dog innoculations? yes or no?

Question

Know people who always get the boosters done and some who never have. Some people say its not worth anything. Have 2 older dogs and am going to the vet tomorrow. Sometimes I have had them done and sometimes not. They have now elapsed. Are they really necessary for an older dog?

Answer 1

I'm in the UK what you are talking about is American thing i did some careful research first before writing this and this is what i found out for both countries the vaccination programmes are different in the two countries the UK does not have rabies where the USA does so our dogs would not be vaccinated against that here i the UK i read a few vets reports from the UK which stated that if they don't follow the manufactures guidelines on the drug which recommends vaccinating your dog once a year and a UK vet told a client it was OK every three years and the dog got one of the symptoms like parvo virus for instance the vet could be sued and possibly loose his job depending where your from its a mine field all i could work out is the UK vets are saying once a year because the manufacture of the drugs in the UK say that is what you should do even if you don't get your dog vaccinated every year you do run the risk of a dog picking up one of the diseases that vaccination prevents my dogs are vaccinated every year and i would never not vaccinate them its a personal choice i think but my dogs are my family and my vet says it needs doing every year and i follow his advice

Answer 2

Some people will say no, that if you get their shots when they are young they are protected for life. After all, you don't get all your shots every year do you?

BUT I get my dog his shots every year. He is 11 yrs old, and he has enough health problems as it is. And even if you never take them off of your property, you never know when they are going to be exposed to something potentially deadly. We had a neighbor once who had not gotten her puppy his shots and he got parvo and died in her backyard. That little guy interacted with my 2 dogs through the fence every day. I took my dogs to get their boosters the next day, because shots are a lot cheaper than treating parvo and a lot less stressful than watching your dog die.

Also, with an older dog, your vet will want to see them at least once a year to check for other conditions as they age. My dog saw 4 different vets in less than 6 months for a skin condition - the last time he was in, they noticed he has a heart murmur and ran bloodwork to make sure everything is ok. At his age, catching something like that early is the key to helping him live a little longer and happier.

Answer 3

Yes but not as often as the vet says. Go to any animal health site and look up information about vaccinations and it will tell you most of them last 3 years or longer. Learn to give them yourself and save a lot there also. If you live around a farm/animal supply store ( my fave. is tractor supply ) You can buy them yourself except rabies ( and you used to be able to do that till they changed the law ) . As for rabies it depends on the law in your state or country. But even that is in debate as they say it last 3 years but some states still make you get them every year. Find out when the 4-H clubs are having a rabies clinic and get them then..Its about half what a vet charges.There are many still legal things you can do yourself instead of going to a vet. You can learn all this on the net. Just research it.But do be careful with your animals.Older dogs are more likely to get parvo than a middle age dog. Older dogs are more susceptible to illness.

Answer 4

There is alot of debate on this matter and really it depends on what you as the owner feel.I personally only have my dogs puppy jabs done and there now 4 and 1yrs old and healthy as any other dog,they've never had a cold nothing.A good magazine that offered the pro's and cons about vaccinations is dogs today magazine.Humans are'nt injected every year,so why should our dogs be?vaccinations actually weaken the immune system and can cause ellergic reactions after vaccination or even worse in some cases death.With out vaccination your dogs immune system builds up naturally and is actually stronger then a dog who has to rely on there yearly vaccination.

Answer 5

I've talked to several vets over the past 5 years, since I lost my beardie because he got auto immune from his booster shots, and there's not one vet out there who has not said that dogs over 10 do not need any more shots.

In fact, I just talked to my vet who said that as the data base is now getting huge for titers (because a lot of people are having them done who don't believe in annual shots), they've found that dogs are protected for years. Even the drug companies are now coming out and saying that their product is good for 3 years.

The protocols will be changed, I hope sooner rather than later, because dogs are dying needlessly from being over-vaccinated. If you trust your vet, ask. One vet told me that the main reason they don't tell people their dogs don't need shots is because people won't bring their dogs in just for an annual exam. That's not acceptable. People need to be educated that a dog needs a physical, he does not need a booster shot.

Answer 6

I have the first lot done and then thats it...It's a waste of money after that...unless you need the paper work to show jabs if they need to go into kennels....don't let the vet make you feel guilty about not having them done...he just wants your money. I've owned dogs for 35 years and never lost one through illness other than old age

Answer 7

I was once told by an ex RSPCA vet, that the first lot of injections are all that your dog needs to protect it for life, I tend to take my dogs for their first booster after they are a year old and I don't take them any more, there are a lot of vets who only give boosters every 3 years now so that in itself tells you a lot!

Answer 8

yes for a puppy and younger dog but if like me your older dog has jabs (7years old) and 2 months later he had fluid on the lungs and enlarged heart he was put on heart meds for a month which was a temp measure it shortened his life and he died 6th Feb this year.
In the Daily Mail a few months ago it was stated that it was a complete rip off to have jabs done for your dogs every year it is a way of vets and medicine company's charging us the earth if your dogs are happy and healthy and over the years they have had jabs give them a rest ,and your wallet.

Answer 9

Well if nothing else you have to get a rabies shots for the dogs. I always had my older dog inoculated for everything they were supposed to have each year. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't and then they came down with something that could have been prevented. Just because their older doesn't make them less important.

Answer 10

It is always best to have you pets vaccinated. Small puppies are susceptible to about anything. I would be worried about Parvo and Distemper.
As for your older dogs they should get their booster shots especially if they are out and about in parks or come into contact with other dogs. You should always keep their rabie vaccine up to date.
If you have to board your pet you will need these vaccines anyway.

EDIT: Here is a vaccination chart..

Age Vaccination
5 weeks Parvovirus: For puppies at high risk. Check with your veterinarian.

6 & 9 weeks Combination vaccine* without leptospirosis.
Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.

12 weeks or older Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (age at vaccination may vary according to local law).

12 & 15 weeks** Combination vaccine*
Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.

Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Adult Combination vaccine*
Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.

Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (time interval between vaccinations may vary according to local law).

Consult with your local veterinarian to determine the appropriate vaccination schedule for your dog. Recommendations vary depending on the age, breed, and health status of the dog, the potential of the dog to be exposed to the disease, the type of vaccine, whether the dog is used for breeding, and the geographical area where the dog lives or may visit.

*A combination vaccine, often called a 5-way vaccine, usually includes adenovirus cough and hepatitis, distemper, parainfluenza, and parvovirus.
Some combination vaccines may also include leptospirosis (7-way vaccines) and/or coronavirus. The inclusion of either canine adenovirus-1 or adenovirus-2 in a vaccine will protect against both adenovirus cough and hepatitis; adenovirus-2 is highly preferred.

**Some puppies may need additional vaccinations against parvovirus after 15 weeks of age. Consult with your local veterinarian.

Bordetella and parainfluenza: For complete canine cough protection, we recommend Intra-Trac III ADT. For dogs that are shown, in field trials, or are boarded, we recommend vaccination every six months with Intra-Trac III ADT.