Our two dogs are 5 & 6 and I have just had the reminder for their annual boosters. I am aware some of the issues; over burdening the immune system, whether after a certain age they should be done at all or every three years. Can I please ask for your thoughts and experience, Lacy

Mine have always had annual boosters with no ill-effects whatsoever. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection not a viral infection, and so the immunity is shorter-lived, and needs to be done annually. The other diseases are viral, so immunity tends to last longer especially if the dog is frequently meeting infected dogs and so boosting its immunity naturally. However this is very unlikely, and so 3-yearly boosting is the normal protocol for these diseases.

I must admit i hadnt had leo done for about 3 years when he died (unrelated)

You will receive conflicting advice on this as people will tend to go off their experience and here is mine:

Annual boosters are not necessary, most vaccine manufacturers advice every 3 years for boosters - there is an argument that the lepto needs to be done yearly, although I was advised this vaccine only lasts between 3-9 months so the dog is unprotected for much of the time anyway and, the strains used in the vaccine are not the strains found in the uk.  It is also the vaccine that most dogs react badly to.

I was also advised by a a specialist on the subject of vaccines that once a dog is immune then that immunity will last for 7 years to life, and therefore once dogs have had their puppy vaccines a titre test (blood test) yearly is all that is necessary to establish if they still have immunity.  This is what they take to find out if the rabies vaccine has worked, so you need to ask your vet for this - who will probably try to talk you out of it.

My last dog died aged 3 from an adverse reaction to his booster :( and now, my dogs are vaccinated as a puppy and then not again, they have had titre tests and once when one of their titres was low for parvo I was unable to find a vet in the area who would do the single parvo vaccine, all wanted to give the whole lot - so I went down the homeopathic route of nosodes and when they need to go into kennels the homeopathic vet signs their vaccine card advising they are protected.

It's a difficult one because we all want to keep our dogs as safe as we possibly can, but after the horrific experience I had with Spangler, I am now extra careful with vaccines and any drugs used on my boys (aged 4 & 5) and I'm pleased to say they are very healthy :)

All mine have always had their vaccinations every year, always. The last dog I lost was 15 years and 2 months old and he had a very bad heart and all sorts of other issues (all breed and age related), yet lived almost 8 years longer than the vet had predicted, and he still had his boosters. The vet said as we live in a rural area and there are rats about, NOT vaccinating him would be by far the riskier option.

Haven't boostered my dogs for around 17 years now after losing a number of Pomeranian's within days of vaccinations.

>and, the strains used in the vaccine are not the strains found in the uk.

I'm afraid this is untrue. A year or so ago at work we treated a (unboostered) dog for leptospirosis, and an independent laboratory confirmed it as a strain covered by the vaccine.

Apart from the 2 sets of puppy jabs, we don't booster at all & never have. Our dogs have a long and problem free life.

You will have stories from both sides, for and against. I think you have to get as much info as you can and then make up your own mind with no feelings of guilt or should I shouldn't I. The jabs can go wrong either way so it is a chance if you do and a chance if you don't. I have seen the dreadful parvo first hand so my dogs are all boostered every year and so far with no bad reactions, but that is my choice.

Many thanks for all of your advise, I was aware that views would be vary. Unfortunately they do not mix with lots of dogs (Otto, has severe leg probs & has to be walked on lead for short periods. Lucas, is fine with dogs he knows but is called back to be put on lead with the majority of others), does mixing with others boost imunity? I have done a fair amount of research on the net but so much conflicting advise out there and will discuss with the vet first.

I'm afraid this is untrue. A year or so ago at work we treated a (unboostered) dog for leptospirosis, and an independent laboratory confirmed it as a strain covered by the vaccine.

I had this info about the lepto strains not found in the uk 4 years ago, so the strains now in the UK may have changed, but the vaccine hasn't recently changed to my knowledge (and my vet's). 

It is also worth remembering that dogs fully boostered do die from the diseases supposedly protected against - as with a friends dog who died with lepto during the floods last year (fully boostered).

 

does mixing with others boost imunity

Again just to add to the confusion you will get different views, some will say because they don't mix they are not challenged so will need boostering others will say because they don't mix they don't need boostering.

I would be less inclined to have the dog with leg problems boostered especially if he is on pain killers or anti inflammatories from the vet as his immune system will not be as strong as it could be. 

My last dog certainly did not need boostering, he spent the last year of his life (aged 2-3) having various operations and in splints for his leg problems, as soon as he was almost recovered the vets sent his booster reminder and he was dead within a week.

Your vet will advise to booster so it is good that you have done the research beforehand, do think about titre tests though, at least you will know if they are protected by the antibodies in their blood - that way you can make an informed decision.  If the antibodies are high they have immunity if they have no antibodies then they may need a booster.  Chances are if they have been vaccinated in the past their antibodies will be high and they won't need a booster.

Perry replying to you as your the last post. Seems as I thought, having just confirmed with their insurance company that even if they have a blood test to check for levels of sufficient immunity, they will loose their cover.

Lacy it depends on the insurance company.

If you titre test and the results are positive the insurance company cannot argue with you as technically it has been proven the animal has immunity for these diseases.

Some vaccinated animals are not immune to these diseases as the vaccine has not taken. These animals have not been titre tested yet walking around with no immunity. Insurance companies and the vaccine manufacturers know this so this point can be easily argued.

All vaccine contra-indications/warnings say you do not vaccinate unhealthy animals. You go by what the vaccine manufacturer state/advice. You do not go by what the vet states/advice as they are not the ones that have all clinical data on these vaccines. 

If your animal has any health problems, state your concerns to the vet and ask for them to contact the vaccine company for written confirmation that the vaccine is ok to have with that certain illness.  If the vet refuses then contact the vaccine company yourself and ask for written confirmation. When you receive written confirmation you can send a copy to the insurance company and give a copy to your vets. If the vaccine company state that the vaccine is ok with that illness you will then have peace of mind :)

Hi Lacy, I don't vaccinate my dogs and they are insured by Pet Plan, they have full cover and the only thing they would not be covered for is for any illness that a vaccine may prevent, they are covered for everything else though.  Maybe worth looking at a different insurance company if you are going to titre test?

I did receive a letter from Virbac (vaccine manufacturer responsible for my dogs reaction) and they wrote in the letter 'in a perfect world all dogs would be titre tested to establish if a vaccine was necessary'!  Something I find amazing that they admitted and more amazed they don't recommend it before vaccines are routinely given.

> the only thing they would not be covered for is for any illness that a vaccine may prevent

Perry yes you are right, present insurance would only be invalid for any illness the vaccine may prevent. I worded my reply badly. They are saying that I would have to vaccinate for cover and a titre test even if it showed immunity would invalid cover as it was 'elective' (as I take that to mean my choice for which I would have paid), I don't understand the reasoning.  Could someone explain why in the human vaccine such as MMR it only has to be given twice but with dog vaccines they are ongoing? Lacy

Could someone explain why in the human vaccine such as MMR it only has to be given twice but with dog vaccines they are ongoing?

Lacy you have hit the nail on the head there!  And once a dog has immunity (very much like humans) the immunity lasts for a long time and it has been proven 7 years to life! (see Canine Concern website link above).

It was also confirmed to me by a professor specialisng in vaccines for dogs that once dogs have immunity then it will usually last for 7 years to life and that is the reason he advised me to do titre rather than booster once the dogs had their puppy jabs.

I think it is  a small price to pay for my dogs not to be covered by the insurance for vaccine related illnesses, in return for 2 healthy dogs with strong immune systems.

Perrodeagua and Lucy, you are absolutely right about not having those 'chemicals' injected into dogs every year and I am also not having it in my two youngest dogs, who had them at 9 and 11 weeks and not since!

I have read a book about it, and my brother's best friend is a vet and has told him that once a pup has had it's two lots of jabs, most provide either lifelong immunity or immunity for at least seven years and like our children don't get jabbed every year, then our dogs don't need it either or they'll never build up immunity. 

Also cost depends on where you live as to how much you pay too... mine cost £56 each, yet my sister pays only £16 for hers... but her vet runs round in his old Land Rover and my vets have posh cars!!!  Her vet told her that anything over £3 for the jabs is profit.... and quite clearly my vets are greedy!!!! 

I have just paid £17.88 for eye ointment that costs £5.19 in Boots and almost £8 for eye/tear drops that are £1.99 in Boots.... that, as well as £35 consultation fee for a quick look at my dog's eye that he's been rubbing on the carpet!!!

Getting back to the injections, a good friend of mine's puppy has just had an absolutely dreadful reaction to the second jab and pup is very ill on a drip at the moment!!!  :(

My last dog I sadly lost through cancer, just like a previous dog I had rescued.... and several friend's have lost dogs through cancer, yet years ago my parents had several dogs, never innoculated, that all died of old age and there didn't seem to be the cancers around like there are now!!!  WHY SHOULD THIS BE?  I wonder if all these chemicals pumped annually into dogs are detrimental to the health of some of them and denying them the chance of living to a good age.  I know that if vets or their staff read this, would say different to what some of us think or do... but then they lose money if more and more people decide to let their dogs build up their own immunity and like our kids, just have innoculations done as youngsters and NOT every year!!

<<I wonder if all these chemicals pumped annually into dogs are detrimental to the health of some of them and denying them the chance of living to a good age.>>

BassetLover7, the reality is likely to be more complex--and much more sobering. It isn't just what we feed our pets, or what we inject them with. Think about the everyday chemicals people use: air fresheners, the flame retardants used on furniture that dogs might chew and household cleaning products, the hidden pollution in watercourses our dogs swim in and the effect of naturally occurring carcinogens like radon. One or two factors might make no difference to your pet, but the combination of exposure to several such risks inevitably raises the odds, just as it does for any species.

The US Environmental Protection Agency comes in for deserved criticism, but one big achievement was the development of its Toxic Release Inventory in 1987, which today lists the 650 most common chemicals in use/released to air, ground and/or water that are known or suspected to be carcinogenic, mutagenic (causing permanent changes in genetic material, e.g. DNA) or teratogenic (causing malformation of the embryo/foetus). The Environment Agency now does something similar and you can find information about specific chemicals at:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/topics/pollution/1.aspx

Both the TRI and the EA list symptoms of poisoning and this is where the trouble starts. Many of the symptoms are so broad-ranging and not necessarily seen as 'important' (e.g. headache, sore throat, tiredness). Even if we guess there's something wrong and are capable of describing exactly what we feel, are we likely to convince a GP who may not know much or be sympathetic to the concept of environmental medicine? Well, exactly--and that's why our pets have a dog's chance with the increase of cancers.

I think it is very much pesonal choice- i am a veterinary nurseand we use Nobivac vaccines on the three yearly cycle. I will vaccinate my dogs as they go to agility and flyball every weekend and mix with a lot of other dogs. I also don't think that it is neccessarily true that if a dog has puppy vaccines they are covered for life- we last year had a dog die with parvo virus that was six years old that had its initial puppy course and 1st booster but no more. We have also had 2 dogs recently with leptosporosis, both have recovered and both were insured but as the dogs vaccines were not up to date they will not receive payment. I also think personally you can over vaccinate and yes some animals do have vaccine reactions no doubt but i would be absolutely gutted if anything happened to mine and i could have prevented it. I would always use a vet that used the three year cycle so my dogs do not get a full booster every year. As i have said it is very much personal choice and everyone is free to make their own decisions but i think if i ever decided to stop vaccination i would definately titre test.

I would also like to say that Bassetlover7 i think a vet would be very lucky to be able to buy the vaccines cost price at £3 a vaccine. I do the ordering for our branch and i also pay cost price for my vaccines as i work at the vets and i pay a lot more than £3 for a vaccine and i know cost price to us is definately more than £3 per vaccine. Our booster price to clients is  £33 which is the cost price of vaccine plus a consultation charge. Maybe if you buy in enough bulk you can get them at that price but i doubt many practices would manage to buy enough to get them at that price.

I have all my puppies 1st & 2nd puppy vacc'd and a booster at around 18 months.  I titre test every 2/3 years and booster if necessary.  My eldest dog is almost 9 and has not been vac'd for years, he still has immunity. 

I used to work in a vets and understand that some vets insist on yearly boosters but I dont booster my kids year after year so that tells me something.  Also, I recently went to a seminar held by RVS in London, we talked about boosters and how some vets insist on starting the course of vaccines from scratch if you are over one month late in some cases - they said this is never ever necessary and vets should not be suggesting this.  I am lucky to have likeminded vet and we discuss my dogs as individuals.