even longer than that.

http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?ID=196&sid=1