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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 4, 2015 19:47:11 GMT
On Saturday, I had to take Cody for his booster before I could take him to the fun dog show we were going to (proof of vaccinations were required). I called the vets on Friday to try and get him in then (because my brother failed to take him on Thursday when he was supposed to), but they were full. So it had to be Saturday morning.
When I spoke to the receptionist on Friday to book the appointment, during the conversation, it came up that he was actually 5 months late for his booster (not an issue for me tbh) as we'd only had him a little over a year and we hadn't had to take him for a booster yet. The receptionist then mentioned that if he hadn't had any vaccinations with them, he'd need to start the course again. Not something I wanted!
So Saturday morning, I turned up at the vets a little apprehensively because I've never had a dog that's had to restart vaccinations again. Happily, the vet, who was expecting him to be restarting his vaccinations, looked at his card and said "Oh, no, a booster will be fine. We usually give a grace period of 6 months, so he's just ok."
However, if he'd had to restart the whole course again and do the whole two weeks between injections thing, what is the protocol for walking etc? Is the dog expected to be kept at home until the full course of vaccinations has been given again, like when they were a puppy?
I was worrying that if he was restarting the course again, I wouldn't have known what to do with him because I wouldn't be able to take him to the show - despite the fact he's been fine for 5 months! - but I wasn't keen on leaving him home alone, even for the couple of hours between me leaving and my mam coming home from work because he doesn't like being left alone and would have barked the whole time. But then it got me wondering whether we'd even be able to walk him.
Has anyone had to start the vaccination course from the beginning again? Is it a common thing? It wasn't until after I'd thought about it that I remembered Ellie being late with her first booster after we got her for the same reason (no reminder card arriving).
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Post by cazypops on Aug 4, 2015 20:13:54 GMT
Is the booster the first one? Jasper has had his puppy ones then the first booster a year later but I didn't get them done the following year and he would be due again in September.
After reading that there is evidence they only need to be done ever three years I wasn't going to get they done till next year. Maybe next time Jasper is at the vets (November if I remember right) I'll have to ask.
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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 4, 2015 20:35:28 GMT
No I think this was his second booster. He had his puppy vacs and he had his first booster last February before we got him in March. So on his paperwork, it said his booster was due in February this year, but we didn't get a reminder card because, of course, we didn't have him last year at booster time.
I've seen evidence that they only need to be done every three years too, hence why I wasn't really bothered about him missing it in February. It was really only an issue because he was coming to the dog show with me - if I'd thought he'd be quiet at home alone, I'd have left him and let my brother sort him out!
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Post by bextull on Aug 4, 2015 20:59:21 GMT
As he's already had a booster after his initial puppy vaccinations I would not let any vet restart vaccinations again. Absolutely no need too. Pointless and potentially harmful over vaccination at it's best.
Had he not had the 1st booster then I could see some logic behind it but this is ridiculous.
Most vaccination manufacturers report that the vaccine lasts for up to at least 7 years. There are some vaccines that only last one year or less, mainly lepto and parainfluenza and kennel cough.
However, had you have had to restart vaccines (highly inadvisable IMO) then I would have continued on with life as normal, ie continued normal walks and outings etc. He already has immunity to the diseased vaccinated against, why he would need to restart his vaccines baffles me.
Oscar got his puppy vaccines twice due to the breeder vaccinating the pups himself but obviously not having a record card to note it on. So the vet said better safe than sorry and Oscar got them again. However he wasn't kept in while he was getting them and when people say they don't let their dogs outside until they've completed their vaccines I'm always a tad confused. I realise that you are told not to, however the likelihood of your puppy actually getting one of the diseases you vaccinate against are low and often times you miss out on the crucial window to socialise young puppys before they reach 12 weeks.
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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 4, 2015 21:15:50 GMT
Those were pretty much my thoughts bextull. If he'd had to restart them, I'd have been happy to carry on walking him as normal because let's face it, he's already survived 5 months without it! I had been slightly concerned he might need to restart them as I think his puppy vacs were a different brand to the ones our vet uses, but as soon as the vet said that a booster was fine, I breathed a huge sigh of relief that I wouldn't actually have to worry about all this stuff. I think, maybe I confused the receptionist by saying we'd never taken him for a booster before due to him being a rescue. |
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Post by bextull on Aug 4, 2015 21:27:20 GMT
Yes, perhaps it was just the receptionist confusing the matter. But I'm still a little puzzled at the whole 6 months grace period. Is that to say that, hypothetically, if my 7 year old dog hasn't had a booster since he was 2 then he'd have to restart all his vaccines again given that his last booster was more than 18 months ago?
Not something I'd be fond of myself.
I think that when it comes to vaccinations and other medical issues it's important to remember that YOU are paying the vet to do what you want them to do. Of course, always take your vets advice and opinions on board when making your final decision but at the end of the day, a vet cannot force you vaccinate yearly or buy special food or give antibiotics.
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Post by caz2golden on Aug 4, 2015 22:20:34 GMT
My vet does 15 month grace period i.e 3 months overdue before they want to re-start process!!
I would not be impressed to have to start again!
I am considering asking about just doing cores once every 3 yrs but suspect my vet would say I would have to start again each time!
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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 4, 2015 22:59:54 GMT
Good point bextull. I think that's what that particular vet was saying, yes. I'm now not totally sure what will happen with Pepper this year because I had her titre tested last year with the view to vaccinate again this year. Hopefully she won't need to start her vaccinations again! If they say that she does, I think I'll argue against it. She's already shown vaccine damage (hence the titre testing) so I don't want her going through the whole course again. I certainly won't just let them start the process again. I think that when it's time for Pepper's booster this year, I'll make sure I see the vet who titre tested her because I'm pretty sure she said the only thing that showed a lower level of immunity was lepto so hopefully she'll just vaccinate her against lepto this time. Ellie has just finished a course of steroid tablets to try and stop her from scooting because the creams weren't working. I have to say, the steroids worked, but I don't want her to be on those all her life so I'm hoping it's broken the habit. I didn't really want her on them in the first place, but after trying so many things, I thought they were worth a try. caz2golden, would your vet still say that even if you quoted the guidelines that say they only need to be given every 3 years? |
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Post by caz2golden on Aug 4, 2015 23:28:58 GMT
Sorry badly explained myself. My vet only does the cores every third year but expects you to do the non cores in-between. The implication is that if you go over 15 months regardless you start again! I might be misunderstanding what I have been told but thats the way I understand it. I guess its cos the lepto has lapsed even if the cores have not! I had to delay their vaccinations this last year cos of Phoebe having allergy outbreak and vet did not want to see her for 6 weeks after I got her back on track. Therefore learnt that there was a window of grace for vaccinations at the practice I go to.
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Post by Roo on Aug 5, 2015 7:33:11 GMT
More to the point, I don't have the bloody money to waste on starting over again and having boosters every year!  |
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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 5, 2015 20:34:38 GMT
Ah, I understand now caz2golden! I'm sure when we had our old dog, we weren't particularly good at sticking to her vaccination times and she never had to start the course again. I think that's why I was surprised when it was mentioned that Cody might have to start again. Roo - Same here! Mind you, I was looking at invoices and Cody's booster cost more than Ellie's for some reason - can't work that out! |
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Post by Roo on Aug 5, 2015 20:46:16 GMT
I don't get how it works; mine have their puppy ones and then the first year boosters and then nothing else, unless they needed it for kennels/holidaying ...
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Post by bextull on Aug 5, 2015 20:53:35 GMT
I don't get how it works; mine have their puppy ones and then the first year boosters and then nothing else, unless they needed it for kennels/holidaying ... Very same here Roo. Although this is the first year Oscar hasn't gotten his booster, the previous years he's always needed it due to kennelling. |
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Post by orpheous87 on Aug 5, 2015 21:27:12 GMT
We've always gone with the yearly boosters until last year for Pepper. When her hair analysis was done, it showed that she'd had vaccine damage. So I opted to titre test her instead of the usual booster. But this year I was considering the booster again, followed by a titre next year.
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Post by zahada on Aug 6, 2015 20:34:36 GMT
My vet does 15 month grace period i.e 3 months overdue before they want to re-start process!! I would not be impressed to have to start again! I am considering asking about just doing cores once every 3 yrs but suspect my vet would say I would have to start again each time! My vet uses Nobivac vaccines and the core ones DHP (the Pi has been dropped) are done every 3 years. It's only the Lepto (and KC) that need doing every year.
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