Hi, I'm after a bit of advice :)

I took my dog for her 1st booster on Monday.  She has had her puppy course and this was her first booster.  Due to being in hospital when it was due she was almost 5 weeks late. 

The vet insisted we had to start the course again as we were over 2 weeks late.  Had to be quite insistent that I didn't want it as I don't believe in over vaccinating, and would in future be titre testing (something they don't do) which didn't go down well and I was left feeling like a bad owner.

Now wondering if I should have had the second vaccination to insure she's covered before I start titre testing.

Opinions anyone??

Thanks x

No way, a booster is a booster no matter the time lag.  A dog that has had a full course, and for most of the important viral components any dog over 12 weeks does not need more than one jab.

Here is the information on the actual vaccine data sheet for one vaccine commonly used.

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Virbac_Limited/Canigen_DHP/-42608.html

"Vaccination regime

Primary course vaccination

A single injection should establish active immunity in dogs of 10 weeks of age or older. Where earlier protection is required a first dose may be given to puppies from 6 weeks of age, but because maternally derived passive antibody can interfere with the response to vaccination a final dose should be given 2-4 weeks later i.e. at 10 weeks of age or older.

Booster vaccination

To maintain protection a single booster dose is recommended every three years.

The product can be used in pregnant bitches which have previously been vaccinated with Canigen DHPPi, Canigen DHP, Canigen PPi or Canigen Pi"

Other vaccines have similar.

This article will tell you a lot from the expert in canine immunology, there are links to further reading: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/taking-the-risk-out-of-puppy-shots/

You could run a quantitive titre three weeks or so aft booster to ensure the dog has achieved appropriate levels. I have just had mine done via BioBest labs, got my vet to draw blood and posted sample with submission form to lab. Result came back to me via email with in the week. Cost £ 41.50 PLUS vat. Very cost effective as same test by my vets usual lab was double !
http://www.biobest.co.uk/diagnostics/species/dogs.html
http://www.biobest.co.uk/assets/files/forms/canine_and_feline_pre-booster_submission_form.pdf

There is also an in-house titre test kit called Vaccicheck(sp)

My vet only asks for a full set (two jabs,) if the booster is over 3 months overdue.  So your vet is wrong, and I know other vets who say 3 months.  As it happens, my own vet only does a full booster every 3rd year.  Although parvo is done annually.  Which is fine with me, I wouldn't want to lose the annual health checks.  I have heart, eyes etc checked and that is what I want.

Thanks everyone, that's put my mind at rest. My vet allows a 2 week window so I was only 3 weeks late, hence the reason I thought she was being unreasonable. I have found a vet locally that vaccichecks so will go there I'm future.

This is something that really hacks me off.  All the info you need is in Brainless's post - the double puppy shot is because of maternal antibodies, which adult dogs do not have.  So why would any adult dog ever need a second shot?

> the double puppy shot is because of maternal antibodies, which adult dogs do not have.  So why would any adult dog ever need a second shot?

Exactly

I never have boosters done before 15 months after the previous one and I certainly would leave any vet who wanted to insist on a double "booster". It really is nonsense to say your dog needed doing because she was three weeks overdue. Go armed with your "ammunition" next time as to why protection lasts a very long time.

Print this minimum immunity chart too: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/what-every-vet-should-know-about-vaccines/

Thanks everyone.  I've been stewing over this and the more I've read your comments the more irritated I've become!! Seems to me they are putting money before the dogs welfare and I will be ringing around to see if there are better vets in vicinity.

My dogs were very late with their annual jabs and as we've got a massive parvovirus outbreak in the area (one small vet saw 70 cases of confirmed parvo in a week) I got mine to the vets last week.

They only had one injection (I think it was the 5 in 1) and are due back in a couple of weeks for their kennel cough and flu jabs. There was no mention of them needing multiple jabs (as they do for puppies) and I can't imagine my vets steering me wrong on this.

> There was no mention of them needing multiple jabs (as they do for puppies)

1The manufacturers datasheets say the same it isn't just those who don't agree with ove4r vaccination.  the manufacturers themselves state that for the viral components in modified live vaccines only one jab needed for an adult dog (whether they have ever been vaccinated or not). 

In fact my friend in Scotland had her vet look into the matter carefully, and her youngest pups have only ever had one jab, as they were vaccinated after 12 weeks and she didn't want the Lepto.