# Dog Vaccinations and boosters.



## MarkySwan (Jun 5, 2008)

Hello.. Bit of a problem hopefully someone can help me..

Ive got a 2.4 yr old collie.. and a 16 week collie..

the elder dog ( Nobby) hasnt had any boosters since his orig vacination, ive just got back from the vets and theyve told me he has to start all over again, and that hes not allowed out until a week after his second job...

surely this cant be right ?


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## englishrose943 (Feb 7, 2008)

Yes this is right. If an annual booster hasnt been done for years then you do have to go through the whole procedure again. Why hasnt he been kept up with his vaccinations by the way?


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## MarkySwan (Jun 5, 2008)

i didnt realise he needed them yearly.. never done this with any of my previous dogs and the vet had never mentioned it.. 

just seems a bit wierd, i can guarentee half the people around dont shell out for boosters every year


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## englishrose943 (Feb 7, 2008)

MarkySwan said:


> i didnt realise he needed them yearly.. never done this with any of my previous dogs and the vet had never mentioned it..
> 
> just seems a bit wierd, i can guarentee half the people around dont shell out for boosters every year


Dogs do need yearly boosters to stop diseases like parvo and distemper. Carnt understand why your vet hasnt mentioned this before.


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## clueless (May 26, 2008)

MarkySwan said:


> Hello.. Bit of a problem hopefully someone can help me..
> 
> Ive got a 2.4 yr old collie.. and a 16 week collie..
> 
> ...


I have only ever got my dogs vaccinated then yearly booster and nothing after that. Vets are out for money mostly I sold a pup down south to someone I knew, first vaccinatione done, card sent with pup and their vet wanted to start again


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## JasperCarrot (Apr 22, 2008)

MarkySwan said:


> i didnt realise he needed them yearly.. never done this with any of my previous dogs and the vet had never mentioned it..
> 
> just seems a bit wierd, i can guarentee half the people around dont shell out for boosters every year


I Thought Most People Have There Dogs Yearly Boosters Done ...

When Jasper And Me Started Dog Agility We Had To Show Jaspers Piece Of Paper Proving He Has His Yearly Boosters And His Vaccsinations .. All My Friends Dogs Used To Have There Yearly Boosters

Jasper Has All His Vaccinations DOne And His Booster Is Due In October And JAsper Has Also Been Vaccinated For Rabies Last YEar ( Because We Had To Due To Flying To Turkey )


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## cav (May 23, 2008)

my vet send me a card when my dogs are due so i never miss them ?


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## wooliewoo (May 27, 2008)

On their last booster vet said jabs these days will last about 15 months ........when my dog was late before due to illness she had to have an extra jab of 1 of the vaccines not the whole course


I priced up at local vet for pups........£55 whole course or £37 for 1st jab.......................we have a retired vet who runs a practice for breeders/select few (all above board and not back street) & he charges £20 for 1st jab. Just go's to show the added costs for overheads etc


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2008)

Im not a big believer in animal vaccinations,its just a money maker for the producers and vets.Ive been told by a senior vet and friend that vaccinations last in the body for a heck of a lot longer than we are led to believe! i have primary courses done and thats it,have done this for 15 years with no probs,of course cant use catteries/kennels for boarding but this is not an issue for me.


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## Insane (Apr 19, 2008)

I have read from a few sources that is is not necessary to keep giving boosters, they only work against the dogs own immune system. Mine have had the first lot and then one booster each.

It is worth reading up on. I confronted my old vet with the facts from the net and he could not deny what I was saying all he kept saying was you really should have them.

But then again I have never had to leave my dogs in kennels. I go to agility with my dogs and they don't check them and I know my agility teacher is against booster because she is into alternative treatments. I have also heard of some kennels now that don't require boosters.


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## griffpan (Feb 2, 2008)

I agree, i also don't think it's nessecary for annual boosters either. I have 3 dogs and they are all at various states booster wise. The youngest is up to date, she's not 2 years old yet though so she had her booster at age 1. The middle dog had his last booster 2 years ago (he's 4) and the eldest dog is 12 and he hasn't had one for 4 years. 
Our own vet has actaully admitted they do not need these boosters annually. I know there's lots of dog owners who also think they're needless every year.


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2008)

us humans dont have annual tb,tetatnus,rubella etc do we!


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## wooliewoo (May 27, 2008)

Must admit i havent had our eldest done yet shes 7 but still within the time frame if i decided to. Our 3 year old is up to date though. My 17 year old cat hasnt had any jabs since he was 2 and he's had no problems what so ever


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## jackson (May 22, 2008)

Right, where to start. 

There is increasing evidence that annual vaccination is not neccessary because immunity lasts longer than a year, or the dog builds it's own immunity through coming into contact with low levels of the viruses in it's day to day life.

I have my puppy vaccs done, at 10 and 12 weeks, then titre test (a test fro immunity) prior to the yearly booster. My girl is now almost three and has so far only needed her puppy vaccs. Next time we have a litter and I keep a pup, I plan to titre test before having any vaccs. I know people who's pups have never been vaccinated and are immune.

Vaccinating when it's not needed doesn't boost your dogs immunity and it can cause problems, sometimes serious ones, especially to the Leptospirosis vaccine. However, simply not vaccinating without checking your dogs immunity is irresponsible in my opionion and also contributes to lower 'herd immunity'.

Just also to add, you _never_ need to start the course again, immunity doesn't work like that.


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## Insane (Apr 19, 2008)

Hi Jackson

What is a titre test - I have never heard of it. Does the vet do it and how much approx does it cost? 

Also if it shows they have lost their immunity if you don't start immunisation over again how do you resolve this?


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## jackson (May 22, 2008)

Insane said:


> Hi Jackson
> 
> What is a titre test - I have never heard of it. Does the vet do it and how much approx does it cost?
> 
> Also if it shows they have lost their immunity if you don't start immunisation over again how do you resolve this?


Hi!

A titre test is a blood test that tests fro immunity. Your vet will take the blood and send it away fro testing, usually to Glasgow. Glasgow charge £18 for a combined test for Parvo, Distemper and Adeno virus immunity and then your vet will add one whatever they want to charge for the bloods.

If they aren't immune, you just need one vaccination, not a course.


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## Insane (Apr 19, 2008)

Thank you. Wonder why vets never tell you about this?


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2008)

Insane said:


> Thank you. Wonder why vets never tell you about this?


because of the money they would lose!


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## Guest (Jun 5, 2008)

We actually accept dogs that haven't had yearly boosters provided they have a record of being titre tested to prove imunity.


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## jackson (May 22, 2008)

clare7577 said:


> because of the money they would lose!


They wouldn't lose money, in fact, they'd potentially make more.

My vets charge £30 for a vaccination including a full health check, but charged me £62 for my titre. (£18 for lab and £44 for them) If I had then needed to vaccinate they would have still made their £30 on top of that.

I think the reason they don't suggest it routinely is lack of education of the general public and that some people would then think they didn't need to vaccinate, and also not bother to titre test, so their dog might not actually be immune. This thread has demonstarted that.


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## Insane (Apr 19, 2008)

I think I would still prefer to know the truth considering having read like many that the booster is not that good for them. Also you would of thought the vet that I confront about the booster would have had nothing to lose by telling me about the titre test! 

I have changed vets now due to the old ones being a large chain that really only seemed to care about the money and never getting to see the same vet twice, my new ones only have two vets and they always remember my pets, so I will talk to them about this.


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## HandsOnPaws (Apr 18, 2008)

ajshep1984 said:


> We actually accept dogs that haven't had yearly boosters provided they have a record of being titre tested to prove imunity.


Us too. It would be very hypocritcial of us to insist on vaccs when i don't vaccinate my own dog and don't agree with it anyway.


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