Do you get yearly boosters?

[Witchonastick]

Just mulling this over...

We are currently starting the long search for a puppy after losing our wonderful dog to bone cancer a few weeks ago.

The breed isn’t a common/popular one, so can be hard to find a planned litter waiting list and I’ve had some interesting chats with a few breeders.

All recommend raw feeding and one doesn’t believe in yearly boosters. She suggested getting the initial course of vaccines then yearly blood tests for immunity and only giving boosters if necessary. She feels it can be harmful to give yearly boosters and most dogs need no more than a booster for certain diseases every 3yrs and some aren’t needed for the rest of a dogs life.

I’m trying to do a bit of research myself into this. The idea seems logical. But how does it work in practice? Our vets would make you repeat the whole course if the booster was late.
Do many vets support this?

I’m not anti vacs when it comes to my children, is this the same thing?

[BiteyShark]

My vaccine schedule is/was as follows:-

Initial puppy vaccinations plus kennel cough (my dog goes to daycare and training so we have the KC). Included in that was the L4 because we walk in boggy muddy farm and forest areas.

Every year we have the KC and L4 again. You cannot test for lepto immunity and it only lasts a year as well as renewing the KC.

We then have the remaining boosters every 3 years.

This is what is recommended by my vet.

I would honestly take advice from your vet as well as your own research. You will get some people against vaccinations but it's about managing risk benefits for your particular dog/area and also looking at what would happen if your dog did contract any of the diseases.

[BiteyShark]

And a lot of insurance policies won't pay out for any related diseases if you haven't kept up to date with recommended vaccinations.

[BiteyShark]

Sorry keep thinking of things when I have posted.

Are you planning on boarding your dog with kennels or pet sitters. If so and you decide not to do regular boosters (at the appropriate intervals) you may need to spend a bit more time checking that your boarder is ok with that because I have to show a copy of his vaccinations and declare that they are up to date.

[ABC1234DEF]

I’m not anti vacs when it comes to my children, is this the same thing?

Yes, except things like leptospirosis and parvovirus are far more prevalent than things like mumps and measles

[AgathaF]

Lots of information on the internet stating that over vaccinating can be detrimental to the health of a dog. I think if you don't do yearly vaccinations then yearly titre testing is the way to go to check for immunity. Lots of kennels/sitters and some insurance will accept a titre test showing current immunity instead of insisting on yearly boosters now. You really need to look into this in your own area, and dependent on your own circumstances and plans for your puppy.

[ABC1234DEF]

Lots of information on the internet stating that over vaccinating can be detrimental to the health of a dog

The vast majority of which is anecdotal, not research based

[PottyPotterer]

Well I wouldn't be buying a dog from a breeder who doesn't keep their dogs vaccines up to date. The vaccines for distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus are only needed every 3 years. Leptospirosis, which incidentally is zoonotic and can affect humans needs to be given every 12 months. It's carried by many animals and excreted in their urine, including rats and can survive in the environment for several months so if you're planning on leaving the house with your dog they'll need their annual booster to be protected. Kennel cough is optional, it's a bit like the flu vaccine, it's not usually a serious disease but if you're dog gets it you'll have to listen to a hacking cough for weeks on end.
Raw feeding is controversial, there are salmonella risks which is shed in the dogs coat and can then affect humans also. The risks can be reduced by freezing meat first.

[AgathaF]

Of course, which is always the case with these things. A lot of vets are now not recommending yearly vaccinations though, and there is some research based stuff out there.

If a titre test shows your dog to still have immunity, and that will be accepted by kennels/insurance etc, then I'm not sure why you'd want to automatically re-vaccinate.

[Chocolateisfab]

My friendly ddogs who use the kennels have annual jabs.
Crabby ddog had initial puppy jabs and one booster. None since and she is ten this year.
Heard interesting info from a husky keeper that said no need for annually.

[Witchonastick]

We don’t use boarding kennels or day care.
I know our vets automatically offer yearly boosters. I’ll need to chat to the vet when the time comes, but I sometimes find it hard to know what’s best and what’s profit driven, like the crappy food they always try and sell you.

[Witchonastick]

@chocolateisfab Do you test for immunity?
What do your vets say?

[BiteyShark]

When your vet says they do yearly vaccinations do you know which ones because the parvo ones which used to be yearly are only now offered every three years by my vet but lepto which has no test for immunity is still yearly. So yearly doesn't always mean 'everything' yearly.

It is however down to you. Some people like me prefer to vaccinate and treat whilst others are anti that. You need to be comfortable in your decision based on research which ever way you jump.

[Witchonastick]

We would probably get lepto done yearly as we live near a river.

The breeders dogs are tested and revaccinated if necessary.

[ChrisPrattsFace]

I just want to say I’m so happy to see the comments encouraging vaccinations.
I stay away from the dog boards because of negativity around it and around vets as I find it too upsetting and frustrating.
The advice you’ve been given here OP is bang on.
Lepto yearly, DHP every third.
As well as being a veterinary nurse I’ve lost one of my own dogs to lepto - and it was genuinely the most brutal and painful death despite trying to save him.
Please vaccinate. Prevention is far better than cure!

[LittleMissHappy19]

Insurance can be a heck of a lot more if your dog doesn't have its annual boosters, and vaccines are up to date. We have all our animals boosters done yearly, including our rabbit

[Witchonastick]

@ChrisPratsFace Sorry to hear about dog.

I totally agree that vaccination is important, but I do find some (certainly not all) vets can be profit driven so hard to get advice.

[palacegirl77]

I disagree that it is similar to child vaccs as it has been proven that their immunity can/should be life long, whilst some parts of the dog vaccines wear off after a year BUT other parts last a lot longer. I think it depends on where you live and what your dog is like. My first dog was (although friendly) not bothered about playing with other dogs, and never picked up anything when out. He had his vaccs for the first three years then never after. My current dog is dog mad, loves the interaction and also, being a labrador, will eat anything he finds - rat infested or not! so this guy has them every year, just in case. Oh and I used to be a veterinary nurse...none of the vets in the practice vaccinated their own dogs after the initials ones!

[ABC1234DEF]

I know our vets automatically offer yearly boosters

They will, but what they actually vaccinate against each year will vary, but they do need something each year.

Generally its:

8 weeks - leptospirosis (L)
10 weeks - distemper/hepatitis/parvovirus (DHP)
12 weeks - leptospirosis (L)
(If DHP is given before 10 weeks, they will need a second dose at 10 weeks or older. L is given 2 doses 4 weeks apart)

1st annual booster - DHPL
2nd year - L
3rd year - L
4th year - DHPL

And so on...

This has been the case for years, certainly the standard for my previous dog who was PTS recently at 17 years old. It's only more recently that people have been actually paying attention to what's being given.

Kennel cough is optional based on need and risk. If you're attending puppy classes, using a dog walker, kennels etc. it's likely pup will need it. It can only be given when required if necessary so if dog goes into kennels as a one off, you can have a one off KC vac.

[Witchonastick]

But a yearly blood test could potentially mean the DHP isnt needed every 3 years?

[pigsDOfly]

I go with what my vet recommends, which is the same thing my previous vet recommended - changed vets because I moved to a different area - but I'm a great believer in vaccination anyway and wouldn't leave my dog unprotected.

Some boosters are given every year some less frequently. I never used to have kennel cough but have had to put dog in kennels a few times and they require it, so I make sure that's always given every year.

I'm not a vet, so I'm happy to trust the people who I entrust my dog's care to.

Generally, domestic pets are living far longer, healthier lives and while that is down to quite a number of different reasons it's highly likely, I imagine, to be helped in large part by extensive vaccination.

[ABC1234DEF]

But a yearly blood test could potentially mean the DHP isnt needed every 3 years?

Potentially. But it's only a snapshot. They may have sufficient immunity on the day of the blood test but the following day/week/month/6 months, who knows?

[OverFedStanley]

It is nothing like not vaccinating your children.

If you do titre test you find out if your dog has protection and if so you do not re vaccinate as there is no need as the dog is already covered.

If the dog does not have cover you would vaccinate.

Lepto as stated above is can not be titre tested so would need a yearly vaccine to cover this (although Lepto does not cover the whole year and many dogs still get lepto if they have had the vaccine so another discussion point to have with your vet.)

ABC1234DEF if they have immunity then they have immunity not a who knows situation at all........


The drug companies themselves know that vaccination is not required yearly (and after immunity has been proven) and they are changing the schedule although it has taken them long enough to get around to it.

Interesting about going with what the vet says..... The client sometimes does not know what to ask the vet so will get the standard answer. If you ask most vets about titre testing and immunity and how it works you will get a different answer.

[ChandelierSail]

Just a bit of advice- breeders talk a load of shit most of the time.

The only person you should listen to about matters relating to your pets' health is someone qualified to do so - your vet.

[OverFedStanley]

ABC1234DEF the vaccinations schedule you have given is very unusual
Only lepto at 8 weeks?
then 10 weeks and 12 weeks

[Witchonastick]

Thanks so much.
I will definitely get yearly lepto and ask vet about titre testing. I’ve no idea if this is something they offer or if I’d have to go elsewhere for a test.