Are pet (cats and dogs) vaccinations really necessary for the well being of your pet or is it a big money.....

Question

making business for the vets to profit off of? The reason I ask this is because of the over use of human medicines prescribed by doctors. With so much medicine available to humans and yet so many sick people and so many new buildings going up for more hospitals and clinics, yet so many deaths. Well it just got me thinking that maybe all those vaccinations aren't really neccesary either!

I have been a pet owner for 18 years and each year I have taken all of my pets to the vet for all shots. However, my gut feelings had me wondering if it was all neccessary. None of them have ever been sick with a serious disease. but with some of them approaching old age I sometimes wonder if their bodies are strong enough for the injections still....

Answer 1

I actually read an article about this several years ago. Research has shown that after puppies/kittens get their initial series of vaccines, there is no indication that their immunity to diseases is improved by receiving boasters each year. In fact the research indicates that it can be detrimental to their health. Most vaccines have an immunity factor of at least two to three years. For more information about this:http://www.critteradvocacy.org. Research seems to indicate that get your pet vaccinated as a puppy/kitten, then every three years should keep them up to date. After I read that article, I did not take our cat in for her "annual shots" (She always actedweird after getting them) She gets vaccinated every 3 years. (She is an inside cat now, so her chances of acquiring anything is slim. I may not even get her vaccinated ever again...)

Answer 2

lots of great communicate right here! I have been given my pupps all their domestic dog photos and their a million 3 hundred and sixty 5 days previous parvo booster, which replaced right into a 4-way. For something of their lives - they're going to basically get what vaccines are required via regulation, this is typically basically rabies. we are able to do titers in 3 3 hundred and sixty 5 days just to make certain the place they're at. The "3 3 hundred and sixty 5 days" vaccines are via and massive relatively sturdy for a minimum of 7 years. The "3 3 hundred and sixty 5 days" situation is a basically political compromise with the vet and pharmaceutical industries which push for annual vaccination. Vets push annual photos, understanding they at the instant are not mandatory, by and massive to incent puppy proprietors to hold their pets in for annual checkups. i do no longer use heartworm preventative interior the months it relatively is not mandatory (no mosquitos). there's an internet site available that has mapped the finished US into zones, telling you once you may pass heartworm preventative. i don't have the link attainable yet i'm specific this is Google-in a position. upload: I additionally no longer vaccinate my cats for rabies. they're indoor cats, previous, and their kidneys are shot, so it would be riskier to pump yet another overdose of rabies vaccine into their already taxed metabolism.

Answer 3

The best way to avoid the vet vaccination high cost is to A)purchase them from a mill and feed store and administer them yourself, B) go to the local pound or ASPCA for a less costly vaccination.

Not vaccinating your pet puts the pet at risk for disease common to the species. Parvo, FIP, Caronna Virus, etc. I have helped treat many a dog and puppy with Parvo that cost 2000.00 or more to treat without a gaurentee of a living dog in the end. A simple series of vaccinations against Parvo would have saved the dog and owner.

Yes vaccinations are important, and yes after the office exam and cost of vaccine the vet is expensive, but there are other options that save your pocket and yourpet.

Sometimes local pet stores will do vaccine clinics once a month.

Answer 4

For the past 9 years, I haven't taken either the dog or the cat to the vet for annual shots because years ago, I heard about this, that if an animal is basically an indoor animal, it was a waste of money to have all those shots. Neither of my animals have ever been sick, so I quit with the shots. My dog never got heartworm testing, either and she is a ripe old age of 10 this year and still going strong. This year, though, I did break down and have her shots only because we've moved and by next spring, she'll be roaming outside more, once the yard is fenced in. Damn. That means I have to do the heartworm stuff, too. sigh. lol

Answer 5

The vaccinations are the best care for your pet. Consider this, it avoids sickness. Your pets can't talk and tell you when they don't feel well, so how will you know if they are sick. It's not always easy to tell. Be proactive, many of those vaccinations are for fatal illnesses. It's true that your pet may never get a disease that you vaccinate for, but why chance it. If there was a cancer vaccine out there that you had to take once a year to avoid the disease, wouldn't you do it?

Answer 6

I have 2 male cats and My mom has a female cat. We live with my parents. Our two cats live in my parents garage which we have turned into our bedroom. The two male cats have never been exposed with the female because she lives in the house. She has been spaded and her front claws have been taken out she is 16 yrs old and doesn't get shots any more and other than the effects of old age is very healthy. Our two males have been neutered and have their front claws out. Other then their first shots and a rabies shot they had to get when they had their front claws out because of staying over night at the vet our cats haven't had any other shots and are doing just fine. I don't believe that if you have cats that stay indoors and aren't exposed to other animals that have to go outside that they really need shots to stay healthy. Most would disagree with me and I know that we can bring things in on our shoes. We haven't had problems so we won't be getting shots. Now if we had say a dog in which had to go out all the time then we would have to give our two cats as well as the dog shots because they could be exposed to other things. Until then we won't be giving shots to our cats. I think that we can save that money and use it for other things. Hope that this helps make your decision.

Answer 7

This debate's been going on awhile. I was talking with an animal control officer friend of mine awhile back, and he confirmed what I'd been thinking/reading about. People don't get vaccinated every year. For young animals, yeah get their shots so they can build up an immunity. My dogs are all older, so all they get is their yearly rabies shot. Seen articles in the paper, it was a weekly veterinarian section, answered by a real vet, said the same thing. It's all about money, and it's not just the vets it's also the pharmaceutical companies as well. One of my dogs actually started having reactions to them last time she had them a few years ago. That's what made me stop and really think about it and start reading more about it. It's your decision to make, just do more research on it.

Another big scam they've got going is the spot on flea products. Like Advantage, you can use the ex-large dog doses for smaller dogs, just need to find the right amount to put on-you don't use the whole tube. The amount of the medicine is the same in all the tubes, it just has a bigger tube for a bigger dog. Again, $$$. Research that one also. (I was told that one by a vet, as well as other people, had me use a tube of Advantage for Cats on my ferrets-but just a few drops).

I can feel all the alleged vet techs on here neg'ing me lol............

Answer 8

Uh well, I'm sure if you had kids you would rather vaccinate them just in case they would be exposed to an illness. Its the same thing with dogs and cats that haven't been vaccinated. They are more likely to catch a disease that can be easily be prevented by getting them vaccinated. You would feel pretty bad if your pet died from something that could have been prevented.

Answer 9

Just to build on everyone else's answers (the ones that agree that vaccinations are necessary) having your pets vaccinated saves you a costly vet bill if they do get sick.

Illnesses cost a lot more to cure than the vaccinations themselves. I'm sure if vets were merely wanting a profit they would want your pets to get sick.

Answer 10

All the vaccinations that are given to a dog are quite necessary. They prevent the dog/cat from getting a disease that could cost a lot more $$ for medicine.