Why do dogs need vaccination boosters every year?

[alwaysonadiet1]

Is it really necessary? Why do dogs need them but humans don't?

We dont lick other humans' shit

They don’t get the same thing every year . They likely don’t need them as they get older and retain immunity but daycares / kennels etc may require them .

The makers of the vaccines have guidelines that you need the puppy jabs, the first year boosters ( in case mum’s antibodies were still present in the puppy so the first ones weren’t fully effective) , then a top up booster around seven years of age. Even they now say the risks now outweigh the benefits in yearly ones, lots of studies & reports online.
If you are in an area where rats are a problem then the lepto boosters are advised.
This is the policy my old vet, sadly retired last year, followed. The practice now taken over by Medivet is trying to push yearly ones. Unfortunately if your dog goes into kennels while you go on holiday or into dog day care they usually insist on yearly ones. Mine always come on holiday with me so I don’t do yearly ones for mine. Even dog shows don’t insist on yearly ones.

Kennel cough can be serious and very contagious as far as I know

Could just have googled...

https://www.maynevets.co.uk/2018/01/why-do-i-have-to-vaccinate-my-dog-every-year/

Basically, it's because two of the diseases (both of which can kill are one does it in a truly horrific way...) need annual boosters. I'm sure you know about injecting little bits of a virus at a time to build up immunity - like with humans - but with these two particular virus' they can't inject to much of it at any one time because it will kill. Hence the need for boosters.

Leptospirosis, in particular, is a horrible way for a dog to die. Personally, I'd rather my dogs didn't die from hemorrhaging out of its ears and eyes...

Humans have flu vaccine every year

I've 5 dogs I've never bothered with boosters.

When I got my first dog the vet told me just to give first vaccinations then first booster and don’t bother after, so that’s what I did. She never went into kennels so never needed kennel cough vaccine, she never got ill until the day she was put to sleep. I don’t vaccinate my cats either, just the first vaccinations.

Adult boostersAdult dogs need a leptospirosis booster every year, and a distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis booster every three years, to stop their immunity decreasing over time. If you stop vaccinating your dog, they will be at risk of catching infectious diseases.
https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/other-veterinary-advice/dog-vaccines#:~:text=Adult%20boosters,risk%20of%20catching%20infectious%20diseases.

Parvovius killed SIL pup and the rest of her litter mates, it was awful and costly vet bill wise. It likely came from their mum.

parvovirus can survive in the environment for up to nine years, including the ground and soil

They don’t - look at the evidence.

Same here

You can have annual titre testing done instead, and providing immunity is shown to be sufficient you won't need to give the booster.

They don't, strictly speaking.

But if you want them to go into kennels or boarding, then it's a legal requirement - and the other thing is that if you don't vaccinate against a disease and your dog catches it, your insurance won't pay any associated vet bills.

I vaccinate my dog as he comes to work with me everyday (dog walker) and we live in an area with lots (and lots) of dogs, so I feel the benefits outweigh any potential risks.

Because the NHS for humans is free and veterinary care for dogs is not.

Agree with this. A vet also told me to do the same as @Lovemusic82 . She said the only reason people are told to vaccinate every year is that when the vaccines were tested they only carried out the trial for 12 months. So the pharmaceutical companies recommend repeating every year. But this is not based on research. She said it was not necessary to keep having them vaccinated. So I never have, and all my animals have lived to a good old age.

We do annual titre tests instead to check for antibodies. If immunity looks low can then consider boosters for what is needed

Do a titre test. Some vets charge alot for them though (they want you to have the vaccine) you do it every three years. Shop around.

Yeah see this is what I always had at the back of my mind , if my dogs pick up any of these diseases it would cost a fortune to treat and may not survive and I would be left with..the bills . So mine are always vaccinated .
I'll let the insurance pick up any bills.

Kennel cough isn't a core vaccines, it is optional.

The issue with this vaccine is it is a live vaccine and sheds. A dog should really be quarantined for 2 weeks after vaccination but people don't, they still take them out walking 🤦🏻‍♀️

You understand that we have regular does of flu vaccine, covid vaccines when we had then etc? Its vaccines. If you've ever seen parvo I think you'd be more than happy to vaccinate as much as was recommended to prevent it happening to your dog.

I'm not sure what percentage of people have a flu vaccine each year but I would think it would be quite small. Same with covid vaccines: although a lot higher I would think .I know a family of four, none of them had the vaccine and they are all still here. It was their decision and not one that would suit everyone.

Same with dog vaccines. People should be free to choose without all this scare mongering. I wouldn't want my dog to get parvo but I wouldn't want her to die in a car accident either and I still drive with her.

One of problems with dog vaccines is that there are many different opinions. Some vets say dogs should be vaccinated every year. My current practice says once every three years (it's a very regular practice).

I think you have to be naive to not think that money is at the heart of this issue.

There are several different diseases that dogs can be vaccinated against and different dogs living in different areas are exposed to different disease profiles. Hence a vet in northern Scotland seeing an older dog who only ever stays on the owners farm will give different advice to a vet in Berkshire seem g a dog who travels away with the owner in the Ik several times and year and spends two weeks at the home boarding mixing with other dogs.
I live and practice in a high risk area for leptospirosis as we have two rivers and a canal that run through our town. But as we are a small market town that is relatively affluent we don't see many cases of parvo.

Parvo mainly affects & is serious for very young puppies. I once had a litter that contracted it, years ago before the vaccine, I lost one of the six. Kennel cough is very transmissible but not that serious. Only had it once, after I’d taken my third dog with it to the vet he handed me a big plastic bag full of pills & said “ here, take these, just dose any of the others that come down with it.” 😂
The nearest vet to me is now charging £60 for an annual dog booster, extortionate when you consider the actual cost of vaccines.
Until recently I kept a herd of goats that needed vaccination for five diseases. Used to buy a bottle containing a multi vaccine against all the diseases from the local supplier, the bottle contained enough to dose them all for two years, kept it in the fridge between usage. The bottle cost £7.65. Vaccines mostly cost pennies.

Thank you for all your replies. Interesting. I asked here even though I had googled because I thought I'd get a variety of views (which I did) not only the standard advice. My dog is fully vaccinated, I'm just wondering for future reference.

I use kennels when we go away so have to keep up with the yearly schedule plus kennel cough. The vets do allow you to go 3 months over before demanding you redo the course so I try and squeeze extra months from it if that fits in with the kennel bookings.