My girl is 7 yrs old and has just been called for her annual booster. I'm not keen if its not absolutely essential, she has been fully jabbed to date.
Any advise as to the latest thoughts on these annual boosters ?

This dog is most likely well covered since it has 7 years of vaccine exposure. I would titre test (with a vaccicheck test, about £40) for parvo, distemper and hep and wouldn't vaccinate.

Basically the current thinking is that vaccines last a lot longer than people have been led to believe, that testing for immunological status is valuable and it is at the very least unnecessary to use core vaccines any more often than three yearly.

http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/WSAVA%20Vaccination%20Guidelines%202015%20Full%20Version.pdf

Have only done puppy course an first booster now for many years.  Currently oldest with this protocol is 10. Her mother had 1 more booster 3 years after first.

This subject is often brought up & everyone has to make their own judgement.

We(my mother & I) have owned dogs for 60 years & only ever had the first set of puppy jabs & no boosters ever. As previously mentioned there is a lot of research out there that says that some last a minimum of 3 years & some longer than 7 years.

First two jabs and no boosters for me and when my lovely girl died from IMHA the first thing the vet mentioned was that vaccinations are the chief suspects for triggering the condition, along with flea and tick treatment, my dog was apparently just unlucky but I wouldn't take the risk

My two are on the 3-yearly regime now having had full puppy shots, boostered 12 months on.    Apart forthe one for Leptospirosis which is said to dip over 12 months and so 'needs' boostering annually.    I have, however, never boostered my lot much after 7 years, relying then on my vet to alert me to a Parvo outbreak locally, which never happened.

Now I live in a far more dog-populated area, with people coming in from all over the country with their dogs for holidays, I have to make a decision re boostering beyond aroung age 7.   It has been pointed out that being exposed to all kind of infection brought in should give mine immunity but I'm not sure.   And we do get calls re lepto. flares regularly from the vets down here.

I did ask about titre checking some while back, but was quoted £60 - and told it wasn't totally accurate either ?????

The trouble with not boostering is those often fatal dog diseases that we don't see that much these days, because dogs are being vaccinated and boostered regularly, might flare up again.......... ?    And is the risk of causing IMHA from vaccinating/boostering etc., greater than the risk of a dog/puppy developing Parvo, Distemper and so on?

I believe its the Leptospirosis booster is the most risky

> I did ask about titre checking some while back, but was quoted £60 - and told it wasn't totally accurate either ?????

It's not - antibodies at a decent level will only show if the immune system has recently encountered the relevant organism.  So a dog can still be fully covered for, say, parvo, but show very low or no antibodies to it because there isn't parvo in the area.  So no recent response from the immune system.

> First two jabs and no boosters for me and when my lovely girl died from IMHA the first thing the vet mentioned was that vaccinations are the chief suspects for triggering the condition, along with flea and tick treatment, my dog was apparently just unlucky but I wouldn't take the risk

I am sorry to read this.  I lost my lab to this disease in July.  In her case it was most likely triggered by an infection - she hadn't had a booster for 4 years at that point - but like you, it's something I am much more aware of now and I have heard of numerous dogs developing it after a vaccination.  As well as other autoimmune diseases.

Its the lepto jab which really worries me.
Apparently the jab rarely lasts a year so should be repeated yearly, but this is one of the more 'dangerous' vaccinations.
My dogs are working dogs so are in contact with ratty areas on a regular basis.
The vaccination worries me. Not vaccinating them for lepto worries me.

Thanks for the replies. My last dog died from GME. She was never allowed another vaccination although my GP vet at that time kept sending me reminders, amazing they didn't know that.
I'll take my girl tomorrow but will discuss my views with the vet.

> The vaccination worries me. Not vaccinating them for lepto worries me.

If it helps to know - I have 21 dogs all vaccinated with Lepto 2 and Lepto 4.  Not a one has shown any reaction whatsoever.  Dogs are x-breeds, Collies, Yorkies and LC Chihuahuas.