@ Ayk: Common sense is a good thing and not all vets or people have a full clue on an issue even when it smacks them in the face. It seems when it comes to immunity and reactions there are vast views from practice to practice. Some know what they know and won't, or can't, go beyond that. Sorry I am not trying to offend anyone here if you are a veterinarian or tech. Like many professions there is a range in quality and practicality.
@ Casey: We use HW preventative but the product used varies, for us it depends on the dog. We have a calendar for HW treatment and use whatever is best for each.
Below is an example what we do and not a suggestion as what anyone should do in particular for their dog or situation.
One dog (youngest) is on revolution until Dec since we needed something for fleas, ticks and mosquitoes/HW - he meets other dogs at events/trials etc. and likes to grub around in mud/leaves, sticks, water/standing water.
Another is on Ivermectin - Interceptor brand because this dog can not tolerate topical insecticide at all. In winter Dec - Feb I do not use HW treatment. Starting end of Feb or early March I will go back on interceptor (depends on the weather) after a yearly health check & blood screening etc.
My oldest is on nothing because she is taking immuno-suppressants for allergies and she is a sr dog that has had some kidney issues in the past.
Regardless of vaccination schedule selected or HW preventative used, I make sure to have blood work and urinalysis done once a year, particularly for the two oldest dogs. As mentioned kidneys and other things can become problematic with age so a screen rules out some potential issues and where changes need to be made either in diet or medication etc.
My youngest had a full blood panel for the first time to determine a base reading for future reference and to make sure the Lyme is cleared after treatment. It affirmed that no residual problems have occurred in regard to vital organ's overall function etc..
So for us the HW snap, cbc, thyroid, and urinalysis in of itself is helpful proactive way zero in, since it often detects a problem long before the dog is down and out.
@StaticNfuzz - Thanks for the info, Patrice. Again, I think it is amazing that we have such a wealth of knowledge and differing practices on this forum. It is great to see how others approach things like this, even if it may not be effective for another dog. And it is also nice to see that there are others out there that approach these issues with their dogs as individuals. What works for one may not always work for all in the same household.
I agree that it depends on the individual dog, the owner, where you live, etc. There are many, many variables. If I lived in a place there were mosquitos, I would give my dogs HW preventative at least during the mosquito months. But here? We just don't see them. I did once see a tick here, but that's once out of nearly 10 years of living here. No fleas either. So I'm lucky to not have to give them anything for that.
And I also find my decisions are based on keeping up to date on various articles on the vaccinations and other issues of dog health (including stuff I find here!), and balancing that with my rather conservative vet's opinions, etc. (My vet would be horrified that I don't want to revaccinate the dogs--we haven't had that talk yet. I've just not brought Toby in for his shots!)
I thought that it was interesting that the vet tech course I took recently, which was taught by a sort of middle of the road vet (ie. not conservative, but not way progressive either), said that he saw no reason for giving annual vaccinations anymore, and I don't believe the big vet organizations (AAHA and AVMA) even recommend it necessarily anymore.....It's been quite a few years since AAHA suggested coming up with a plan appropriate to the individual dog, rather than the cookie cutter approach of once a year.
eta: oops! I did see it mentions this in the article Jessica linked, that the AVMA no longer recommends annual boosters.
IMO, it took much too long for the AVMA to adopt that recommendation.
Owners have been claiming that the autoimmune hemolytic anemia in their dogs were caused by overvaccination but they weren't given credit for their "anecdotes." It was a big deal when the veterinary school at Colorado State University recognized the link and changed their vaccination protocols to a 3 yr deal (after puppy series and first yr booster). This was about 10+ years ago. It then took several more years before the other veterinary schools adopted similar protocols.
It'll probably take several more years before it filters down to every veterinary practice.
I spoke with my vet about this last week and thus confirmed each practice follows their own guideline still. Many veterinarians remain on a 1 1/2 yr schedule/protocol and have yet to move to 3 yr. Yep it is going to take a while, which makes it really important to discuss and determine the appropriate regime for each individual dog.
For anyone who will be showing or running their dogs in performance events here is another link that may be of interest posted in/by Clean Run.
This was posted on the Shiba side by member Rhondabee, who has been posting a lot of great links. This is a discussion between two vets about vaccinations. One of the vets is Dr. Ronald Schultz, who is an expert in immunology in dogs, and in the late 70s published articles about why we do not need to vaccinate every year. He's at Univ. of Wisconsin.
Here's the video, which is great! (a link, till I figure out how to embed it)
Glad to have this brought up - it really is worth staying informed on vaccines for any of us (people) or the animals we have. Studies are coming out with the vaccinations of all species, just now coming out in horses too that we have been over vaccinating and causing different problems.... I was thrilled to learn that they are cutting back on dog vaccines to at least 3 years....Great, great, great to stay informed and up to date on the most recent information.
@MirkaM - yes, here in the states it has been an annual vaccination (something I've always had a hard time with but done because "we are supposed to") So, about 5-6 years ago approximately, our vets started giving us the option for a 3 year vaccine, which I jumped on and now it's becoming pretty standard, at least where we are, that they only do the 3 year vaccines.
Re: vaccinating every year.....there is no reason to do that, though some vets still recommend it. Three years is the MINIMUM space between vaccinations as recommended by this Dr and by some other organizations (such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association). I just wrote a blog post about it trying to link a bunch of stuff in one place, so it is here (not trying to make you all read the blog, but it's easier to have all the links in one place!):
But yes, in the US for YEARS, we've been told we had to vaccinate every year, and dogs are suffering because of it. And I have no doubt that it is driven primarily by money--the vaccine companies of course are STILL recommending yearly vaccs, and some vets, esp. from chains, still recommend it. Stupid, and dangerous!
Most dogs have lifelong immunity after they've had their adult booster shots. This is not talking about rabies, however, which in the US is required by law. (My sense in watching the video is that they believe dogs also have immunity to rabies, but they were not going to recommend breaking the law).
Comments
@ Casey: We use HW preventative but the product used varies, for us it depends on the dog. We have a calendar for HW treatment and use whatever is best for each.
Below is an example what we do and not a suggestion as what anyone should do in particular for their dog or situation.
One dog (youngest) is on revolution until Dec since we needed something for fleas, ticks and mosquitoes/HW - he meets other dogs at events/trials etc. and likes to grub around in mud/leaves, sticks, water/standing water.
Another is on Ivermectin - Interceptor brand because this dog can not tolerate topical insecticide at all. In winter Dec - Feb I do not use HW treatment. Starting end of Feb or early March I will go back on interceptor (depends on the weather) after a yearly health check & blood screening etc.
My oldest is on nothing because she is taking immuno-suppressants for allergies and she is a sr dog that has had some kidney issues in the past.
Regardless of vaccination schedule selected or HW preventative used, I make sure to have blood work and urinalysis done once a year, particularly for the two oldest dogs. As mentioned kidneys and other things can become problematic with age so a screen rules out some potential issues and where changes need to be made either in diet or medication etc.
My youngest had a full blood panel for the first time to determine a base reading for future reference and to make sure the Lyme is cleared after treatment. It affirmed that no residual problems have occurred in regard to vital organ's overall function etc..
So for us the HW snap, cbc, thyroid, and urinalysis in of itself is helpful proactive way zero in, since it often detects a problem long before the dog is down and out.
Snf
And I also find my decisions are based on keeping up to date on various articles on the vaccinations and other issues of dog health (including stuff I find here!), and balancing that with my rather conservative vet's opinions, etc. (My vet would be horrified that I don't want to revaccinate the dogs--we haven't had that talk yet. I've just not brought Toby in for his shots!)
I thought that it was interesting that the vet tech course I took recently, which was taught by a sort of middle of the road vet (ie. not conservative, but not way progressive either), said that he saw no reason for giving annual vaccinations anymore, and I don't believe the big vet organizations (AAHA and AVMA) even recommend it necessarily anymore.....It's been quite a few years since AAHA suggested coming up with a plan appropriate to the individual dog, rather than the cookie cutter approach of once a year.
eta: oops! I did see it mentions this in the article Jessica linked, that the AVMA no longer recommends annual boosters.
Owners have been claiming that the autoimmune hemolytic anemia in their dogs were caused by overvaccination but they weren't given credit for their "anecdotes." It was a big deal when the veterinary school at Colorado State University recognized the link and changed their vaccination protocols to a 3 yr deal (after puppy series and first yr booster). This was about 10+ years ago. It then took several more years before the other veterinary schools adopted similar protocols.
It'll probably take several more years before it filters down to every veterinary practice.
For anyone who will be showing or running their dogs in performance events here is another link that may be of interest posted in/by Clean Run.
http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/latest/clean-run-magazine-article-about-vaccines
Snf
Here's the video, which is great! (a link, till I figure out how to embed it)
Re: vaccinating every year.....there is no reason to do that, though some vets still recommend it. Three years is the MINIMUM space between vaccinations as recommended by this Dr and by some other organizations (such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association). I just wrote a blog post about it trying to link a bunch of stuff in one place, so it is here (not trying to make you all read the blog, but it's easier to have all the links in one place!):
http://fromthehouseofthefoxdogs.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/no-more-yearly-vaccinations/
But yes, in the US for YEARS, we've been told we had to vaccinate every year, and dogs are suffering because of it. And I have no doubt that it is driven primarily by money--the vaccine companies of course are STILL recommending yearly vaccs, and some vets, esp. from chains, still recommend it. Stupid, and dangerous!
Most dogs have lifelong immunity after they've had their adult booster shots. This is not talking about rabies, however, which in the US is required by law. (My sense in watching the video is that they believe dogs also have immunity to rabies, but they were not going to recommend breaking the law).