Blog  >  A Guide to Choosing Vaccines: A Vet Finally Gives Her Honest Opinion

A Guide to Choosing Vaccines: A Vet Finally Gives Her Honest Opinion

By: Dr. Laci Schaible, Vet_LIVE

t’s hard to believe that it was not even fifty years ago that the world’s first veterinary vaccines became available via mass production.  In fifty years, we have really outdone ourselves.  Animal vaccines have undoubted saved millions of animals lives; vaccines such as canine distemper and feline panleukopenia are now largely unknown by today’s pet parents, but have we crossed the line in our frenzy to vaccinate?

As more of America (and elsewhere in the world) goes corporate and one size fits all, it was only a matter of time before this change seeped into the veterinary world.  Now with a number of corporate vets pushing “discount” puppy plans at mega-chains and more independent private practice vets fighting so fiercely to survive in corporate American this means less time to spend with pets and their owners and a higher exam-room turnover rate, and we are unfortunately seeing more and more vaccine greed and speed.

With the competition and pressure to keep vet’s profit margins out of the red, the responsibility lies with YOU!

Vaccines your puppy or dog needs depends on the diseases they are exposed to.  To determine this, we must consider where you live and how much exposure to other dogs they are likely to encounter.  Vaccine plans, among other things, should be based upon each unique dog’s needs.  There is no “one size fits all” in the dog world of vaccines.  (Well, their certainly is, but you should NOT adhere to it.)

Let’s take a look at some diseases every dog should be protected* against, and which ones are maybes depending on your pet’s needs.  *I say protected because this doesn’t mean blindly revaccinating yearly. Three year protocols are no longer the way of the future, and are the now.  Also, more pet owners are willing to and seeking out titers to find out if their pets are protected or actually need the booster.

    Canine parvovirus:

“Parvo” as it’s usually known as, is a highly contagious disease that causes bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and often death.  It is most common among puppies, but I diagnosed many adult dogs with this deadly disease.  Please make sure your dog is protected against this one.  It’s starting to be on the rise again in many states, as many pet owners are now scared of over-vaccinating and turning away from vaccines altogether without make sure their dogs are protected.  Don’t let this one slide.  At least three vaccines during the puppy series are crucial, and then adult vaccinating and/or titers to ensure protection is adequate.

    Canine Distemper Virus:

Distemper is a devastating disease and there is no cure for it.  It is an airborne virus, and first causes upper respiratory and GI signs, then progresses to neurological signs in its advanced stages.  Three vaccines 3-4 weeks apart between the ages of 6 – 16 weeks should keep your puppy protected.

    Canine Adenovirus-1 (aka Canine Hepatitis)

This is a horrible disease you probably have never heard of, and for that, be thankful.  This is a virus that causes a horrible liver infection and also affects the kidneys.  Symptoms include fever, depression, loss of appetite, coughing, and a painful abdomen.  Death can occur, and even if your dog survives, chronic and recurring symptoms may persist.  This one should also be give along side parvovirus and distemper; the good news is they are usually all in the same vaccine.

    Rabies:

You may not believe that your pampered pooch is at risk for catching rabies, but it is the law.  As a veterinarian who has been bit more times than there are days in the year, I am grateful when my biters are current on their rabies vaccine.  I also make sure to stay current on my rabies vaccine myself, but I opt for the route of titers instead of blindly revaccinating myself.  It’s what all the MDs recommend for people, and you should really consider titers for this one.

P.S. These vaccines are now readily recognized and available as adult vaccines that last for three years.  Your state law may require rabies annually (in which case, titers documenting adequate protection will usually suffice), but the others have been proven to provide protection for at least three years.  If your vet is still requiring these annually, I would ask yourself why.  Are clinging onto that extra income?  Are they they out of tough with current medicine, or do they have a legitimite

Stay tuned for Part II on which vaccines your puppy or dog can skip altogether, and which ones you may want to give, depending upon where you live.

Dr. Laci Schaible is a veterinarian turned pet health care advocate.  She lives and practices in Pennsylvania with her husband, Dr. Jed Schaible, also a veterinarian.  Together they have lowered the barrier to pet health care via their website, www.VetLIVE.com.  You can ask a vet and chat live 24/7 instantly for unbiased and personalized veterinary answers and money-saving tips.

QUESTION: What are your thoughts on vaccines and dogs?

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