Dogs and Vaccines, a discussion - NF

[Joey]

Hi all, every year Ralphie has a very, very bad reaction to the Leptospirosis vaccine, so bad that we do all his vaccine shots a few weeks apart. So today was the Lepto shot and sure enough, he's shaking like a leaf, acting like he's stoned, lethargic, not hungry and just basically not moving. I have already called the vet and we have been through this every year since I've had him and he pulls out of it within a day or two, so they told me not to worry, but said to take him to the emerg vet if I see any hives or swelling.

 

So my questions are, has anyone ever had this problem with their dog and do you think this vaccine is necessary?

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Joey

[chris.brock]

No knowledge about that specific vaccine. Vets are like used car salesmen IMHO. I don't do any vaccinations for my cat and dog, they are both 13, eat turds, drink swamp water, and look like they are in their prime.

Edited February 24, 2015 by chris.brock

[Joey]

No knowledge about that specific vaccine. Vets are like used car salesmen IMHO. I don't do any vaccinations for my cat and dog, they are both 13, eat turds, drink swamp water, and look like they are in their prime.

 

 

Thanks Chris, from what I've been reading online about this vaccine, I'm almost thinking I should do the same

[porkpie]

I vaccinate the dog with a 3 year rabies vaccine, and usually do the rest once in 3 years as well. Vets are making a killing off of unncescessary vaccination frequency and programs like heartworm. Heartworm is becoming slightly more prevalent in Ontario than it was 20 years ago, but still the numbers of cases are staggeringly low. We don't have a long enough mosquito season. I believe in vaccination programs as well, its not like I'm a tin foil hatter but I think they really overdo it.

Edited February 24, 2015 by porkpie

[Joey]

I vaccinate the dog with a 3 year rabies vaccine, and usually do the rest once in 3 years as well. Vets are making a killing off of unncescessary vaccination frequency and programs like heartworm. Heartworm is becoming slightly more prevalent in Ontario than it was 20 years ago, but still the numbers of cases are staggeringly low. We don't have a long enough mosquito season. I believe in vaccination programs as well, its not like I'm a tin foil hatter but I think they really overdo it.

 

Thank you PorkPie, my aunt never had her cat vaccinated as it didn't like to travel in the car. It lived to about 18 years old!!!!

 

Edited to mention: I don't like the heartworm vaccine either (well the liquid you have to put on their back), but we do have mosquitos in our backyard so I do worry about it. Not sure what to think about that either. Any other opinions on the heartworm med???

Edited February 24, 2015 by Joey

[porkpie]

Hey, I'm not saying its not a risk, but its a low risk. If your doing heartworm meds anyway, then you might as well get the one that is combined with flea medication as your dogs are likely to get fleas. We get mosquitos at my place as well. I have a friend who is a Vet, and I asked him in his 15 years of practise if he'd ever diagnosed a case of heartworm. His answer, no, the only place he had ever had any experience with heartworm was at the Ontario Veterinary College. We all have to do what we are comfortable with. I play the odds, after all, its my wife's dog.... lol.

[Rich Clemens]

We follow the recommendations for vaccinations for both of our dogs. We also use Heart Guard and something for fleas and ticks. When we kennel them in the summer, most kennels require that the dogs be up to date on all their shots. This is also a requirement for crossing the boarder coming to Canada. We have to be able to prove they are current on their shots and we have been asked for the paper work a couple times coming into Canada. Fortunately everything was in order and had no problems.

[Joey]

Thanks Rich, I understand why they would want that. (Yet vaccinating your child for measles isn't mandatory, go figure, yet that's another discussion). I have always gotten Ralphie vaccinated every year and always give him his heart worm meds. Before Ralphie I had a cat for 18 years and before that a dog etc, etc, but never had one ever get fleas, so I guess I'm lucky.

 

Okay, well I guess I will continue to do the Lepto every year, it's just so heartbreaking to see him in so much pain tonight

[OhioFisherman]

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-lepto-vaccine-why-vets-give-it-yearly/

 

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2102&aid=454

 

I have never even heard of that, I live in a rural area here, my dog get his normal shots. He has allergies and we had to change him over from oral heartworm medicine to one we apply to his back that also contains flea and tick killer.

[DRIFTER_016]

My dog has a bad reaction to the kennel cough shot.

His reaction was worse when he had it administered nasally.

But when he gets it orally he has no bad reaction.

Ask your vet if this particular vaccine can be administered in ways other than intravenously.

[Joey]

Basically they said this med is if your dog lives in an area where there are racoons (which we do and we walk in the park where there are alot of racoons). I guess I should research it a bit more to find out why. Was just wondering if anyone else's dog had bad reactions to meds and what they thought about them. All responses are very helpful and I thank you all for them. I'm going to find out why the vet mentioned racoons and why this shot is necessary as he already had his rabies shot this year.

[bigugli]

We had one dog, Lucky, that was allergic to one of the shots. Our vet would administer a shot for the reaction the next day and all would be well.

Ticks down in Niagara are a pain. Even with the medication, I pull as many ticks off Casey as I do off myself.

Heartworm is becoming a bigger problem in Ontario. You can put the blame squarely on those rescue agencies that are bringing thousands of dogs annually up from the Southern states. Many of which have not been screened or tested for heartworm and various other diseases. My vet now sees a few infected animals every year

[cram]

If the vaccine affects your dog that way I'd skip it and play the odds that he's not going to get Leptospirosis anyway.

[Joey]

We had one dog, Lucky, that was allergic to one of the shots. Our vet would administer a shot for the reaction the next day and all would be well.

Ticks down in Niagara are a pain. Even with the medication, I pull as many ticks off Casey as I do off myself.

Heartworm is becoming a bigger problem in Ontario. You can put the blame squarely on those rescue agencies that are bringing thousands of dogs annually up from the Southern states. Many of which have not been screened or tested for heartworm and various other diseases. My vet now sees a few infected animals every year

 

Wow, that's brutal. I've never seen a tick in my life, and hope I never do. The heartworm thing is very scary. Sheesh!!!

 

Thanks for the input hon, appreciate it. Looking for all the info I can get here

[Burtess]

I have a 12 year old boxer that gets a rabies vaccine every 5 or so years, otherwise nothing else. He is basically an indoor dog, and we never went to dog parks. We just had him at the vet to get a skin tag that got infected removed and they said almost all the boxers that age that come into the clinic don't leave.... and that ours was in great condition. I think that partially has to do with not getting the vaccinations.

 

Burt

[Steve]

12 year old boxer.

 

wow.

 

don't hear many of those!

[Dozer]

No knowledge about that specific vaccine. Vets are like used car salesmen IMHO. I don't do any vaccinations for my cat and dog, they are both 13, eat turds, drink swamp water, and look like they are in their prime.

 

Exactly this - they push medicine to fill their pockets. Rabies shots for my dog only otherwise my vet wont allow her in his office - lucky for us he isn't one to push all these vaccines on people. We have raccoons, foxes and yotes runnin' through our yard, our dogs always lived healthy, long lives ( we cook for our dogs and offer a varied diet, alongside their daily intake of frozen poopsicles ).

Edited February 24, 2015 by Dozer

[Joey]

Awesome, thanks for the responses. Good info here

[Dozer]

You care a lot for your dog - lucky little bugger. He'll be fine tomorrow, same way it played out the previous times. You say he looks doped up, every time I'm doped up I'm having a hell of a good time - Ralphies probably feeling the same right now

[Joey]

You care a lot for your dog - lucky little bugger. He'll be fine tomorrow, same way it played out the previous times. You say he looks doped up, every time I'm doped up I'm having a hell of a good time - Ralphies probably feeling the same right now

 

 

LOL, thanks, that gave me a good laugh Dozer

[bare foot wader]

Just asked the vet sitting beside me

 

lepto is primarily spread through rats/rat urine...if your dog is likely to have contact with rat urine than it's advisable to continue with the vaccine

 

is this a straight lepto vaccine, or a parvo, distemper, carona combo? does he react only this way to the lepto vaccine?

 

if you are sure he's sensitive only to the lepto, you can get a lepto antibody titer to see if he actually needs the vaccine, his body may possibly have sufficient immunity to mount a defense against virus

 

what breed is he also?

 

my chocolate lab is a hunting dog, he eats various guts of wild game but has also refined his "fox jump" and devours mice and rats all the time....I get him fully vaccinated, but on the topic of worms, make sure your dewormer covers tapeworm, found out this past year I needed to treat tapeworm separately...don't ask how I noticed his infection lol

 

I hope Ralphie is feeling better soon

[Joey]

Just asked the vet sitting beside me

 

lepto is primarily spread through rats/rat urine...if your dog is likely to have contact with rat urine than it's advisable to continue with the vaccine

 

is this a straight lepto vaccine, or a parvo, distemper, carona combo? does he react only this way to the lepto vaccine?

 

if you are sure he's sensitive only to the lepto, you can get a lepto antibody titer to see if he actually needs the vaccine, his body may possibly have sufficient immunity to mount a defense against virus

 

what breed is he also?

 

my chocolate lab is a hunting dog, he eats various guts of wild game but has also refined his "fox jump" and devours mice and rats all the time....I get him fully vaccinated, but on the topic of worms, make sure your dewormer covers tapeworm, found out this past year I needed to treat tapeworm separately...don't ask how I noticed his infection lol

 

I hope Ralphie is feeling better soon

 

He is a 21 lb French Bulldog and he is only sensitive to the lepto vaccine. Seems to be fine with all others. We have no rats in the house, but I've seen the occasional mouse from time to time so not sure if that counts and we usually get rid of them pretty fast with traps when we do notice them. They only come around every few years. Not sure if it is a shortage of food outdoors or what or of the neighbours stopped putting birdseed out and they are scrounging. Anyhow, had no mice this winter. Just had Ralphie 3 years now and the first year we gave all 3 shots at the same time (not sure what they are, but I know Lepto and Rabies for sure) and he was so sick. The next year we did the same and he was so sick again the vet decided not to give him all the shots at the same time. So this year we did the one shot first (he only needs his rabies every couple of years) and then the lepto a week later and sure enough, here we are at almost 1 a.m. and he's still lethargic and sick as a dog

[Freshtrax]

I take my dog to my dads when the farm vet comes to do the horses. 3 year rabies and the full works every year. Why risk it with your best friend. But city vets are expensive, full works for 4 horses, 3 dogs and 2 cats usually runs 400 and change. Plus my 90 dollar scrip for revolution. In the city it seems it's 300 to walk in the door at a vet.

[bigugli]

I take my dog to my dads when the farm vet comes to do the horses. 3 year rabies and the full works every year. Why risk it with your best friend. But city vets are expensive, full works for 4 horses, 3 dogs and 2 cats usually runs 400 and change. Plus my 90 dollar scrip for revolution. In the city it seems it's 300 to walk in the door at a vet.

That says it all right there. Our vet is a tried and true old fashioned, no nonsense horse doctor. A darned good one too! Would not want to take a dog to any other.

 

Casey is with me at the farm most days I go out. He hunts mice, voles, rats, rabbits while I work my veggie plots. Just never know what a rodent is carrying.

[motv8tr]

Joey, I almost lost my Sheppard Dallas several years ago to a vaccine reaction, and haven't vaccinated any of my animals since. I did a fair amount of research and talked to breeders as well. In my opinion if they are vaccinated once, they will carry the antibodies for life, much like we do. In some cases they don't even need to be vaccinated to carry the antibodies, and in other cases, the cure is milder and easier on their system than the vaccine.

 

If you have a concern as to the protection your dog has you can have what is called a titre test done, this will work for rabies as well. The results from these are as valid as proof of vaccination.

 

Look up Dr Jean Dodds who has been researching animal vaccines for years.

 

Maureen