Do you vaccinate your pets?

[PiCO]

I know many people here selectively vaccinate their children. What about pets? A friend of mine told me that vaccinating your cats can cause problems, and if you only have indoor cats you should consider not vaccinating. What do you think?

[milovany]

.

[Tammy]

I agree with your friend! :)

[Starr]

Inside cats get out from time to time. We are in the country so I still get rabies shots for the cats.

[Melissa in NC]

Rabies vaccination is not optional. What if my cat got out? It has happened. If there is a suspicion that she came in contact with a rabid animal, which does happen in my area all too frequently, then they will put my precious kitty to sleep.

 

It is all about balance. Rabies is so dangerous, the risk of any vaccine is worth it. And the shots after exposure to rabies are painful. I personally know of a family with four kids that was playing with a neighbor's kitten. Afterwards, the kitten was determined to have rabies. The shots for all the kids plus the mom were expensive and painful.

 

I do not believe that vaccines have to be an all or nothing decision. The risk should be weighed by the family and the doctor. The state legislature is getting far too involved in medical issues, such as the Gardisil vaccine. I am not getting Gardisil for my girls. When they go off to college, we will give them the vaccine for Meningitis.

[mooooom]

what if a wild animal, like a bat, a mouse, etc. gets INTO your house. Your cat is highly likely to be the one to take it down. An indoor pet that catches rabies is a threat to your entire family. nuff said

[JFSinIL]

Also, if you are elsewhere and are exposed to it, you can bring home a deadly illness to your cat. I have had cats (when I was a kid) suffer and die of illness against which I now can vaccinate my indoor cats.

 

Plus here the rabies vaccination is mandatory or the local Animal Control WILL come take your pet.

[PiCO]

Inside cats get out from time to time. We are in the country so I still get rabies shots for the cats.

 

My friend was worried about Vaccine-associated Sarcoma (I googled and found this link- I have not investigated any further.)

 

Rabies is one of the vaccines known to cause this. Also, I am 99.99% sure my cats will not get out, due to my living situation. We have no doors that open to the outside.

 

Anyway, I'm considering skipping the feline leukemia, and only doing rabies every 3 years. (And not in the shoulder.)

[PiCO]

what if a wild animal, like a bat, a mouse, etc. gets INTO your house. Your cat is highly likely to be the one to take it down. An indoor pet that catches rabies is a threat to your entire family. nuff said

 

Well now, that is a good point. Thanks.

[PiCO]

Also, if you are elsewhere and are exposed to it, you can bring home a deadly illness to your cat. I have had cats (when I was a kid) suffer and die of illness against which I now can vaccinate my indoor cats.

 

Plus here the rabies vaccination is mandatory or the local Animal Control WILL come take your pet.

 

What illness did you bring home? Does anyone know what feline diseases can be carried by humans?

 

As for rabies, some states require it every 3 years, some require it every year.

 

Here is a site I found that I think gives reasonable cat vaccination recommendations.

[Dayle in Guatemala]

Absolutely! For a few reasons:

 

1. It's healthy for us if they don't get sick.

 

2. Living here, it's unwise to not vaccinate them. Rabies and other things like that are rampant.

 

3. When we take them back to the US or another country with us, we can't obtain their visas unless they are up to date on the vaccinations.

[Janet in Toronto]

We have a dog and get all the recommended shots. Unlike our vet in Atlanta who gave him everything every year, our vet here in Toronto has him on cycles specific to each vaccine. THis difference may be due to different types or dosages of the vaccine. Some are every year, one/some every two, and one/some every three. In Georgia, he had to take heartworm meds monthly, year round. Here in the Great White North, heartworm doesn't hang out through the winter so he just takes it June-Nov.

 

If we don't get him vacced, we cannot leave him to board when we travel, and I think it's better for his health overall.

[Murphy101]

what if a wild animal, like a bat, a mouse, etc. gets INTO your house. Your cat is highly likely to be the one to take it down. An indoor pet that catches rabies is a threat to your entire family. nuff said

 

:lol:MY cat would run screaming in terror in the opposite direction. Then sit from some regal perch on high and glare down at her inconsiderate humans for several hours at the distress they permitted in her palace. Seriously, I've seen her screetch and run up the stairs at the sight of a cricket.

 

Also, less than 10% of bats have rabies. If I ever live in an area with a propensity for getting bats and mice in the house, whether my cat has been vaccinated will be the least of things I'll go shopping for. #1 being mouse traps #2 being several exterior bat houses.

 

I happen to love bats. They are useful and fascinating creatures that are and should be protected in most areas. I would never let my cat take one down. I'd just look like a pregnant loon trying to shoo it out the door or window with a broom as gently as possible with 8 kids cheering me on and probably asking if "we can keep it" and dh laughing his bum off from a safe distance.

 

I happen to actually like mice okay, they can be useful and interesting too, but they are little disease carrying vermin that are not welcome IN my house. Outside they are cute as could be and welcome to enjoy themselves all they want. The last time one was found in my home, my dh completely freaked my dad out (dad has a serious phobia about mice/rats) by simply sauntering over and gave one good boot clad stomp on it. :svengo:I think word got out in mice kingdom because we've never had mice there or in any other home since.

 

I get rabies vax for my cat. Who has never spent a moment outside in her 8 year life. No one makes me do it. I can't imagine anyone in gov't even knows I own a cat. And if they do know, well now that's a whole other issue because my cat is none of their beeswax and there's better things to spend my taxes on.

 

My dog gets rabies and distemper and I think another that is for worms. That's it. Those are things he could get from our own backyard which he is only in when we are or to do the "do" and those vax are things that he could pass to the cat when he comes in.

 

Neither are neutered/spayed and it's never been a problem. They are sweet and healthy. Once in a while a little too "nice" to just about anyone including each other.:blink:

 

ETA: Oh yes, if one travels (esp out of country) it's really not a "choice" thing. You either do it and take your pet with you or you do it and leave your pet in a kennel. The only other option is to leave the pet with a family member that doesn't mind the pet or the pet not being vax'd.

[Sunny]

No, We do not vaccinate our pets. We have 2 dogs, no cats. They are healthy and are past the puppy stage where Parvo and such are a risk. We we careful with them as pups so that they didn't go sniffing and eating poops when out.

Rabies is required, but so far we haven't done that either. When we lived in the city, there were no cases of rabies, so it was more of a blanket requirement. We just moved, and there are cases of rabies on occasion, but our dogs are indoors most of the time.

 

There are risks involved in either way. We chose to take the responsibiltiy upon ourselves for the risk and know what to do in case of illness. We were prepared when they were pups, with medical supplies and medicines.

Now, with rabies our last vaccine to worry about, we also have to deal with the issue that if they should ever bite someone, we have no rights as to whether or not they will destroy them to autopsy for rabies.

However, the risks of vaccinations to us are greater. There is plenty of proof that vaccines cause all kinds of damage, and yet they continue to booster every year. It's just sad.

 

This is not a decision to take lightly either way.

[nukeswife]

Absolutely, my dogs and my cat that now lives with my mom get all their shots. I had a cat once and she caught something even while being an indoor cat. She died a horrible painful death. The only times she went outside was when going to and from the vet for a yearly check up.

 

Even if your cat doesn't get out there is always the chance you could unknowingly bring something home.

[Murphy101]

The only times she went outside was when going to and from the vet for a yearly check up.

 

Even if your cat doesn't get out there is always the chance you could unknowingly bring something home.

 

Sadly, the vet office is kind of like the ped office - if you weren't sick before you caught there, you probably will be when you leave. I go to an outdoor pet agricultural pet clinic.

 

hmm, you know there's really not that much a human can pass to their cat or vice versa that I'm aware of. (Thinking about all those years I spent in the zoo....) I'd be interested in a link stating otherwise and what specificly is the worrisome diseases?

[StephanieZ]

My friend was worried about Vaccine-associated Sarcoma (I googled and found this link- I have not investigated any further.)

 

Rabies is one of the vaccines known to cause this. Also, I am 99.99% sure my cats will not get out, due to my living situation. We have no doors that open to the outside.

 

Anyway, I'm considering skipping the feline leukemia, and only doing rabies every 3 years. (And not in the shoulder.)

 

Vaccines are really important, especially for puppies and kittens. The important thing is to use a good vet that uses "modern vaccination protocols" and does a "risk assessment" for each pet.

 

It is true that there are risks with vaccines, including allergic reaction (potentially deadly) and also vaccine associated cancers. However, the vaccine preventable diseases are really serious, deadly, and much more common than you'd like to think.

 

The gold standards for cat and dog vaccine protocols have been established by two excellent groups. AAHA (Association of American Animal Hospitals) has put out canine vaccine guidelines and AAFP (Association of American Feline Practitioners) has feline vaccine guidelines. These guidelines are really excellent and you can find the whole 20+ page documents online.

 

The key thing is for a good vet to take the time to do a risk assessment for the individual pet (based on lifestyle, geographic location, etc.) and select the appropriate vaccines for that pet. I.e., make sure to get the ones he needs and skip those he doesn't need.

 

There is a wide variety of safety profiles for each vaccine depending on the manufacturer. My vet dh believes that Merial vaccines are generally the safest (for most vaccines), due to some fancy "recombinant, non-adjuvented" technology they use. The gurus he has spoken to believe they will prove to be safer and have less side-effects and expect less vaccine associated cancers (which is primarily a risk with feline leukemia vaccine). However, Merial vaccines are a bit more expensive to purchase (perhaps $1-$2 extra per dose), so vaccine clinics and many other practitioners may use other manufacturers. Also, one "shot" may carry 3, 4 or up to 7 different vaccines!! Some of those 7 are useless or worse than useless (Corona, Giardia. . .) A good vet chooses combos that have exactly what is needed but not anything that is unneeded.

 

Also know that up-to-date vets have largely switched over to "extended vaccination protocols" over the last several years, as many vaccines have been shown to be effective for 3 years, so you can rotate vaccines each year.

 

Also, good vets give each vaccine in a designated area (set by national norms) -- for instance on a particular lower limb (back right for one, back left for another. . . ). This helps 1) track future cancers to their cause and 2) allow amputation of a limb to cure the cancer if needed (sad thought, but can save a life in the rare but not unseen occasion).

 

As the risk of allergic reaction (the most common deadly reaction) is most pronounced when the pet gets many vaccines at once, many vets have switched to a rotating schedule of getting certain vaccines each year, rotating to minimize the number given at once.

 

Pets needs for vaccines change as they age. Puppies are at huge risk of deadly diseases and desperately need frequent vaccinations during puppyhood (parvo, etc.). Feline leukemia is a high risk during the first year of life, but at much lower risk later in life. So, AAFP guidelines call for all kittens to get their first two boosters and then revaccination (yearly) only if they are going outside . . .

 

Once pets are *really* old and/or have fragile health (presuming adequate vaccination during youth and a reasonably healthy environment), many veterinarians recommend suspending many routine vaccines (never rabies!), as there is a reasonable expectation that their (many) prior vaccines will continue to protect them and that the cost of the biological/physiological stress of the vaccination may outweigh the benefits.

 

Yes, vaccines have risks. But, so do diseases!! Animal vaccination is not nearly so universal as human vaccination and so vaccine-preventable disease is much more prevalent in pet populations than in human ones. Some of these diseases (rabies!!!!!) can kill humans as well.

 

We adore our (many!) pets. They are *all* fully vaccinated up to AAHA/AAFP standards. Our cats get rabies (every 2 years per WV law; 3 years is better but it depends on state law) and the RCP (distemper) combo on the "odd years", also every other year. They get two boosters of FeLuk during kittenhood and then no more (they all stay inside.) Our dogs get Rabies (even years), DAPP (distemper combo) (odd years), Bordetella/Kennel Cough q6 months, Porphyromonas (dental bacteria/bone loss) annually.

 

Also: Every pet needs rabies vaccine. Period. It is legally required and is ethically mandatory for you to protect human health, no matter what you feel about the pet.

 

Bottom line advice: please see a vet you trust and discuss this issue. There are no magic bullets but a thoughtful, intelligent discussion with your vet every year to assess current needs will help your pet get all the shots he needs and no more.

 

Also, avoid "shot clinics" like the plague. Also avoid the Vet in A Big Box Store (nameless b/c they scare me) b/c they over-vaccinate like crazy (which most vets abhor).

 

p.s. regular (at least annually, twice a year is better for old guys) full exams, along appropriate blood/fecal/urine testing and also parasite prevention are even more important for sustaining pet health than are vaccines. Don't skip the exam and vet evaluation!

 

Stephanie, the vet's wife ;)

[mcconnellboys]

I do vaccinate, but as with vaccines for children, I spread them out more, don't get them if the animal is sick in any way, wait longer than the schedules (they actually build in buffer time when the animal is still covered - at least my vet does), etc.

[CactusPair]

We vacc'd all 3 dogs, who are spayed and neutered as well.

 

In my area, you cannot join dog obedience classes without shots. I would still vac. if this wasn't the case.

 

My mom never got our 2 cats shots when we were young. They both died of kitty leukemia.

 

To all readers: *please* please spay and neuter your pets. It saves lives. Because of over-population countless animals, including baby puppies and kittens, are put to death every day, every hour. The animal shelters and pounds are filled beyond capacity. Be humane, be sane, and sterilize your fur buddies!:001_smile:

[RoughCollie]

I have always had my pets vaccinated. I don't want them to catch a disease and I don't want them giving a disease to another animal.

[Murphy101]

Also: Every pet needs rabies vaccine. Period. It is legally required and is ethically mandatory for you to protect human health, no matter what you feel about the pet.

 

Also, avoid "shot clinics" like the plague. Also avoid the Vet in A Big Box Store (nameless b/c they scare me) b/c they over-vaccinate like crazy (which most vets abhor).

 

I agree with pretty much all of your advice. The shot clinics work well for us because WE decide what shots to accept. I keep the pets records, call my regular vet for any updated info on vaccines, and then I call the agri office and tell them what shots I need.

 

Also, regardless of ethics, people should know that IF their pet EVER inflicts any type of wound on someone (and ANY pet can be provoked however unintended) your insurance will absolutely NOT cover you if the pet has not had the rabies vax and you will have absolutely no grounds to expect your pet not to be euthanized. In my home, I can't imagine anyone suing me or any of my pets giving them a reason to, but it happens.

 

In my area, you cannot join dog obedience classes without shots.

 

To all readers: *please* please spay and neuter your pets. It saves lives. Because of over-population countless animals, including baby puppies and kittens, are put to death every day, every hour. The animal shelters and pounds are filled beyond capacity. Be humane, be sane, and sterilize your fur buddies!:001_smile:

 

I train my own pets, so dog obediance isn't a problem for me.:)

 

No, not having puppies or kittens does not save anything - it simply prevents pregnancy in the animal. Whether the population is reduced from euthanizing or lack of breeding really makes no difference. The end resulting goal is the same - reduced population. It doesn't save a life to never create it to begin with and the adult animal is still at risk.

 

My vet has assured me that no matter how much my dog tries, my cat will not give birth to a new kitty/puppies mix species, so no I will not be getting my pet spayed/neutered.

[TravelingChris]

We have 2 cats and a dog. We did vaccinate our cats per schedule of the veternarians until this year. My oldest cat will not get anything other than rabies unles absolutely mandatory since he is 16 years old and dying slowly from cardiomyopathy. He had his rabies in February and I don't think he will live past next February since he has gotten so thin and eats so little. He stills is loving being with us and jumps up every evening to sit with us on the couch. The vet recommended suspending the shots. Our other cat will get shots again but he is healthy and only seven. Our dogs gets regular shots too. All our animals are neutered which we find helps with problem beavior.

[LKMN]

We vaccinate for the things required for our city dog licensing.

[SkateLeft]

Also, regardless of ethics, people should know that IF their pet EVER inflicts any type of wound on someone (and ANY pet can be provoked however unintended) your insurance will absolutely NOT cover you if the pet has not had the rabies vax and you will have absolutely no grounds to expect your pet not to be euthanized.

 

This is a good point. A lot people don't think about what it's like for a normally "inside" animal to suddenly find themselves outside and lost!

 

A neighbor's little dog got out of their yard one day and was running around in the street. We're dog owners, and we always hope that if someone saw our dog (who is an inside dog) running around in the street that they'd help bring her home. So my husband called the dog, and it came to him, but when he went to pick it up to take it back to our neighbor's house, the dog bit him.

 

The owner didn't speak English, so we had to call the police non-emergency number and they sent someone out to translate. She said the dog was not vaccinated and had no proof of vaccination. My husband had to go to the doctor to have to the wound treated, and the dog had to be taken by county animal control and put into isolation for a couple of weeks. (My husband specifically requested that they not euthanize the dog if it didn't have rabies... after all, it's not the dog's fault!) If it got out again after that, animal control would euthanize the dog.

 

The dog did not have rabies, but the stress and aggravation we had to go through was irritating, just because my husband tried to do the right thing and keep a stray dog from getting hit by a car.

[Gretchen in NJ]

I know many people here selectively vaccinate their children. What about pets? A friend of mine told me that vaccinating your cats can cause problems, and if you only have indoor cats you should consider not vaccinating. What do you think?

:iagree: It is what we have heard. It is what our vet advises as well.

[Danestress]

My dog runs off leash daily in the woods. I vaccinate him against everything my vet has recommended to me. My breeder had a concern about one recommended vaccine and recommended I refuse it, but the vet told me that she had seens two dogs die of this particular virus in our area, and in the end, I went with her recommendation.

[chaik76]

We vaccinate because it is required by law where I live, and because I just don't want to deal with any of the diseases the pets could get, especially as they could die from some of them.

[Parrothead]

During their first year they got everything since the vet was right down the road. Since we have been in the middle of nowhere they haven't had their shots. It is almost 2 1/2 hours to the closest vet.

[autumndivona]

Each pet is vaccinated annually. This is particularly important, as we require up-to-date vaccinations if we get an overseas assignment. If we get Alaska, as hoped, our pets must have current rabies vaccinations to pass through Canada. We get all the recommended vaccines for both our pets and our son.

[CactusPair]

:001_smile:Wow, Martha! I do think there is a difference between preventing pet pregnancies and euthanizing the endless number of unwanted, homeless **living** creatures that result from failure to spay and neuter. The difference is akin to the one between birth control and infanticide after the fact, the fact of birth and being alive already.

 

Engaging in semantics, I will rephrase the line ""spaying and neutering save *lives*" and say sterilization prevents the suffering and *death* of innocent animals, which is the rational, responsible, right thing to do.

 

Spaying and neutering also prevents the cruelty and abuse that results when ignorant people are overun with pets. Some people do not bother to spay and neuter nor do they bother to care for the animals that result from unwanted pet pregnancies (not you Martha). The puppies live outside chained, starved, frozen, kicked. They grow into unsocialized, aggressive menaces until they hurt people or other dogs or are reported by the neighbors and finally put down.

 

Spaying and neutering reduces the number of miserable stray pets wandering the streets and fields, spreading disease, fighting with other animals, frightening people, getting pregnant, and adding to the feral population, until they are picked up by animal control and finally put down.

 

Preventing this wretchedness, this torment, this community health hazard and social shame *before* it occurs is one aim of spaying and neutering pets.

 

Spaying and neutering saves our counties money. Tax dollars spent on housing and killing thousands and thousands of unwanted pets could be spent on other community services like medical care, nutrition, and safe havens for women and children, if owners spayed and neutered.

 

Spaying and neutering creates healthier, safer, more peaceful pets, according to my vet. The instinct to reproduce is powerful, basic, virtually undeniable; if we do not intend to purposefully breed our pets, it is unkind--at best--to force them to cope with the anxiety and burden the unrelieved s*x drive creates within them. Animals cannot reflect and guide themselves. They are completely dependent on us to make the right choices for them.

 

Spaying and neutering prevents not only unwanted pregnancy, but the accidental injury and deaths of beloved, well-cared for family pets. Dogs and cats *do* get out despite out best efforts. They slip out the door, the fence, the car. It only takes once. Once.

 

Instinct sends them flying across the road to mate with the neighbor's pet and they are hit by an oncoming pick-up truck.

 

Instinct sends several large male dogs sailing over the fence to mate with a young female, who was let into the yard by a preoccupied family member talking on the cell phone. The female is small, in her first heat and is brutally mounted and half-torn apart by the unneutered males, who also attack one another in their competition. One loses an eye.

 

The instinct to mate bolts a normally well-behaved, well-trained dog past a child standing in a half-open back door. It drives the dog to dig under the gate. He gets lost and doesn't come home. He is picked up by animal control, but not until he has lost his i.d. collar, roamed half-starved and procreated with another dog. He waits 15 days unclaimed in a loud, dank shelter until he's taken out of his cage and finally put down.

 

Because he was not neutered he has helped add to the unwanted pet population by 9 puppies, which along with their mother, are also put to death a few weeks after their birth.

 

The point is not simply to prevent overpopulation, but to prevent the suffering and *killing* of companion creatures who are alive and, by instinct, would very much like to stay alive once they are already born and here.

 

Humans are gifted with being the stewards of creatures. Such a task commands that we act with intelligence, forethought, compassion, responsibilty. It directs us to prevent suffering and death before it occurs. Spaying and neutering does prevent suffering and death; it does save lives.

 

Dogs and cats are not disposable trash: not candy wrappers, picnic plates, plastic Happy Meal toys to be dealt with and gotten rid of in a sweep of societal decluttering. How we treat the animals with which we as a culture are entrusted influences--and is relected in--the way we treat human beings.

 

To help prevent suffering and death by spaying and neutering is to declare: "I value life, all life."

 

Have you strolled through the rows and rows in pounds and shelters filled with the yelping, jumping, pleading-eyed products of unchecked, preventable animal breeding? Have you not been horrified by other humans' ignorance and carelessness, their disdain for their role as stewards?

 

Have you not been moved?

 

In peace,

 

~ Hope

[GreenKitty]

We vaccinate for the things required for our city dog licensing.

 

Do you know if the vaccinations required are the same for every state?

I am also wondering if the 'checking for heart worm test' is required.

Being that I give my dog heartworm pill every month and this is an inside dog I don't know what the reason is for this test every year.

[mommaduck]

We don't vaccinate...period.

 

If I get the job I applied for, I will be required to get my titters done and possible boosters. I'm an adult, I know the questions to ask, and I know that I handle such well. I nearly lost a daughter to vax's though, and due to possible genetic links, my children are no longer vaccinated (as per suggestion of a previous family physician and with approval of current physicians...wouldn't matter anyhow, I've done the footwork, I'm not vaxing them).

[Lisa at Home]

Recently, this was a problem for me because I had a sick cat who needed help. He was a 14 yo inside only cat (who never escaped) that I suspected had cancer.

 

I did end up needing to have him put to sleep, but the vet was freaking out because he hadn't been vaccinated. My only real issue, I felt, was how to find a different vet. I did take my other cat and dog to the vet accross town for a rabies only vaccine because I was afraid he would turn me in.

 

Since that time, I had considered spending the time and effort to find a truly holistic vet. Lo and behold, I was so pleased when a holistic vet purchased the second vet's office I mentioned. This is a really big deal in a rural area!

 

Then my other kitty got sick. It was no big deal at all to the holistic vet that I didn't vaccinate. She fully supports me giving NO vaccinations at all to my old indoor kitty. She believes that after an animal has had a few rabies shots, that they're covered for life.

 

I also talked to her about my dog, who obviously goes outside. She would prefer for me to vaccinate the dog at least one more time. Since she's been so reasonable, I will indeed accomodate her. Sometime. Whenever I have a need to be at the vet's anyway. I have no idea when that will be, though.

 

My vet is a standard DVM, but she has holistic training beyond that.

Just thought I would share my experiences.

 

~Lisa

[Soph the vet]

Vaccines are really important, especially for puppies and kittens. The important thing is to use a good vet that uses "modern vaccination protocols" and does a "risk assessment" for each pet.

 

It is true that there are risks with vaccines, including allergic reaction (potentially deadly) and also vaccine associated cancers. However, the vaccine preventable diseases are really serious, deadly, and much more common than you'd like to think.

 

The gold standards for cat and dog vaccine protocols have been established by two excellent groups. AAHA (Association of American Animal Hospitals) has put out canine vaccine guidelines and AAFP (Association of American Feline Practitioners) has feline vaccine guidelines. These guidelines are really excellent and you can find the whole 20+ page documents online.

 

The key thing is for a good vet to take the time to do a risk assessment for the individual pet (based on lifestyle, geographic location, etc.) and select the appropriate vaccines for that pet. I.e., make sure to get the ones he needs and skip those he doesn't need.

 

There is a wide variety of safety profiles for each vaccine depending on the manufacturer. My vet dh believes that Merial vaccines are generally the safest (for most vaccines), due to some fancy "recombinant, non-adjuvented" technology they use. The gurus he has spoken to believe they will prove to be safer and have less side-effects and expect less vaccine associated cancers (which is primarily a risk with feline leukemia vaccine). However, Merial vaccines are a bit more expensive to purchase (perhaps $1-$2 extra per dose), so vaccine clinics and many other practitioners may use other manufacturers. Also, one "shot" may carry 3, 4 or up to 7 different vaccines!! Some of those 7 are useless or worse than useless (Corona, Giardia. . .) A good vet chooses combos that have exactly what is needed but not anything that is unneeded.

 

Also know that up-to-date vets have largely switched over to "extended vaccination protocols" over the last several years, as many vaccines have been shown to be effective for 3 years, so you can rotate vaccines each year.

 

Also, good vets give each vaccine in a designated area (set by national norms) -- for instance on a particular lower limb (back right for one, back left for another. . . ). This helps 1) track future cancers to their cause and 2) allow amputation of a limb to cure the cancer if needed (sad thought, but can save a life in the rare but not unseen occasion).

 

As the risk of allergic reaction (the most common deadly reaction) is most pronounced when the pet gets many vaccines at once, many vets have switched to a rotating schedule of getting certain vaccines each year, rotating to minimize the number given at once.

 

Pets needs for vaccines change as they age. Puppies are at huge risk of deadly diseases and desperately need frequent vaccinations during puppyhood (parvo, etc.). Feline leukemia is a high risk during the first year of life, but at much lower risk later in life. So, AAFP guidelines call for all kittens to get their first two boosters and then revaccination (yearly) only if they are going outside . . .

 

Once pets are *really* old and/or have fragile health (presuming adequate vaccination during youth and a reasonably healthy environment), many veterinarians recommend suspending many routine vaccines (never rabies!), as there is a reasonable expectation that their (many) prior vaccines will continue to protect them and that the cost of the biological/physiological stress of the vaccination may outweigh the benefits.

 

Yes, vaccines have risks. But, so do diseases!! Animal vaccination is not nearly so universal as human vaccination and so vaccine-preventable disease is much more prevalent in pet populations than in human ones. Some of these diseases (rabies!!!!!) can kill humans as well.

 

We adore our (many!) pets. They are *all* fully vaccinated up to AAHA/AAFP standards. Our cats get rabies (every 2 years per WV law; 3 years is better but it depends on state law) and the RCP (distemper) combo on the "odd years", also every other year. They get two boosters of FeLuk during kittenhood and then no more (they all stay inside.) Our dogs get Rabies (even years), DAPP (distemper combo) (odd years), Bordetella/Kennel Cough q6 months, Porphyromonas (dental bacteria/bone loss) annually.

 

Also: Every pet needs rabies vaccine. Period. It is legally required and is ethically mandatory for you to protect human health, no matter what you feel about the pet.

 

Bottom line advice: please see a vet you trust and discuss this issue. There are no magic bullets but a thoughtful, intelligent discussion with your vet every year to assess current needs will help your pet get all the shots he needs and no more.

 

Also, avoid "shot clinics" like the plague. Also avoid the Vet in A Big Box Store (nameless b/c they scare me) b/c they over-vaccinate like crazy (which most vets abhor).

 

p.s. regular (at least annually, twice a year is better for old guys) full exams, along appropriate blood/fecal/urine testing and also parasite prevention are even more important for sustaining pet health than are vaccines. Don't skip the exam and vet evaluation!

 

Stephanie, the vet's wife ;)

 

I am a veterinarian and I approved this message:lol:!

 

I'll just add that if your pet is unvaccinated for Rabies and bites a visitor to your home that the victim can demand your pet be euthanized and tested for Rabies (even if the cat has never left the house). If they are vaccinated they need only be quarantined.

I believe the core vaccines for dogs are distemper/parvo combo (which also contains flu, hepatitis, and lepto) and Rabies. Lepto should not be given to certain small breeds as they tend to react to it (dachsunds and yorkies in particular). If you are boarding your dog they may also require a Bordatella. I hate the Lyme vaccine, personally. It is about 70% effective and gives clients false security when it comes to good tick prevention. Half the dogs in MN will be positive for Lymes and not clinical. The overwhelming majority of Lymes cases spontaneously resolve. Ticks need to be attached for >24hrs. to pass Borrelia (the Lyme organism) so tick prevention is key. The Lyme vaccine has the potential for causing immune-mediated arthritis and other immune-mediated problems in occassional cases. I only vax hunting dogs for Lymes. You will find this to be an extremely controversial issue among vets.

Indoor cats should receive distemper/upper resp. combo and Rabies and be tested early in life for Feline Leukemia. If they are negative keep them in and never let them out! Outdoor cats should be vaxed for leukemia as well.

I would avoid vax clinics as well unless they are offered by your primary veterinary clinic.

[Soph the vet]

 

hmm, you know there's really not that much a human can pass to their cat or vice versa that I'm aware of. (Thinking about all those years I spent in the zoo....) I'd be interested in a link stating otherwise and what specificly is the worrisome diseases?

 

Zoonotic diseases (those passed from animal to human) would include toxoplasmosis, salmonellosis, cryptosporidia, roundworms (ocular larval migrans), rabies, certain E. coli strains, fungal infections, sarcoptic mange and many others. Specifically, your cat is unlikely to give you anything. If you are pregnant you should not clean the catbox as you may contract toxoplasmosis is they are a carrier. Kittens and puppies with roundworms can give them to human kids resulting in an aberrant migration of the larval form of the worm usually to the eye. So have kids wash their hands well after playing with young animals. Livestock are a whole 'nuther ball of wax. Salmonella, crypto, E. coli, lepto, listeria, etc. are big concerns.

[StephanieZ]

I agree with pretty much all of your advice. The shot clinics work well for us because WE decide what shots to accept. I keep the pets records, call my regular vet for any updated info on vaccines, and then I call the agri office and tell them what shots I need.

 

 

Ouch!! You mean, you ask your vet to use their time, expertise and $200k-400k+ education to give you (free or underpriced) advice. . . and then you use it to get shots elsewhere, despite them being available at your own vet's?

 

I'm sure you hadn't thought of this and I don't intend to be unkind, but if you did this at my hospital, you'd find yourself on my not-very-nice-do-no-favors list (yes, there is such a list in my mind and I find ways to get rid of those clients as gently as possible ASAP).

 

Wow. Everyone's got to make a living and the only truly valuable thing a vet (or doctor, attorney, etc) has is their *mind* -- so their advice is their most valuable commodity. IMHO, if you're using their advice, you should buy their services/products/etc, as they aren't usually set up to charge by the minute for their time and so doing otherwise is really damaging to their business model (as in, they are totally losing money every time you walk through their door and once they figure this out, you will become persona-non-grata until so many clients do as you do that they have to change their business model by charging a lot more for the exam/time and a little less for additional services/products. . .).

 

Vets are mostly too nice or too naive to tell you all that and most will willingly be taken advantage of over and over again, but I'm not the too-nice vet, I'm the how-do-we-make-payroll-and-pay-for-the-new-ultrasound-and-health-insurance-and-replace-the-upteenth-broken-printer-etc manager.

 

I think you should think about bringing your vet a nice tray of Christmas cookies this year. . .

 

Will work for food, Stephanie

[Soph the vet]

 

No, not having puppies or kittens does not save anything - it simply prevents pregnancy in the animal. Whether the population is reduced from euthanizing or lack of breeding really makes no difference. The end resulting goal is the same - reduced population. It doesn't save a life to never create it to begin with and the adult animal is still at risk.

 

My vet has assured me that no matter how much my dog tries, my cat will not give birth to a new kitty/puppies mix species, so no I will not be getting my pet spayed/neutered.

 

Actually, there is a big difference between lack of breeding and euthanizing the unwanted litter or individual. There is a financial cost to housing stray animals at the humane society. There are employees to pay and they also have veterinary and food bills. The euthanasia solution is costly as well and is a controlled substance regulated by the DEA which means there is cost because of governmental oversight which translates to our taxes.

Reasons to get your dog spayed or neutered: Spaying a female before her first heat will significantly decrease her risk of mammary cancer. There is the obvious reason of no pregnancy. Older non-spayed females can develop a hormonally induced condition called pyometra which results in an emergency spay at that point.

Neutering a male before puberty will result in less aggression and less unwanted behaviors like marking and roaming. Older intact males are prone to testicular cancer, prostatic cancer, and benign prostatic hyperplasia.

My point is that spaying/neutering is not just about population control. True, your dog and cat will never have a baby:001_smile: but there are other health reasons for fixing them. Also, if your cat is in heat and gets out for whatever reason, they are induced ovulators (like rabbits) and she will get pregnant.

Not trying to be snarky but the responsible thing to do for any pet owner is to have their pet fixed if they are not planning on breeding them.

[Soph the vet]

Recently, this was a problem for me because I had a sick cat who needed help. He was a 14 yo inside only cat (who never escaped) that I suspected had cancer.

 

I did end up needing to have him put to sleep, but the vet was freaking out because he hadn't been vaccinated. My only real issue, I felt, was how to find a different vet. I did take my other cat and dog to the vet accross town for a rabies only vaccine because I was afraid he would turn me in.

 

Since that time, I had considered spending the time and effort to find a truly holistic vet. Lo and behold, I was so pleased when a holistic vet purchased the second vet's office I mentioned. This is a really big deal in a rural area!

 

Then my other kitty got sick. It was no big deal at all to the holistic vet that I didn't vaccinate. She fully supports me giving NO vaccinations at all to my old indoor kitty. She believes that after an animal has had a few rabies shots, that they're covered for life.

 

I also talked to her about my dog, who obviously goes outside. She would prefer for me to vaccinate the dog at least one more time. Since she's been so reasonable, I will indeed accomodate her. Sometime. Whenever I have a need to be at the vet's anyway. I have no idea when that will be, though.

 

My vet is a standard DVM, but she has holistic training beyond that.

Just thought I would share my experiences.

 

~Lisa

I am LOL at the freaking out vet. When someone comes in ready to euthanize I don't think I have ever looked at their vax history! I have lots of older patients that do not get vaccines anymore, totally indoor animals. It is possible to run antibody titers instead of vaccinating to see if your pet is covered rather than getting another booster. They can be more expensive than the vax unfortunately so most people don't go for them. I agree that overvaccination happens and it is frustrating to me, as a vet, that most drug companies will not really try to license their vax for longer than a year when we know the antibody levels last longer!

Good post.

[Soph the vet]

 

... the only truly valuable thing a vet (or doctor, attorney, etc) has is their *mind* -- so their advice is their most valuable commodity.

 

:lol::lol::lol: And sometimes I don't even have my mind!!!! You go girl, this was great. We need a practice manager like you!

[mommaduck]

Okay, now that we've talked about how NOT to have litters...can someone tell me HOW to get my goats to breed?!

[akmommy]

I delayed some Vacs for the kids and opted out of a couple, but with the pets no.

Rabies vacs are required by law here and parvo is a huge problem in our area so these are not optional to us.

Our cats are mostly indoor but do go out on occasion and I worry about them picking something up from the rodents they hunt or the feral cats in the area.

[Hikin' Mama]

because they are outside dogs, and all sorts of littler critters get into our backyard.

[StephanieZ]

I've written a lot about spay-neuter on my web pages, client hand-outs. . . I even designed and had printed a t-shirt!!

 

But, I think this cartonn says it all. . .

 

I *do* believe that spay/neuter saves many lives. Lives aren't lives until they are alive. Preventing pregnancy through spay/neuter saves not only the lives of those kittens and puppies who can't find homes but also saves the lives of mother animals who lack appropriate vet care and die through pregnancy and birth complications.

 

I've got three kittens and three puppies waiting for homes in our hospitals adoption program. Every week, especially in the summer, we have to say NO to many people who want to dump their homeless litters on our door (as our adoption program can only take in more when we adopt out the ones we've got, which averages one pet every week or two to carefully screened homes).

 

Our community, as most in the US, lacks adequate needed care for these guys. The only option here for kittens and cats is to take them to the shelter where they are *immediately euthanized* -- they do no cat care or adoptions. Others get dumped in various "colonies" around town where they suffer, die young, and transmit disease throughout the community of both unowned and owned animals.

 

If anyone doubts the moral imperative of spay/neuter, I challenge them to spend 100 hours volunteering in their community's shelter(s) and then rethink their position.

[hmsch4me]

If not, why not? I've been doing some reading on the subject and am having second thoughts on vaccinations and why we do these every year - especially since my dog has developed some problems (auto-immune) that we have to treat the rest of her life.

[Mama Lynx]

We do vaccinate our cats, but not every year. Generally every three years.

[Carrie12345]

If not, why not? I've been doing some reading on the subject and am having second thoughts on vaccinations and why we do these every year - especially since my dog has developed some problems (auto-immune) that we have to treat the rest of her life.

 

We do vaccinate our pets, but not in accordance with our local regulations. My dogs' rabies shots are effective for 3 years, so I don't adhere to the 12-month rule, which means my dogs are unlicensed for 2 out of every 3 years. It opens me up to a lot of risk. If my dumb dogs were to ever get out and hurt someone (highly unlikely, but an animal *is an animal), they could potentially be destroyed. It's something that shouldn't be considered lightly.

[TwinMominTX]

Sort of. I administer all my own vacines (with the exception of rabies which I can't get) to my horses and dogs. I do it to save money, but it also has the benefit of allowing me to be selective in the vaccinations I give.

 

I vaccinate my dogs against rabies as I live in the country where we have lots of skunks, opossum and armadillos. Otherwise, I only vaccinate with the minimum recommend things that are required should I want to board them with a kennel. If I am not planning on boarding them, I don't do anything except rabies.

 

I do not vaccinate my horses against rabies, but do vaccinate against East and West Nile virus, equine encephalitis and tetanus. I don't do the strangles vaccine or many of the others. Basically I do a minimum amount of vaccinations.

 

I will vaccinate my pregnant horses with pneumobort at 5, 7 & 9 months mostly to be safer than sorry. I've spent a lot of money getting them pregnant that I figure the risk of the vaccine justifies the use.

 

ETA: The cat is on his own. I couldn't catch him even if I did want to vaccinate him. Which I don't.

[Blue Hen]

I do now, both are up to date on their shots.

 

My previous dog was not kept up on shots, he was always walked, and I was always with him while he played with us in our backyard. Then one rainy night we let him out to do his business, he encountered a skunk, killed it so we really feared the skunk was rabid. The dog went into quarantine while we waited for the lab results....thankfully the skunk was clean and my dog lived and we didn't have to get shots. Never again will I not do shots.

 

Carole

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

If I knew one of our neighbors was not vaccinating their animals, I would call animal services. There are kids in our neighborhood and I would not want someone thinking it was okay to put those kids at risk.

[swellmomma]

I do not vaccinate my cat. She was due for some shots when baby girl had her reaction to her vaccines. I decided not to inject anything into any person or animal living in my home until I had studied vaccines more. Yes I know my cat and my children are different but injecting a toxin into 1 kind of animal is no different than injecting it into another. So that is me long winded way of saying no.