Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Marie and Darby on March 28, 2011 at 9:59pm

5 weeks	Parvovirus: for puppies at high risk of exposure to parvo, some veterinarians recommend vaccinating at 5 weeks. Check with your veterinarian.
6 & 9 weeks	Combination vaccine* without leptospirosis.
12 weeks or older	Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (age at vaccination may vary according to local law).
12 & 15 weeks**	Combination vaccine Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs. Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.
Adult (boosters)§	Combination vaccine Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs. Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs. Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (time interval between vaccinations may vary according to local law).

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on March 28, 2011 at 10:52pm

Yeah I would definitely consult your vet. Here is AAHA's vaccination protocol (American Animal Hospital Association). As you can see its 28 pages long, meaning its not easy as saying every puppy gets this vaccine at this age. It is very case dependent. Here's the link in case you are interested. Its all very case and location dependent for the what/when/how of each vaccine

http://secure.aahanet.org/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?site=resources&...

 

the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) won't even print a protocol. Instead they just say talk to a vet! :-)

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Permalink Reply by Marie and Darby on March 29, 2011 at 2:40pm

each state has it own requirements as to what vaccines puppies get, and like I said in Pennsylvania these are the vacines that are required to be given including the rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age. So technically the vaccines are what the state calls as mandated.

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Permalink Reply by Jane on March 29, 2011 at 4:03pm

The only vaccine that is required by law is rabies. If your vet required you to give your dog lepto and lyme vaccines I'd find a new vet...

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Permalink Reply by Brittany and ruger on March 29, 2011 at 4:31pm

why do you say that some states like MI and WA have a problem with ticks every year and need some kind of preventive for ticks and i would hope that you would get your dogs more than just the rabie shot you know how many dogs get parvo because their owners didnt get them their shots

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on March 29, 2011 at 4:34pm

I think what she is saying that it isn't a "core" vaccine and therefore shouldn't be forced on you or required. Instead you and our vet should have a discussion about the need for it in you area. Also, all species of ticks don't carry lyme. We have tons of ticks in my area but the are Dermacentor not Ixodes and therefore carry no lyme risk so our vets don't recommend the lyme vaccine, however they do recommend tick preventative like Frontline

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Permalink Reply by Brittany and ruger on March 29, 2011 at 4:41pm

i understand that and that every state is diffrent but were we live there are tons of ticks and our dogs get lots all the time that we have to remove i didnt mean to be mean or anything i just hope she would get more than just rabies and if the lyme disease isnt a problem in your area or hrs thats fine but it is in ours im sorry didnt mean it to sound mean

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Permalink Reply by Jane on March 29, 2011 at 6:26pm

Of course I vaccinated my dogs for things like parvo, but I don't think a vet should be telling someone that all of those shots listed above are mandatory by law.

 

The lepto vaccine has a very high rate of bad reactions in dogs, and the lyme vaccine isn't even 100% guaranteed to work. I live in Wisconsin which I believe is considered a high risk area for lyme disease, but I still would not vaccinate my dogs for it unless I was going camping every weekend or something like that. Both of my dogs are also on Frontline which kills ticks.

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Permalink Reply by Brittany and ruger on March 29, 2011 at 10:00pm

i really wasnt trying to sound mean or ne thing im sorry if i did its good you vaccinate your dogs and im kina worried about lyme disease cause we do go hiking camping ext alot so im a lil worried bout it but im sorry didnt mean to soundmean or ne thing wasnt trying to be just asking if you did vaccinate your dogs

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on March 29, 2011 at 10:15pm

just an FYI to help make your decision as well, Lepto USED to have terrible reactions because the conjuvent they used to mix the vaccine caused some bad reactions. That has been changed and the incidence of reaction has gone down dramatically. With any bacterial vaccine there is always a risk, but it is much safer than it used to be.

Permalink Reply by Beth on March 30, 2011 at 10:11am

We do Lyme too.  We are in the woods most days with our dogs (we live across the street from a wooded park and have found deer droppings in our neighbor's driveway and seen herons flying up the street).  The nymph stage of the deer tick is so small you would never see it on your dog.

 

Some are against the vaccine, in part because there is a low-risk of developing a Lyme-like syndrome in response to the vaccine itself.  This syndrome is not treatable.  Since Lyme was long considered a mild illness in dogs, some feel it's not worth the risk.

However, a recent study showed that on necropsy, dogs who were positive for Lyme but asymptomatic did, in fact, show significant arthritic changes to their joints.  That, combined with newer findings that show that a percentage of humans will go on to develop an untreatable auto-immune type arthritis after having been successfully treated for Lyme (and the fact that symptoms can persist for months after the bacteria is cleared) is making many vets rethink the protocol.

 

I personally know of at least one vet who used to advice against the Lyme vaccine who has now changed her position and gives it.

Our vet recommends it for dogs who go into woody or brushy areas, and recommends the lepto vaccine for dogs who drink from streams. 

Permalink Reply by Beth on March 30, 2011 at 10:13am

The new four-way lepto vaccine is an entirely different type of vaccine with significantly lower risk of reactions.

Most of the bad reactions were in toy dogs even on the orginal.  In some areas Lepto is a very big problem, and it kills dogs if not caught and treated early.  Since early symptoms are vague and often not alarming, early treatment is not necessarily guaranteed.

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