Do you vaccinate your pets?

[TammyinTN]

We take our pooch in every year for a check up and shots. She's an important member of our family and we live in military housing and it's required.

[Jennifer3141]

Everyone is fully vaccinated until they are a year old. Then I selectively vaccinate using titers as my information source. I have been amazed to see what's going on in the immune systems YEARS after the vaccine supposedly expired.

 

I'm more careful with the cat who occassionally gets out and the dog. I don't do kennel cough with the dog because she's never been kenneled. My family and I swap dog sitting services. I hire a pet sitter for the cats and parrot when we have to leave them so even they don't go to kennels.

 

They typically now switch cats' legs for vaxes because they found some cats got a serious vaccine reaction if they kept getting shots in the same leg year after year after year. Your vet probably also now records which leg/area gets what shot.

 

We must be doing something right. My brother and I figured out the other day that the eldest cat in our family is from my 8th grade year in junior high which makes him 22 and he doesn't look it. All of our cats live well into their 20s. I swear by the raw food now, especially after my dog's last exam.

 

Jen

[Frontier Mom]

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.

 

Just wondering about a couple of things:

 

1. Where can I get vaccines myself for my dog and cat and is that advisable?

 

2. I give my dog Sentinel for flea and heartworm prevention. Is this good and/or needed? I live in NC where fleas and mosquitos vacation!

[Mekanamom]

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 do my own vaccinations as well... (horses, dogs, and cats) except for the rabies, which I pay the vet to do. The vet gets to see the animals and do their exams at that time as well, which I feel is important for my animals.

 

Other than that- we mostly see the vet for emergencies and I take care of all the routine stuff... vaccinations, worming, wound care, etc... and I keep meticulous notes so that if/when an emergency comes up, I have all the records at hand to show the vet.

 

The one exception... when we have a new puppy, we take him in to the vet office for all of his initial care. Partly so that the vet office has all of the initial paperwork and has a file on the new dog.

 

So- to answer the OP, yes, we vaccinate... I do most of it myself and am selective about the brands of vaccine I use as well as which vaccines to give. My routine covers all the basics and some extras if needed... and then the vet takes care of the rabies & yearly exams.

[TrixieB]

Our elderly cat no longer gets vaccinations. About 4 years ago, his vet said that because he was "geriatric" and indoor-only, he no longer needed to be vaccinated.

 

Prior to that, he received his scheduled vaccines.

[Frontier Mom]

Where do you get the vaccines to give at home? My vet is just annoying and I used to just give them all myself. I'm thinking of doing that again as my dog is 6 and really only needs a couple of vaccines.

 

Also, do you recommend and/or administer "Sentinel" for heartworms and fleas? I give this to my dog monthly because we live in NC - the vacation spot of fleas and mosquitos! According to Pet Meds, I have to get a prescription to order this from their site.

[Stacy in NJ]

We vaccinate both. :-)

[3lilreds in NC]

My dog, of course, gets fully vaccinated. Too much icky stuff grows here to let it go.

 

My cats are all indoor, and they do get rabies and distemper. Rabies is require by law, and since the dog goes out and brings stuff in, and I do have the occasional feline escapee, I think it's good to keep them up on those. No leukemia though since they are *supposed* to be indoor-only cats.

 

I think the most important thing is to keep everyone current with flea/tick prevention and heartworm prevention. Also, my vet recommends deworming quarterly as a preventative, and I agree with that. My dog has managed to have a tape worm, and I have NO idea where he got it. So, proactive deworming it is!