Anyone use them?  I saw an advert this morning on TV for vaccinations for £15 so as one of mine is due boosters, I googled it.  Loads of offers!  Neutering cats for £5.  And, you can pay £9.99 per month and it covers you for vet treatment.  Things like urine tests, blood tests, anal glands, ear swabs etc.  Sounds OK.  The thing I was thinking was, the new practice is just round the corner from my usual vets so it will maybe make them re-think their prices!!

Any good/bad reviews?

> so it will maybe make them re-think their prices!!
>

It may actually lead to an increase in prices for emergency work if they lose a lot of these routine procedures.

My daughter use them for her dogs. Some of the offers are good but others not so. Personally I don't see any need for blood works and urine tests twice a year (which was part of the monthly offer) in healthy dogs for instance, and we decided against paying for lifetime vaccinations because what if she moved? (Which turned out to be just as well.) Other than that their prices seem pretty average. One of her dogs picked up some stomach bug last year and went to the vet, the cost for examination and a couple of injections (which did the trick) was £60.

I've given up loyalty to my usual vet!  Everytime I go in now, it's another 'child' straight out of school.  I end up telling them how to treat(and saving some money in the process) the dog!  The senior partners are never on emergency night service so I would get one of the young ones should I need them so I don't see the difference to be honest.
My dogs boosters have lapsed by 3 years.  I don't give boosters usually but she is booked into kennels so needs it refreshed but instead of a booster, they are making me give her the entire puppy vaccines again!! I am so mad.  It's not the money, it's the un-necessary medication!! I'm going to try the P4V and see if they will accept just boostering her.

There's one of these just opened up down the road from me. I went in to enquire as my dog has a problem with her anal glands in that she has to have then emptied manually, can't seem to do it on her own. Their £9.99 a month plan appealed to me as currently my vet charge £32 to empty her anal glands! It's not something the vet nurse will do there, you have to see the main vet.  Another money making deal for them. 

Anyhow, I didn't want to change vets really as I am happy with them in all other aspects but faced with paying £9.99 a month as opposed to £32 every 4 weeks, I was willing to give it a go. I didn't get further than the receptionist though, as I was talking to her explaining about the problem we have.....she was a receptionist but said she would be starting her training to be a vet nurse in the next couple of months.  She immediately tried to persuade me to book an appointment to have my dog's anal glands removed.....said it would be more "cost effective" for me as the operation itself was about £300 and I would therefore save money in the long run, especially if I was paying £32 a time at the moment!  I wasn't very impressed, would rather pay £32 a time than put my dog through a needless operation for my own convenience!

I have since found a dog groomer who will empty the glands for £5, she's brilliant with my dog and its much less stressful for her than it is when she goes to the vets :-)

There is no justification to give a full course of vaccination to a previously vaccinated (or any adult) dog.  A booster is a booster is a booster no matter the time lag.  Insist, I had this once and told them that Intervet and the WSAVA guidelines say so.

My hubby had his last pup booked in for jabs there and the vet put the needle straight through the skin and out again squirting the vaccination into fresh air. Hubby had to insist on her doing it again . I wouldn't want to move mine but that is just down to that one experience.

The full course just means they need to give an extra dose of the Lepto vaccination 2-4 weeks later. Current guidelines for Lepto says that if it lapses then you need 2 to give full immunity again.
You don't need an extra vaccination for parvo/distemper/hepatitis, this lasts for at least 3 years, possibly longer, and if the vet is trying to give 2 doses of that one as well then they're definitely wrong.

Cracar, as you havent had the booster for 3 years your dog is basically un vaccinated. ANY vet would insist you have to restart the vaccinations again from the start.

>Cracar, as you havent had the booster for 3 years your dog is basically un vaccinated. ANY vet would insist you have to restart the vaccinations again from the start.

Er, no, this is entirely incorrect.  Any dog, even an unvaccinated ADULT dog is fully vaccinated after 1 vaccination.  2 vaccinations are only given to puppies in case they have any maternal antibodies left at time of first vaccination.  This would not happen with an adult dog.

Cracar, take the dog there for the '1st' jab, then just cancel the appointment for the second.  They can't make you.  You can also ask if the kennels will accept a titre test instead of vaccination, as many will now.

> ANY vet would insist you have to restart the vaccinations again from the start.

that is not so for core vaccines. 

The WSAVA vaccination guidelines 2010 http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/VaccinationGuidelines2010.pdf

Revaccination of Adult Dogs
...........An adult dog that had received a complete course of core vaccinations as a puppy followed by the 12 month booster, but may not have been regularly vaccinated as an adult, requires only a single dose of core vaccine to boost immunity. Many current data sheets will advise in this circumstance that the dog requires two vaccinations (as for a puppy) but this practice is unjustified and simply contrary to the fundamental principles of immunological memory. By contrast, this approach may be justified for an adult dog of unknown vaccination history, and when serological testing has not been performed.

Regarding re-vacciantion for lepto.

....Non-core. Vaccination should be restricted to use in geographical areas where a significant
risk of exposure has been established or for dogs whose lifestyle places them at significant
risk. These dogs should be vaccinated at 12-16 weeks of age, with a second dose
3-4 weeks later, and then at intervals of 9-12 months until the risk has been reduced.
This vaccine is the one least likely to provide adequate and prolonged protection, and
therefore must be administered annually or more often for animals at high risk. Protection
against infection with different serovars is variable. This product is associated with the
greatest number of adverse reactions to any vaccine. In particular, veterinarians are
advised of reports of acute anaphylaxis in toy breeds following administration of leptospirosis
vaccines. Routine vaccination of toy breeds should only be considered in dogs
known to have a very high risk of exposure.

>An adult dog that had received a complete course of core vaccinations as a puppy followed by the 12 month booster, but may not have been regularly vaccinated as an adult, requires only a single dose of core vaccine to boost immunity.

A single dose of DHP (2 doses of Lepto, 2 weeks apart) is standard for puppies over 12 weeks, and a normal restart for dogs whose boosters have lapsed. So yes, any vet should recommend this restart for a dog whose boosters have lapsed by 3 years.

I don't know of a geographical region of the UK that can be considered lepto free.

I think I am going to take her when the vet dealing with my little cocker is working.  She seems a bit more sensible.  Sensible enough that she recommended that I was NOT to vaccinated my cocker with Immune Meditated Polyarthritis as her immune system couldn't take it.  I have had to make other precautions for her during the holiday. 
I have tried the kennels to see if they would 1. take an un-vaccinated dog with written constent from me. 2. Titre tested dogs.  Answer to both was no.  Daft thing is, they took a dog in last year without seeing his vac certificate and I know because I dropped him off for the owner but I just can't take the chance of them making that mistake twice.  And then I would need to cancel the holiday!!Eek!
Last time I am going abroad with this much hassle!!

I am completely against yearly boosters as you maybe can tell.  I don't do them ever but my dog sitter is coming with us this year so we need to use kennels.

Can't you look into home sitters instead?

>A single dose of DHP (2 doses of Lepto, 2 weeks apart) is standard for puppies over 12 weeks, and a normal restart for dogs whose boosters have lapsed. So yes, any vet should recommend this restart for a dog whose boosters have lapsed by 3 years.

Lepto is not a core vaccine.  It is an optional vaccine, and kennels will/should accept a dog without it.  Just as they accept dogs without Lyme disease vaccination, giardia vaccination, rabies vaccination... all of these are similarly optional vaccines in the UK.

Well, in the UK all vaccination is optional, we don't have any laws demanding it! :)
However, if you want to avail yourself of a kennels services, for example, what matters is what they, or rather their insurance company regard as essential, and, as JG points, as there are no areas in the UK known to be free of leptospirosis, which would make it optional in the sense that you mean it's rather a moot point, don't ya think? :)

I stand corrected =)
Out of interest, why do you not have your dogs annual immunisation booster ??

Because vaccines can be very much a too edged sword, so one would sensibly do a risk assessment and try and vaccinate as little as possible to ensure protection, but avoid the possible negative consequences.

What are the negative consequences?

I didn´t see the ad on TV but after reading about this offer I think I may see if I can get my gang done a bit early to make them more affordable for me!  Fingers crossed and thanks for this info.  (I´m hoping to go away for a few days this year and will need to use kennels/cattery).

>Well, in the UK all vaccination is optional, we don't have any laws demanding it!

I've never seen a kennel give more than a cursory glance at a vaccination sheet, at least none of those I've used.  They look at the date of the vaccination, they don't look to ensure that 'L' for lepto is listed!  I'm fairly sure you could give a parvo booster alone and nothing else and they would accept it. 

I've used the £15 off for my puppy vaccination course, they do both vaccinations for that price which is great.

>Cracar, as you havent had the booster for 3 years your dog is basically un vaccinated. ANY vet would insist you have to restart the vaccinations again from the start.

Also it was my vet that told me to only vaccinate every 3 years and they don't insist on the full course again.

> I'm fairly sure you could give a parvo booster alone and nothing else and they would accept it

But then again, if you turned up on the day and they did have a properly trained member of staff at the desk what are you going to do for your holiday? :)

> What are the negative consequences?

Oh there is so much out there on this matter I suggest you Google negative aspects of vaccination, or specifically canine vaccination.  There's a lot of stuff that lays every ill under the sun to vaccination reaction, but there are also quite well documented issues too, especially re auto immune issues, where the question often is, is it chicken or egg.

Oh, I thought you meant the negative consequences of NOT vaccinating! :)

Hey Freds mum, I owned and bred a breed that was prone to Auto immune diseases so breeders would get together and discuss when and what was the best to vaccinated our pups/breed without compromising the immune system.  I made the decision to give puppy vaccs and nothing else.  Boosters seem to be a 'new' thing.  Years gone by, pups used to get first vaccs if they were lucky!!  And I know so many changes have been made with the medication protocols but this is MY choice.  Homeopathic studies which are still ongoing are showing that a dogs immunity doesn't drop and I'm pretty sure they are 8 years into the study now.
Also, your vet would recommend that your dog is treated with flea treatment and wormed monthly.  Would you do this? Or do you consider this excessive?  I wouldn't give such harsh chemicals to my dog unless absolutely necessary, not just as a monthly routine!
I suppose I am a bit wary as my vet is running a business.  He is making money out of me visiting regularly and giving my pet treatment.  I do like to do my own research and I am the same with my kids and myself.
I have an 11yr old, 6yr old, 3yr old and 1yr old.  None have had anything other than puppy vaccs.  Also, countless dogs before them were the same.  I went to shows up and down the country for years.  I actually remember an outbreak of parvo at one champ show, which did worry me slightly, but none of my dogs were ever bothered by the diseases they should have been vaccinated against.
And, my insurance company only requires me to sign that should my dogs become ill with anything they should be innoculated against, the insurance wouldn't cover it.  I'm fine with that.

I would rather take my chances with Parvo or Lepto rather than Auto Immune Disease.

Pet sitters?  Eek! That freaks me out.  A stranger in my house?  Don't think me or the dogs would like that very much.  And I don't really know how to vet people or anything.  Oh, I really don't think that's for me.  What if they let the dogs out or something?  At least in kennels, I know they are secure.  If my GSD get's loose and doesn't trust someone enough to come back, she would 'guard' the garden for the entire week!!

>But then again, if you turned up on the day and they did have a properly trained member of staff at the desk what are you going to do for your holiday?

I would ask where they request that your dog has EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE vaccination...

Cracar, how long are you away for?  Sometimes if you can find a good dog walker who you trust, they can walk the dogs in the morning till 1pm, and return at dinner time to feed and let them out.  I've done that with a late dinner at 7 or 8pm, when they let them out to toilet as well.  Then they get walked again the next morning.  It would probably only work for a few days/a short break.

> I would ask where they request that your dog has EVERY SINGLE AVAILABLE vaccination...

The sensible thing, then, would be to check with them before the day of your holiday what their requirements are but I would think that their insurance company will generally require the recommended protocols.

Vets4Pets, is this not some sort of franchise concern - if so I think I would rather trust my animals to someone who has the ability to set up their own business or if newly qualified to join an established surgery to learn from the senior members of their chosen profession.

Nova, I feel the same.  I am sure they can be a very good thing for those struggling on a low income where it may be a choice of this or no vaccination/neuter but if you can afford a more traditional practice there is a lot to be said for sticking with it.

> but if you can afford a more traditional practice there is a lot to be said for sticking with it

Particularly if you have a dog that only sees the vet once a year. It's a good chance to get a once over and discuss any small concerns at the same time with a vet that knows your dog :)

Yes, I understand this Jackie but the vet profession is such a hard thing to get into.  I mean, for all the 'kids' that apply to vet school it's something like 2% that actually get through.  Then they still need to pass!  I think if they were bad, they'd have been found out long before.  Must take some brains getting through all that, is what I mean.  I couldn't.

I checked with Pet sitters and they are requiring vaccs too.  Must be an insurance thing?  Anyway, it's only 2 of them that are staying in kennels.  The youngest will still be covered by her puppy vaccs and not needing a booster yet and they other is my healthiest dog.  So fingers crossed! My oldie and the dog with Auto Immune Disease are staying with a family member(she can only take 2).
Pet sitters are twice the price and the dogs go and stay with the person instead of the other way round.  Bit weird?  I would have thought it would have been easier for people to move, not the dog.

Thanks for all that replied.  I will let you know if I manage to just get a booster(enough to get into kennels) which is all I require.  A signed vacc certificate!!!!

> Must take some brains getting through all that, is what I mean

A few years ago my daughter wanted to be a vet (didn't do well enough with Chemistry A level, so did something else) so we looked into it thoroughly. It's even more difficult to get into than Oxbridge (my son went to Cambridge) !! Now, as I know very well, not all intelligent/well educated people would make a good vet :) :) :) My daughter would have made a brilliant vet, but my son - definitely not :) :)

> I think I would rather trust my animals to someone who has the ability to set up their own business or if newly qualified to join an established surgery to learn from the senior members of their chosen profession.

My thoughts exactly.  At least I know any newbies are being closely monitored with my own vet (who passed with honours), I know he takes them through their surgeons training.  I know that any emergency I throw at them, is well handled, so I decide to stay there for annual full check up and vaccs.  My vet doesn't do all the vaccs every year.  He checks which ones are needed.

>Pet sitters are twice the price and the dogs go and stay with the person instead of the other way round.  Bit weird?  I would have thought it would have been easier for people to move, not the dog.

When I had 4 dogs I used to get petsitters in to look after them; it worked out cheaper than kennels, the dogs weren't disrupted and the house was lived in (burglar deterrent). It seemed odd having strangers in our home, but you got to meet each other first to make sure you all got on, and the dogs liked them too, but it worked out very well.

> I would have thought it would have been easier for people to move, not the dog.

My dogs would be a nightmare if we had a dogsitter as they don't like strangers in the house. In kennels they are no trouble at all :)

I use them, no different to any other vets to be honest. Yes they do have specials on vacs but other than that they are the same. My vet is an aussie and he runs the practise with his wife. He is a lovely man and more importantly a very good vet.

I was told that with jess,cracar,my practise now does innoculations every 3 years,with leptospirosis(?) done every year.Because she was last boostered aged 2,she has to have the full puppy course again (shes 4this month).

Thank you for the reply cracar.
I do give my dogs a flea treatment monthly and I also worm them 3 monthly, as per the instructions given. I do not buy this from the vets but get online as its simpler than getting to the vets. I believe prevention is better than cure and with a young family I cannot risk fleas, or worse, worms coming into our home.
I am very lucky that I have a wonderful old school vet whom i trust Iimplicitly who cares for the welfare of the animals first and the finances second.

Well I´ve phoned my local Vets4pets and arranged for 3 of the gang of 6 to get their vacc boosters done.  As I anticipate moving to a totally different area hopefully within the next few weeks I´m not too bothered about the longer term.  This particular practice is still very new and as such they are anxious to take on new patients.  Once I move to a permanent home I shall choose the vet I believe to be the best for my pets´ needs (and my purse).

The only way to establish if a vet is any good is to use them lol. If you like them and have confidence in them then you stay with them,if not then you go elsewhere. I used one particular vet practise for yrs till "my" vet left and I did not like the other vets. I had been using vets4pets for routine stuff for a while so it was easy for me to make them my primary vets.

i use them and have got to know 1 of the vets very well and shes lovely i also pay the £9.99 amonth the great thing was i could go when she was having the pups last week when i was worried i wen twice in a day and it didnt cost me a thing and if i had took her day after with pups to be checked it wouldnt have cost me nothing so paying that has given me peace of mind if she needs to see the vet in the day time.

>I do give my dogs a flea treatment monthly and I also worm them 3 monthly, as per the instructions given. I do not buy this from the vets but get online as its simpler than getting to the vets. I believe prevention is better than cure and with a young family I cannot risk fleas, or worse, worms coming into our home.

Worms, you definitely don't want.  But fleas...?  Fleas carry no diseases for humans and transmit no diseases to dogs - besides the flea tapeworm, which is picked up by your oral worming tablet.  There is IMO no need to treat your dogs monthly for fleas as a preventative.  I've never treated preventatively for fleas and in EIGHT years have seen them twice.  Both times, have immediately treated both dogs, and seen no more. 

Treating your dogs monthly for fleas, particularly with a pesticide-based spot-on, is doing far more harm to your family than waiting for the odd flea before treating.  Pesticides are powerful chemicals which can cause long-term harm to many organisms, and need to be used especially carefully when kids are around - since kids tend to kiss dogs, hug dogs, sleep in dog beds. 

I'm the same as Rabid.  I treat when I have fleas, not as a preventive and we have only had 1 outbreak in 10 yrs(that's as far as I remember!!lol).  Wormer? I use more often what with breeding and puppies around, I always worm everyone at the same time. 
However, I have 4 school age children and in the last year alone the little hybrids of disease have brought home flu, Norovirus, headlice and worms!!!And this is 'forgetting' all the little illnesses!!I'm more worried about what my kids pass to us than the dogs :)
I like a bit of dirt and germs.  Builds a healthy immune system.  Really couldn't count how many times my kids and dogs 'share' licks of sweeties or things.  But, when we went on holiday 2 years ago, their was a health scare at the hotel and everyone was getting sick(think it was Norovirus then too??) we were fine! Even the hotel staff were commenting!lol.  The restaurant, bar and pool were empty so we were treated like royalty.  Brill!! Think I'll take a bug with us this time too....;)

> I'm the same as Rabid. 

Ditto

In the past when my first dog was flea allergic I did treat every 3 months with Frontline spray, but after one of the dogs having a reaction to the spot on version used for Pets passport travel, I( stopped using preventative, as by then my girl had died.

Have not ever had fleas in the house as far as I can tell, the vet suspected the odd bite out and about on the flea allergic one, as the hot spots stopped when I used the Frontline spray.

I haven't used a flea spray on the dogs since at least 2006, other than insecticidal shampoo (Vetzyme) for their occasional baths (maybe 4 - 6 times a year).

I have used Frontline spray on puppies before going outdoors as two litters did pick up ticks (from our visiting hedgepigs I suspect), though the adults never pick them up????

I have also used Acclaim in the dogs kennel (4 of them spend their nights in it).  I would use the environmental spray if the dogs ever had a noticeable flea problem, bath them, and only use the Spray if that didn't knock it on the head.

I don't like the spot on's as they are too concnetrated in one place, and with a thick coated breed I prefer to uee something more dilute that you use more of to thoroughly wet the coat down to skin.

Cracar and Rabid. that is your opinion. I will continue to do as I do. I was brought up in a home where animals were treated regularly and i've come to no harm. My daughter is the same and suffers very little ill health so i dont for one second believe that using a spot on treatment is doing far more harm to my family

Freds mum, please don't take offence.  Everyone is different, isn't that what makes the world an interesting place?
I do feel your response was more towards Rabids reply to you than me(I'm hoping!lol) as I never thought you were 'doing harm to your family'.  I guess this was what this topic was about from the beginning.  The two extremes of those who vaccinated and medicate often and those who don't.
I don't think your opinion is wrong, just different :)

I do think it's 'wrong' and not just 'different'.  The risk factors of your dog picking up fleas are far, far less than the risk factors of a life time of unnecessary spot-on treatments (for both the dog and the humans).  But, hey, it's your family and your decision. 

Believe me, its not me thats taken offence. The whole point of a forum is that everyone has different opinions, however some people seem to be offended by an opinion that doesnt match their own. Yes, it is my family, my pets and my children and i wouldnt do anything to put them at risk. Until i hear from my vet or pharmaceutical company that state otherwise i will continue to follow their recommendation to use these products that protect my family and pets from any nasties. (Nobody has said anything else here that convinces me otherwise either). I am going to walk away from the thread now as its strayed away from the original post and is getting personal.