Booster vaccinations for older dogs

 I stop and only keep up the rabies -- it is required by law, and should something happen, the result is death for the dog.  I'd never be able to face that.  And even the mildest mannered dog, when ailing and sick, can get cranky and snap at a vet or vet tech, so I'd suggest keeping that one.

You have a few choices:

- pay for a titer test, to establish she has protection

- decide to skip the shots

 - decide to skip the shots and help educate your vet with WHY you are making this decision.  Explain or print out and pass along some documentation showing that most dogs are overvaccinated and have immunity after years of shots.  Plus with her health issues, no way I'd put more stress on her immune system.

 The vet 'may' be looking at the bottom line.  In fairness to the vet, remember that the guidelines s/he is bound to follow still require routine boosters.  My vet has been very willing to work with me, to read my research and also do her own, and agree with my decisions.  Bichons have an extremely high reaction rate to the lepto vaccine, so we don't give that to them.  Being rescues, mine have all had it a time or 3, so I figure they are covered and don't get it any more.  Does she skip it on ALL her bichon clients?  I don't know.  But she has done her own research and is agreeable to skipping it with my dogs.  

 Also keep in mind we live in a highly litigious society.  Should shots be recommended by the American Vet Assn and / or the state guidelines, the vet doesn't give them, and something happens, the vet could be involved in a suit.  Another reason they follow the guidelines UNLESS they are working with an informed pet guardian.   Depending on the vet, you may be asked to sign that you are aware of the guidelines and prefer to skip the shots at this time.  This too is part of our litigious lifestyle.  One of the 3 vets at the practice I use has waivers for all sorts of things.

Great post Sandie. 

 I'd skip the Lepto vaccine unless you are in an area known to have animals carrying the disease.  A dog with chronic bronchitis would seem to need full protection from respiratory illnesses like kennel cough, though the vaccine doesn't cover ever strain.  That's one I'd do some more research on and discuss further with your vet. 

I'm not against vaccinating animals or humans for that matter.  I know some people are very opposed and claim all sorts of consequences and side effects from vaccinations.  Fact is most dogs and people have no serious side effects and should be vaccinated according to accepted medical protocol to prevent outbreaks of devastating diseases or have accurate titers done in their place.  If a titer shows a lack of immunity the animal should be vaccinated unless there is a medical reason to avoid vaccination.

 I don't vaccinate most of my dogs once they reach their senior years, except for rabies every three years, unless they are at high risk of exposure.   With my JRT who was fighting cancer when his rabies was due, I just skipped it and all vaccines completely.  None of the vets treating him wanted him vaccinated against anything and they didn't feel it was necessary to titer at that point. They were not concerned with the loss of revenue and they were all concerned with him having a reaction when he was very ill.  No vet I've ever known will vaccinate a dog or cat when it's sick.

  Not all vets push vaccines for their own financial interests. There are legitimate reasons vets encourage vaccinations, as Sandie pointed out.  If you feel your vet is pushing vaccinations or any treatment simply for their own financial gain, I'd find a new vet.

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/06/21/expert-proof-most-pets-are-vaccinated-way-too-often.aspx

http://www.petfinder.com/dogs/dog-health/vaccinations-side-effects/

http://www.vetinfo.com/canine-rabies-vaccine-side-effects.html#b

http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog4dogs/2009/06/25/changing-rabies-vaccination-laws/

I live rural, and our vets are a pragmatic group. An old house dog has a minimal chance of becoming infected, and we have no local LEO to check up on us. The current laws are based on judgement calls by politicians, not science, and reflect a desire to maximize herd resistance to rabies and are not necessarily in the best interest of individual animals.

She gets two boosters. Canigen lepto2 and Canigen DHPPi (which covers several things). I looked them up on Noah and the very first statement was that only healthy dogs should be vaccinated.

As for rabies, dogs in the UK are not routinely vaccinated against rabies unless travelling overseas. In fact I'm the only one who has had a rabies shot - a ton of them after being bitten by a rabid dog in Africa.

 Just wanted to add that I requested titers for Jessie a few years ago, and the results showed that she did not have immunity. It may be a misconception or internet myth that dogs have permanent immunity after years of shots. Jessie has chronic bronchitis along with pancreatitis. She was 14 when vaccinated in January and did fine.

That's a good point, Janice.  Twister's immunity levels tested low about three years ago.  This was before he had cancer and had begun chemo.  I chose to have him vaccinated at that time.  He was the type of go everywhere dog that I didn't want to chance him getting some easily prevented disease. 

 I was surprised when Jessie tested low but my vet said that vaccines work differently in dogs ( he explained it better than that). Jessie goes to different parks daily, meeting dogs and wading in ponds and drinking water from the ponds, which exposes her to lepto. She has had scraps with raccoons, possums, and groundhogs in our yard, and a young cat viciously attacked her last year on a walk. I feel that she needs vaccines for protection.

[edited because I can't spell]

 I really don't do anything by 'age' -- my dogs get rabies as required by law (every 3 years in my county) ... beyond that I titer for parvo and distemper. 

I don't ever use the "combo" (DHLLP) shot for any dog (old or young) - it's a killed vaccine so the immunity i makes isn't as lasting (which is why some 'older' dogs don't show continuing immunity).  Lepto isn't big here in any event, and a lot of what's covered by the 'parainfluenza' part of the combo shot tends to be older strains.  Corona lives *in* parvovirus ... so if the dog is adequately vaccinated for parvo it can't get corona (and I know that is another opinion "medical opinion" varies on but that's the recommendation that comes out of the U of Fl vet school in Gainesville).

But when they titer low my regular vet uses the "core vaccines" as suggested by the AVHA (distemper, parvo and adenovirus -- all as modified live vaccines).  He started doing that back when Billy had IMHA and Dr. Bailey looked into the difference between the combo shot and the "core vaccines" and just decided that was far better.  I think he keeps the combo shot on hand if someone **really** wants it.

 Last year Luna titered low on parvo so she got one of the core vaccine shots to booster.  She was 9 then.  Tink's and Charlies were high so I won't vax them until they titer low.

I do titers **every** year and I get them done via Hemopet so the titers are numerical, not just "pass/fail".  so literally we keep track of it year after year to chart trends up or down. Because I keep track of it *every* year I've never had  bit of trouble giving 'proof' for pet therapy because it's obvious we are consistent.and vaccinate when it shows low.