good article about how often dogs need vaccines

I found this after doing looking for something lovdapits brought up on the heartworm post. It caught my attention and the one about senior vaccinations, thought Id post sincethere has been a lot of talk here aoubr yearly vaccitions

Ron Hines DVM PhD 1/8/04

Vaccinations Given In The United States:
For the last forty years, it has been standard veterinary practice in the United States to vaccinate dogs yearly for canine distemper virus (CDV), canine leptospirosis (CL), canine adenovirus-1 & hepatitis (CAV-1), canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV), canine parvovirus (CPV), canine Coronavirus (CV) as well as canine bordatella or kennel cough and Lyme disease.

How Vaccines Work:
Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies to a disease organism so that the dog is protected against various pathogens in its environment. If the immunized dog is later exposed to the infectious agent, these antibodies react quickly to attack and neutralize the disease

Puppyhood Vaccinations:
When it comes to puppies most veterinarians are in agreement. Puppies should receive their CDV,CL, CAV-1,CPIV and CPV vaccinations at 7-9 weeks of age, 12-13 weeks of age, and finally at 16-18 weeks of age to insure they are well protected against these diseases. I generally administer an intranasal preparation of canine bordatella at 12 and 18 weeks of age. At 12-16 weeks of age I give puppies a killed three-year rated rabies virus vaccination (Meriel Emrab-3). All the products on the market for canine leptospirosis are all killed products. Those for the rest of these diseases are freeze-dried living virus that have been grown in tissue culture in a way that makes them non-pathogenic i.e. unable to cause disease. Actually, a single injection, at the right time, of all these live products imparts good, long lasting immunity to all of these diseases. The problem is that puppies absorb antibodies against these diseases from their mothers. Depending on the level of immunity in the mother, this transient parental immunity in the offspring interferes with the puppy’s ability to produce its own long lasting immunity to these diseases. In some puppies, parental immunity is low enough that by 8-12 weeks the vaccination to work. In others, parental immunity interferes with the action of the vaccine for up to 18 weeks. The tests that determine parental immunity levels in puppies are expensive and rarely run. So because we do not know just when to vaccinate we give a series of three or four injections so that at least one of them will work. I only give Coronavirus vaccine to puppies because it is a disease of puppies.

Adult Immunizations:
Once we are sure we have a protected puppy we need to decide how often we should revaccinate the pet to keep immunity levels protective. Until recently, veterinarians simply gave all dogs booster shots every year. This is what the vaccine manufacturers suggested. Besides, it brought our clientele back to our animal hospitals yearly, which increased our income and gave us the opportunity to detect problems early before the owners were aware of them. Most veterinarians do a thorough physical examination on pets at the time of their yearly vaccinations and we often detect problems during the exam.. By law, most states require a yearly rabies vaccination even though studies have shown that many of the rabies vaccines we use give us three years of protection.

Many veterinarians, myself included, were suspicious that the vaccines we used were giving much longer periods of protection than one year. We knew this because we never saw distemper, hepatitis or parvovirus disease in dogs that had been vaccinated - even many years earlier. Part of the problem involves the typical fee structures of veterinary practices. We tend to undercharge for complex surgery and subsidize those procedures with the money we earn on yearly vaccinations. I do not know how this practice came about but it has existed at least since the 1950’s. There was also an incentive for vaccine manufacturers to sell more vaccine if boosters were recommended annually as well as a one-year mindset among the bureaucrats that staff the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics that dictate vaccination protocols. These are the same deep thinkers that put a two-year expiration date on a vial of water.

How Frequently To Immunize:
In the January 2004 issue of a U.S. veterinary journal, an article was published by the Pfizer Drug Company, a major manufacturer of dog vaccines. They determined that their canine vaccines were active (protective) up to and beyond four years after administration for all five of these diseases (1). Other studies have documented immunity lasting up to seven years (2)(3). No two vaccine manufactures produce identical products so you should not assume that the brand your veterinarian uses induces this long immunity but I suspect they all protect well over a year.

There may be risks associated with too frequent vaccinations. For one, the immune system of your pet is stressed by these vaccinations. Occasional dogs develop allergic reactions, facial edema, enteritis, lethargy, fevers, pruritis, nausea, coughing. We also suspect that vaccinations can trigger certain autoimmune diseases such as Adison’s disease on dogs. Occasionally these reactions are life threatening. Vaccines contain many ingredients besides the dried virus. Some of these, antibiotics and adjuvants (enhancers) are implicated in vaccine reactions. When these vaccinations are given they are best given subcutaneously with a TB syringe with 25-gauge needle. This small needle is less likely to carry a plug of skin into the injection site causing swelling and inflammation. In dogs that have had prior history of vaccine reactions I often do not give yearly vaccinations. I feel the risks outweigh the benefits. If I am suspicious that a dog might have a reaction to a particular vaccine I pre-administer antihistamines (Benadryl) and give a minute test dose of 0.05ml. If the dog is normal thirty minutes after the test dose I give it the remaining one-milliliter. I limit yearly or every two-year vaccinations for the four “core” diseases to “higher risk dogs”. Higher risk dogs are dogs that roam or take unsupervised strolls; dogs that play with other dogs not from their household, dogs that have contact with wild animals, or swim and drink from pools puddles and streams. Other higher risk dogs are coprophagic (eat stool). Others are more at risk because the attend obedience classes, dog shows, field trials, and large grooming and boarding facilities. About half the dogs I see fall into this higher risk category.

Determining The Need For Booster Vaccinations By Serum Titer:
The scientific way to determine if your dog needs a booster vaccination is to run serum titer tests. Protective titres for CDV are 1:32 or greater. For CAV-1, CAV-2 and CPIV titer of 1:16 or greater are protective and for CPV titer of 1:80 or greater are protective and mean your dog does not need a booster vaccination. Many veterinary laboratories already offer this service http://www.antechdiagnostics.com/ .

Least protective appear to be the vaccinations against CPIV, Bordatella, Lime Disease and the various serovars (types) of Leptospirosis. For these diseases, annual vaccination is probably a good idea. It is a good idea to give your pet a booster vaccination against Bordatella (kennel cough) about two weeks before it is kenneled.

And I like this one

Vaccinating Your Senior Dog
by: Dr. Dawn Ruben


Despite the well-known benefits of vaccination, the practice of annual vaccination of senior dogs is controversial.

Vaccinations (immunizations, "shots") have saved the lives of millions of dogs. Before the days of effective vaccines, dogs routinely died from distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and complications of upper respiratory infections. Current vaccination programs protect our dogs (and us) from the threat of rabies. As pets age, questions about vaccinations arise. Common questions include which vaccines a senior dog needs and how often should he be vaccinated. Unfortunately, the absolute answers to these questions are not known but there are several recommendations.

Despite the well-known benefits of vaccination, the practice of annual vaccination of senior dogs is controversial. Some veterinarians believe that annual revaccination is an important and critical part of preventative health care. There has been some research that indicates that the immune system of older dogs is not as effective as younger dogs. This suggests that older dogs may be more susceptible to diseases and therefore require annual vaccinations. Other veterinarians feel that many vaccines last in the body longer than one year, and annual vaccination is not worth the risk of allergic reaction or other immune diseases. Of course, some vaccines (rabies) are required by law and must be administered on a regular basis.

The one thing that many veterinarians agree on is that dogs should only be vaccinated against those diseases for which they are susceptible. For example, if you and your dog do not live in an area endemic for Lyme disease, vaccinating for that disease is not recommended.

Rabies should be given based on local laws. In some areas, rabies vaccination must be given every year. In other areas, local law allows vaccination to be given every three years.

Recommendations

The foremost recommendation is to discuss the vaccination program with your veterinarian. Don't hesitate to ask questions about the pros and cons of vaccinations.

For dogs older than 7 to 9 years, annual revaccination (boosters) should be discussed with your veterinarian. In the past, the DHLP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus) vaccine was typically given each year. These recommendations may be changing. The most appropriate vaccination program for your pet should be followed.

If the risk of kennel cough is great, a vaccine against bordetella is recommended. The bordetella vaccine needs to be given at least yearly, and each year you and your veterinarian should assess whether it is required. The rabies vaccine should be given as recommended by local law. Newer vaccines effective against specific forms of the bacteria leptospirosis may be important in some areas. The need for the vaccine should be determined based on the area of the country your dog lives in and his or her life-style.

Other vaccinations that are sometimes given by your veterinarian include coronavirus, Lyme and giardia. These are not routinely given to every animal, and their use should be discussed with your veterinarian.

I agree with this one that you should look at what your envirornment is - is your dog going to dog parks, being boarded, etc, then that pshould decide what vaccine you should get.

As for how often, I would like to get moreinfo on this. I read sometime last year and I cant remember the name, but ts our version of the AMA, but for vetinary that came out with new guidelines on how often certain vaccinations should be done and some wre 2-3 years instead of yearly. Now I cant find it

honeybear

 

Great post honeybear!! I had someone asking me about vaccinations the other day I will print this up and take it too her! Thanks

 

At Jakes next vet appt I am going to ask about senior part. Midas my cat is about 9 and he was at the vet last month and my vet said he didnt want to give him some of his shots for another year or so and the standard protocal is yearly because of his age.

honeybear

 

I don't agree with the recommendations in those articles. I think they are still promoting too frequent vaccinations. I am working with a homeopath with Nala, because I think a lot of her behaviors stem from rabies vaccinosis. I dread having to make a decision this fall about whether to comply with the law and get her revaccinated for rabies - but I am definitely not getting ANY other vaccinations. She had WAY more than enough as a puppy and does not need any more.

Second, titers are not a reliable method to determine immunity. An antibody is only present if the immune system has been challenged recently. So your dog can be immune but not have a titer show up. If your county or boarding kennel will accept a titer in lieu of vaccinations, however, go for it. If they come back positive, then you are set.

Once you are immune to something, you are immune forever. You can't be "sort of" immune any more than you can be "sort of" pregnant. Unfortunately I don't have a citation and I don't have time to look for one right now, but I know I read that it has been shown in dogs where the shot does not "take" that more shots will not help, either. Wait. I just found it (http://toller.tripod.com/vaccine.html):

It seems to me that I read Bordatella is unnecessary because it is easily treated if the animal does get it. I could be wrong about that - I can't remember where I read it. But it goes along with the idea of not subjecting your pet to medications "just in case".

I posted some more links in this thread if anyone is interested:
http://www.auspet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1792


Jamiya

 

I posted on the bortadella about this time last year because my vet said it is prevailant around here and it should be given twice a year. Even thought my dogs arent put in situations like keenels dog parks etc. I think it was you Jimiya suggested I call another vet and see what they say. Well I talked a rescuer whose vet told her only to vaccinate for bortadella if they are in at risk siutaitons which would make more sense to me.

I was discussing this my husband last night and he is a believer in vaccinations. He said they can catch it at the vet, what about the neighbors dog who is kenneled all of the time, and then our dog is around them. But isnt tha like saying well your child cant go anywhere becasue of possilbe exposure to colds flue etc. So I am caught between rock and a hard place with him. I dont think bortedella "kennel cough" is easy treatable. I will lookinto that.

Jimiya, dont you have to show proof of vaccinations in the agility things you do?

honeybear

 

I don't recall there being any questions about vaccinations on the agility entry form I filled out.

For Bonnie's therapy dog certification, they used to require a whole slew of vaccinations. Their new rules now state that due to changing vaccination recommendations, they only require the vaccinations required by law and recommended by your personal vet. Therefore, rabies would be good enough for her.

I know there are people that "make" their own vaccination certificates. That is illegal. That's all I am saying on the matter.

In some states, vaccination does not have to be performed by a vet. You can get the vaccinations from mail order or feed supply stores. Rabies comes with a tag. If your county will accept vaccination by a non-vet, then you can order the vaccinations and get the tag and packaging and simply not administer the vaccination and no one would ever be the wiser. Unfortunately, my county rabies laws state that the vaccination must be given by a vet.

I am NOT vaccinating my indoor, 13-year-old cats ever again. They have never been registered with the city anyway. Bonnie is also not registered to me - she is still registered by the shelter. Haven't decided what I am going to do about this yet.

There is a balance. You have to weigh health risks with legal risks and the risks of consequences if something were to happen - like if you don't vaccinate your dog for rabies and then he bites someone.

For rabies, you can look into the 3-year vaccinations. I asked my vet about it once, and the receptionist told me that it is different than the 1-year. But from what I have read, the stuff in the bottle is exactly the same - it is only the packaging that is different. In that case, it would be better to give the 3-year, remain on the correct side of the law, and expose your dog to the least amount of vaccinations possible. And some counties will totally exempt you from rabies if there is a medical risk verified by your vet.

If you find out about how they cure bordatella, let me know! Oh, and since you are seeing a holistic vet with Jake, have you asked him about his take on vaccinations? The holistic vet I consulted with for my cat's heart condition recommends only vaccinations required by law, and that's because they have no choice.


Jamiya

 

Jimiya, i read your first link with interest about pups antibodies. So is this correct in what they are saying that if the pup still has the mothers antibodies and they are for example vaccinated for parvo, they are not protected? that it needs to be done after the mohters antibodies are no longer present? Then that would explain, the posters here whose pups have come down with parvo after being vaccinated.

honeybear

 

Yes, this is correct. This is the fundamental reason behind the series of puppy and kitten shots. Because the vets don't test to see when the maternal antibodies are gone, they have to guess. So, they adminster the first shots at about 6-8 weeks and do them every 2-3 weeks until around 12-16 weeks (depending on your vet), when they are fairly sure that they have worn off. Any shots received before the antibodies are gone do not "take" and the pup will not be protected in the future.

If you read the Toller limited vaccination protocol link, the breeder talks about this and what she does for her pups as a result.

The thing about vaccinations is that they actually WEAKEN the immune system. Introducing 7 live viruses directly into the bloodstream all at once is highly unnatural and stressful for the animal! Some never fully recover, although the signs of this are usually not linked to the vaccination. We think that is "just the way the pup is", etc. Most of the time in nature, a pup will encounter ONE virus at a time, and it makes its way into the body through the digestive system or the respiratory system. Often, it never makes it into the bloodstream at all as it is defeated by the primary defense of the body - skin, mucus linings, etc. And if it DOES make it into the bloodstream, the body has had time to prepare a defense to it. Injecting live viruses directly into the blood skips all of this. This is also why, if you decide to do Bordatella, that you should use the nasal drops rather than the shot.

Only vaccinating for things your dog is at risk for is also a good policy. Bordatella only if you are going to be boarding. No lyme disease if it is not in your part of the country. Skip lepto altogether.

A healthy dog with a strong immune system (due to healthy diet, exercise, absence of vaccinations and poisons) can fight off most germs it comes in contact with.


Jamiya

 

This is really interesting and reading the literature there's alot to say they are over vacinated.
Over here they're not vacinated until they're 12 weeks, and then the next jab 2 weeks later, that's it till the next year.
No kennels or training school will allow dogs or cats without up to date vacination papers so if I decide to do agility with Floob I'm going to have to keep his vacinations going. I was hoping to go with an alternative but no chance of that.

 

Here in Calif rabies is only 3 years which is good. why is it that bortadella is better thru the nose than a shot. Come to think of it I posted about 4months ago, I think Wylie had a reaction to her bortadella shot. Always in the past it had been given in the nose and this time it was a shot. she got it the day before, well the next night she was panting heavily, like she was burning up and she was acting weird trying to crawl under the bed but she wouldnt fit. hmmmm

As for Jake, I will ask the holistic vet about his approach to vaccniation. If this discussion had come before his appt I would have talked to him about it. Wylie I think is the same age as Jake but I dont see her a senior until probably she is 9 because of her energy level I also want to ask him about lime disease since we do get a lot of ticks and they were vaccinated about 5 years ago but havent been since.

I dont have them registered either, and someone recently posted that that got a ticket for not having their dog registered. And my neighbor chewed me out for not doing it because she said the money goes to the county shelter and they desperately need the money

honeybear

 

So give money straight to the county shelter.

I have read that Bordatella is better through the nose because at least that way it is entering the body through a more natural route. Injecting it directly into the bloodstream gives the body no chance to prepare for it or attack it through the primary defense mechanisms, i.e. the mucus lining of the nose and respiratory tract. In nature, a dog would not contract bordatella through the bloodstream - it is airborn (I assume).

I would be especially careful about vaccinating Jake. With his allergy issues (which is an autoimmune disorder), I would think vaccinations would make it even worse. Besides, you are not supposed to give vaccinations to a sick animal (because it overtaxes an already taxed immune system), and I can't imagine a scratching, black ick dog would be considered in top physical condition.


Jamiya

 

"a scratching, black ick dog" LoL jimiya described Jake perfectly. not to mention he is been on 9 weeks of antibiotics the last 6 months

honeybear

 

Poor dear. I hope he keeps getting better!


Jamiya