what is everyone doing about vaccinations?

[Remali]

I've had a couple problems with two of my dogs after they got vaccinations (pain and yelping after the shots, even three days after the vaccs were given). I've been doing the vaccs every 3 years, but I may do titers next time after what we went thru the last time. And I only do the very basic vaccs (no lepto and no corona). A friend of mine is a vet tech and she was the first person who told me about doing titers, and for us that may be the way to go from now on. And we do rabies every 3 years here. Also, I never give all the shots at once either (I also do that with my horse too), and give the rabies alone.

[Cathryn]

Hello,

I know of some-one, not within Cavaliers, who has always routinely used the homeopathic nosodes in favour of routine vaccinations, she recently took several of her dogs to the vets for blood titres and they showed up the dogs were fully immune to everything! Food for thought.

Another colleague of mine, a retired midwife who ultra-sound scans my girls when they have been to the stud dog (She's not got it wrong yet either ) breeds and shows British Short Hair cats, when they turn up at a show they have to have the cats examined by a vet and produce a vaccination record for the cat, whereas we dog show exhibitors just flash our passes and saunter into the showground, are we missing something here?

[Karlin]

Normal one as around 10 - 12 weeks
Booster at 1 year
Booster at 4 years
Booster at 7 years
Then no more.

This is what I recommend for all the rescue cavaliers I rehome. This is also the general recommendation now from the big US vet schools.

For example, this is the University of California, Davis's recommendations -- the single largest vet school in the US:

http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/cli...ccinproto.html

There are known problems with over-vaccinating.

The problem is that vets and kennels both still push for annual vaccinations. My own vets told me they now recommend every three years though for core vaccines, and I get lepto every year. I have some information and links on vaccinations in the Library section. For a compromised dog I would consider using nosodes/titers instead and avoid vaccines.

There's plenty of controversy and discussion about vaccines, just as with feeding regimes, and a lot of noise out on boards and websites and lists, so you need to read carefully, weigh up the authority of sources, consdider what works best for you and how you view risk on both sides.

[Nicki]

Hello,

I know of some-one, not within Cavaliers, who has always routinely used the homeopathic nosodes in favour of routine vaccinations, she recently took several of her dogs to the vets for blood titres and they showed up the dogs were fully immune to everything! Food for thought.

That's interesting Cathryn as I had understood that the way nosodes work, it wouldn't actually show up in a titre test...

I only use nosodes for my Cavaliers..and know quite a few people who are doing that too.

Rupert is deaf due to vaccine damage, and following that, I decided against vaccinating.

I have done a lot of research and am happy with my decision. It's a personal decision, something that you can only decide for yourself after having done the research...I would never tell someone not to vaccinate, just to consider the alternatives...

[Cathryn]

Hi Nicki!

Yes I thought it a bit weird that she was saying this as I had heard the same thing too, I too know quite a few who only use the nosodes and for differing reasons.

My lot have first vaccines at 8-10 weeks, booster at a year, 4 years and 7 years, so pretty much what Karlin has advised.

I agree that the decision is purely personnal, mine have the routine vaccinations as we live in a village where there are lots of dogs, I routinely exercise my dogs along the canal towpath and also on the large Recreational field, so am happy with this decision, each to their own at the end of the day!

[Barbara Nixon]

My vets, past (retired) and present, recommend annual boosters in this area. This is because parvo is widespread and the vaccine happens to be in the bottle which contains the ones which can be given every three years.

I'm surprised that your vet hasn't recommended the lepto (the one needed annually) for your gang, Cathryn, as there are always rats by canals.