Why would anyone reccomend not vaccinating their puppy?

Question

On another forum, some person posted that vaccines are unneccesary and puppies(not dogs, puppies) don't need them and they have natural immunity. They even suggested taking unvaccinated 15 week old puppies to dog parks was a good idea.

Is this anything other than stupidity? Considering how many puppies get parvo or distemper how can someone who knows anything make that argument?

Sure, there is an astronomically low risk the puppy might react to the vaccine, but compare that to the relatively high chance of getting disease.....

Answer 1

I don't agree with over-vaccinating, as it can do more harm than good; but I also don't agree with not vaccinating at all.

Dogs need their core shots, especially as puppies. Not every year as adults though, many vets have a 2-3 year vaccination schedule because it's unnecessary to give them every year, as the shots actually last for longer than that.

But some vaccinations are unnecessary in some circumstances. My vet recommended that I *not* get lyme vaccination for my dog because I don't live in an area she will be exposed to it. He told me only get that vaccination if I am going to be moving or vacationing in an area that has lyme disease. (Similar to how if you spend your whole life in the US, you don't need to be vaccinated against Malaria because we don't have it here.)

Answer 2

The DHLPP vaccine contains Dispemper, Hepatitis, Lepto, Parvo, and Parainfluenza. Puppies need to be vaccinated every three weeks until they are 16 weeks of age. So depending on how old he was when he received his first two vaccines, that will tell you if he needs another booster vaccine. The DA2PP contains Distemper, Adeno Virus, Parvo, and Parainfluenza. And the DA2LPP contains the same, plus Lepto. If your puppy got the DHLPP, he will be fine. Your veterinarian will look over your pups records and let you know if he feels he needs to be vaccinated for anything else. And he also needs his Rabies Vaccine. And while a neuter is considered a routine procedure, it really isn't as easy as 'snip snip.' Your pup is still undergoing anesthesia and having a surgical procedure done. So I would follow your veterinarians recommendation on when it should be done. Most veterinarians recommend to have a puppy neutered at 6 months of age. And the cost of a neuter really depends on the clinic, and what you have done. Some clinics will be less expensive. While some clinics will be more expensive, but they might also offer more care, like preanesthetic blood work etc. So you will want to call around to the different clinics to get prices, and also find out what is included in those prices, and decide what you want to do. Microchipping, this can be done while you pup goes in to get neutered. I would also recommend Avid or HomeAgain. At the clinic where I work we use HomeAgain, and it costs $45. Each clinic is going to be slightly different.

Answer 3

I do believe in vaccinating puppies, but the protocol has changed over the years. It used to be every three weeks starting at 6 weeks and give 4 rounds, capped with Rabies. Now most better breeders do shots starting at 8 weeks, only 3 rounds. It's much healthier.

Parvo and distemper tend to be a bit regional and depending on where you live, you might not run into it very often. When we lived in So Cal, the incidents of Parvo were miniscule.

We take our pups out at 10 weeks on whatever shots they have had and start them in obedience class.

Answer 4

There is a growing belief that vaccinations should not just be given arbitrarily to all dogs. My vet, for instance, asks you about your pets' lifestyle before deciding what vaccinations to recommend. He also provides the option to do a blood test that determines the immunity level provided by earlier vaccinations. If the immunity is still above a certain level, it is OK to postpone the next vaccination. All this is done because there have been correlations between some vaccinations and long-term chronic conditions.

Answer 5

There are some people who feel that the risk of vaccinating puppies and stressing their immune systems outweighs the risk of catching a disease. They base this on whatever research they have done.

I still believe in puppy vaccinations, I'm dubious about boosters but I still get my dogs done every THREE years as a precaution. I do believe that you can vaccinate too much.

I'm willing to alter my opinions on this subject as more evidence is presented.

Answer 6

I agree that it's stupidity. There's a boxer breeder where I live, a long time breeder who shows all her dogs who for some reason refused to vaccinate any of her dogs, ever. Puppies included. A few months ago she lost every puppy but 1 in her litter to parvo. She's now re-thinking her stance on vaccinating but at what a price!

Answer 7

I agree, this is just plain stupidity. I's amazing how many animals you see come down with parvo/distemoer because their animals are not vaccinated. And it is such a painful road for them when being treated for it, which doesn't always work either. Obviously those with common sense and knowledge would be smart enough to take our animals to the vet for vaccinations when needed and not to a dog park which is more than likely festering with disease for the puppies to catch. Unfortunately, people like thi have to learn the hard way about why their animals need vaccinations, but the dogs are the ones who ultimately suffer for it. As far as reactions, they are usually very low, and there are breeds more susceptible for it than others. At our clinic, we give the puppies either some dexamethasone to prevent a reaction or else we leave out the Lepto (most common reaction to this one). We always remind our pet owners to monitor their animals and watch for any symptoms of a reaction- lethargic, swelling in the face, swelling at injection site(not always a reaction), and anything out of the ordinary. They are advised to bring the animal back up immediately for a re-check or to call right away if it is after-hours to discuss with the vet(who usually takes a look). being responsible about monitoring your dog after vaccs will ultimately help with reactions as well.

Answer 8

Puppies should be vaccinated. Unvaccinated puppies should NEVER go to a dog park and the debate is about vaccinating adult dogs yearly. I don't believe in vaccinating adults yearly but ALL puppies should be vaccinated. The person is misinformed and will most likely learn the hard way.

Answer 9

That reminds me of those people who won't get their children vaccinated because it is unnecessary. Yes, there can be adverse reactions (such as allergic reaction, flu like symptoms, etc), but some parents just REFUSE until they have to for school.

I think that some pet owners are the same way. This just reminds me of way back on here when someone asked about their dogs VEGETARIAN diet. The dog wasn't allergic to any meat, the owner just thought that the DOG eating MEAT was cruel. It is all down to stupidity.

Answer 10

It is the same reason that some people choose to not vaccinate their children. There is a chance (however small) that the puppy/child could have a reaction to the vaccine, and that reaction could potentially kill them. For some people the risk isn't worth it.

For most, though, the risk of serious illness is much worse.