Vaccine Question...

Well, I feel particularly qualified to answer you today, since just yesterday I attended a seminar with Dr. Schultz, the premiere researcher in veterinary immunology and vaccinations.

For distemper, parvo, and adenovirus, if she received just one shot after the age of 16 weeks, then she will be protected. For these three diseases you do not need a series when given to a dog over 16 weeks. Just one shot. The duration of immunity has been proven to be more than seven yeard, probably for the lifetime of the dog. 

The reason puppies are given a series is because the maternal antibodies they get from mother's milk in the first three days interfer with the vaccinations. If they have mom's antibodies, these neutralize the vaccine right away and the puppy's immune system never has to mount a defense. The problem is that we are not really sure when the mother's antibodies drop low enough so that the vaccine can do its job. In some puppies it drops off early and they can respond to a shot given at 8 weeks. Some puppies have lots of antibodies from mom and they don't go away until maybe 14 weeks. We give shots every three weeks so that the window of risk where the puppy is unprotected is not too long for any one puppy.

So that was a long way to say that older dogs do not need a series for distemper, parvo, and adenovirus. Those along with rabies are what they call core vaccines. Every dog should have. Other vaccinations should be decided on case by case. For lyme, research and find out how prevalent it is in your area. Dr. Schultz does not recommend the lyme vaccine unless it is prevalent in your area. If you are just visiting an area and they have a lot of lyme, then I would just be careful to avoid tick bites. The lyme vaccine itself can rarely cause arthritis symptoms. But if your dog gets this vaccine caused arthritis there is no treatment. Lepto is another one that should only be given if you live in an area with lots of lepto, because this vaccine is one that has a high incidence of reactions.

The giardia vaccine and corona vaccine are not recommended. Dr. Schultz calls corona "a vaccine in search of a disease." Dogs just do not get sick from corona.

Lepto and lyme are bacterial diseases, so the dog does not develop long term immunity. The lepto vaccine is good for probably 6-9 months, Lyme longer, at least one year. With lepto, the initial vaccination does need to be two shots about three weeks apart.

IMHO, it was irresponsible of your vet to let you believe that you needed to get a series.

Oh, almost forgot to answer your question about traveling. If you are driving to the states, all you need is a rabies certificate. If you are going to fly, she needs to see the vet for a checkup and get a health certificate.

 Wow.. I didn't know all that! Lol.. Maze got her first two shots before and including the 16 week mark but she never got the last series of shots..

Sadly I live in a highly tick and flea infested area so that's the main reason I'm getting the lymes shot. Not to sure about Lepto. I'll have to look in to that..

And yes I am in the process of finding another vet.. This office just tells me when they feel I need to know.. *sigh* 

Thanks a lot! I knew I'd learn something if I just asked  

There are plenty of areas that have lots of ticks but do not have lots of lyme disease. Dr Schultz said that where he lives in WI the risk is low enough that he does not vaccinate his personal dogs, but 90 miles away about 80% of the ticks carry lyme.

Really?? Hmm.. I'll have to ask the vet next time I go in for a check up. I always thought where's there's ticks, there's lyme's..  

samshine

Well, I feel particularly qualified to answer you today, since just yesterday I attended a seminar with Dr. Schultz, the premiere researcher in veterinary immunology and vaccinations.

Lucky.....!

 What she said!

PM Callie and ask her what you can do beforehand if she has to have another vaccine. I know there's something, but I'm having a brain fart....

Man I would LOVE to hear Dr. Schultz!!!  That would have been an awesome seminar!

Homeopathic thuja -- works great for the 3-4 days after a vaccine to help detox the body. 

Corona -- corona is a virus that LIVES in parvovirus.  It's a parasite/host relationship between the two viruses.  So if the dog is vaccinated properly (see above) FOR parvo, then you don't need to vax for corona .. ever.  It's a piggyback disease -- and one that typically hits tiny puppies the hardest. 

When a puppy *dies* of parvo typically it's corona that actually to blame but it never travels alone  -- but they can't GET corona unless the dog has parvo FIRST. 

So to vax for it is redundant.  The whole point of being more selective about vaccination is to place less of a burden on the body so it can form GOOD immunity and get strong, rather than an abundance of vaccines over-stressing the immune system and making it far more difficult for the body to recover and get strong.

She'll be 2 this month, so should I not worry about getting the distemper shots? It's not a big thing here.. Actually a lot of the diseases I read about here aren't that big where I live..

If I do get her 'titered' would a lot of training places accept that instead of a vax record? 

Some will, some won't.  I'm trying to convince a vet-owned, private, members only dog park to accept titers and to change their position on requiring Lepto and Corona vaccs, but I'm not so hopeful.  :(

Especially if your dog had a reaction, I would think that a statement to that effect from the vet that treated it during the reaction should suffice.  I know there are some dogs with cancer at the daycare we attended in the past who were given exemptions.