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Vaccinations & Titer Testing

16 replies

Yourarealpieceof · 12/03/2020 07:44

My girl had parvo virus when a pup.

I’ve decided against vaccinating every year. When my girl was ill I became ill due to stress. She was 8 weeks old. I had 3 months on sick due to my condition. In this time all I did was research. And research and well
I spoke to many holistic veterinarians mostly from USA, as well as some of the top rated breeders of her breed, highly commendable and educated of the breed and dogs.

After reading article after article of information I have made this decision, that is wildly accepted in the USA, even though they have many many more infectious diseases but it is seemingly a new concept in the UK titer testing - testing immunity against infectious diseases.

These infections are misunderstood, and are alike us ending up with a disease due to conditions.

I’m trying to employ a dog walker who requires them to be vacced yearly, disregarding that she has antibodies (like humans, you get vacced you build up immunity - once is all it takes normally).

Yearly vaccinations make up a huge percentage of a Vets income. And I decided against them when the vets themselves were 50/50. One was fine with my decision for not vaccs and the other was not. Therefore there is a warp on the rule. And it wasn’t my dog my rules, if they believed that it was best then, it’s their duty of care.

Same for flea treatments. A dog I know became ill off a flea treatment, and will forever have seizures due to it. My dog has never had fleas, and has never had a chemical put on her skin.

Slight eye infection they immediately administer antibiotics that’s cost £30 - use a warm damp teabag seriously it works. She would be likely to build immunity to antibiotics the amount they give.

As soon as I take her the vets for something minor she’s never away , until I think I’ll sit this one out and she ends us absolutely fine! As I would with myself or a child!

I trust vets, but it’s a business. There has been a connection made with over vaccing and cancer. My old dog lived till 18, having only her initial vaccs. Growing up on a council estate no dogs were vaccinated and all dogs were fine, mostly living to a ripe age.

I don’t know why I’m posting.

I just want what’s best for my girl, and constantly pumping crap in her doesn’t feel right.

When she had gotten over the parvo, the first thing they did was get her in the paper, to urge vaccinations. It was because of the dire place she was rescued from. There was no mention of that. Just urging people to vaccs there happy healthy dogs who if they were titer tested they would have immunity to the disease. Many many dogs especially of the older generation have never boosted their dogs after the initial injections.

I’m just pissed off, but I know I’m being unreasonable.

Thank you for reading if you got this far! 😬

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ErrolTheDragon · 12/03/2020 08:19

Regular vaccinations may be expensive but they're not 'crap'.

Titre tests are expensive too. Your dog might pass one year but you'd presumably have to have her restested every year.

Re fleas, ticks etc - the fact your dog has never had one yet bears no relation to whether they will in future. Maybe you're not too worried about the odd flea, but ticks can carry Lyme disease.

Chances are you'll get away with it, because other owners (of happy, healthy, long lived dogs like mine) do get them fully vaccinated and use regular antiparasite treatment. Hmm

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Yourarealpieceof · 12/03/2020 08:27

There’s no ‘getting away’ with it. My dog nearly died or parvo virus. We’ve already had one. If you just take 5 minutes to look at the correlation between over vaccination and cancer. Aswell as anti bodies, and the fact the the vaccination themselves dependant on which you’re administered lasts up to 3 years in the dog; why must it be every year?

I was disgusted at the likes of me when my girl nearly died. How could people be so irresponsible. And then I educated myself. It all then made sense - to me. Maybe have a little look into it. I’d prefer to not fill my beloved dog with shit. Have you ever heard of the reactions to Lepto? And the amount of lives it took?

I didn’t say she wasn’t protected against them - she is. Just naturally. Not full of chemicals. Unless, like me you’ve looked extensively at both sides, you can’t really raise an eyebrow 🤨

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Shambolical1 · 12/03/2020 08:31

Is your dog titre tested?

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Yourarealpieceof · 12/03/2020 08:39

Yes, she is. As well as using worm count for worms.

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Yourarealpieceof · 12/03/2020 08:43

The dog produces antibodies against the virus from the initial vaccine. I appreciate now more than ever this will be shunned, though it is another offering of help and potential insight, for what feels like the becoming of an unethical money grabbing business model. Vaccinations are not crap, I just choose not to do them until her antibodies are low, which should be never.

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Shambolical1 · 12/03/2020 08:50

Most vets now recommend boosters every three years for the core diseases, Parvo being one of them. Lepto and KC are recommended annually, because they're different diseases requiring a different approach. One protocol does not fit all.

Do you have a link to the study confirming a correlation between vaccination and cancer?

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johnwayneisbigleggy · 12/03/2020 08:54

What most people don't realise is that vaccinations are 'one size fits all' so a Yorkie gets the same dose as a Great Dane which to me is worrying. I don't vaccinate my dog every year, he had puppy jabs and is now titre tested although finding a vet to do that wasn't easy because they all want to just sell you the jabs - there is more money in that.

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Floralnomad · 12/03/2020 09:15

I’m not sure vets do make much money from vaccinations in this day and age of jabs for life plans and monthly vet plans and that many people use . Obviously OP you have done your research and made your choice but if that precludes your dog from some daycare settings / walkers then that is the choice of the business owner .

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Shambolical1 · 12/03/2020 09:23

More money. Ok. Say your dog lives 12 - 15 years, and is vaccinated (for the 'core' diseases, lepto and kennel cough being viewed as optional depending on circumstances) as a pup and then boosted every three years. At current prices that's £30-£40 a time, five to six times. So plus or minus £240 over the dog's lifetime.

Now ask your vet what it would cost you to treat your dog for parvovirus (it's the most likely challenge of the core diseases in the UK). It will be into the thousands; intensive nursing as an impatient can be £250 per night.

Yeah, the vets are just in it for the money.

Oh but you have insurance! Yes, but it specifically excludes diseases which can be prevented by vaccination if the vaccination has not taken place. Oh dear.

Also, check out herd immunity. The more vaccinated dogs there are, the fewer un-vaccinated dogs get the disease (including pre-vaccinated pups).

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Booboostwo · 12/03/2020 09:44

Let's call this this thread for the anti-vaxxer bullshit it is.

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ErrolTheDragon · 12/03/2020 10:09

The titre tests seem to cost roughly the same as boosters nowadays - and of course the latter may be needed anyway if the test comes back negative.

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frostedviolets · 12/03/2020 10:20

So, when I bought my puppy the breeder advised only parvo vaccination was strictly necessary which I disagreed with.

My puppy had all the vaccinations and boosters as an adult and flea spot on.

I can’t remember the exact age but a few years down the line she started showing odd, seizure like behaviour after vaccination, she’d suddenly get nervous and a bit stiff then start flicking her head as if looking at a fly then act a bit confused afterwards.

She hasn’t had any vaccinations now for years, nor flea spot in after I noticed the same behaviour after spot on after a while.

I am uncomfortable at the suggestion vaccinations are inherently dangerous, I have always been and still am a big vaccination supporter but I do think that some people/animals respond badly and shouldn’t get them again if that’s the case and I am unconvinced that a yearly course of vaccinations for animals are strictly necessary.

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Stellaris22 · 12/03/2020 11:23

Oh dear, anti vaxxing has spread to the dog world

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NannyPear · 12/03/2020 12:11

If vets were in it for the money then vaccinating would not be the way forward. Go ahead. Stop vaccinating. They'll be making a shed load more for treating all of these horrific, preventable diseases.

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Wolfiefan · 12/03/2020 12:19

I would happily titer test but they can’t do it for lepto.
My vets don’t give all vaccinations every year either. As a PP said it’s every three years.
I don’t give kennel cough vaccine as it’s a live vaccine they can shed. Puppy is recovering from a very mild dose of kennel cough. Not sure how I will feel about that one next year.
I do worm and give flea treatment. I have cats that would certainly give the dogs fleas and ticks if they could. But I avoid Bravecto because of possible adverse reaction and because it lasts so long.
I don’t believe vets promote vaccination to make money. They would make far more money out of sick pets.
I do believe in making an informed decision.

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ThatLibraryMiss · 12/03/2020 13:32

She would be likely to build immunity to antibiotics the amount they give.

That's not how it works. She won't "build immunity to antibiotics" but bacteria might if the antibiotics given aren't the right ones in the right quantity for the right length of time. Using this phrase does not lend scientific authority to your post.

There has been a connection made with over vaccing and cancer.

Citation, please?

I know I’m being unreasonable.

OK then...

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