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How Often Should You Vaccinate Your Dog?

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • If you did blood work before the neuter, that would be enough of a baseline. IMO And since all Vets now are required (silly, in my opinion if they are on HW Meds year round) to do the HW blood test, I would just do the HW test…. that is important (Heartworm meds)

    And keep in mind that Vets are used to people that don't have a clue, nor do they want to.... and those are 90% more visits then breeders or knowledged owners..... being with your Vet for a while, they learn that you are NOT part of the 90%

  • Thanks Pat, I really appreciate it- at this point it's safe to call you our "go to"

  • Why not ask your breeder who is in MA - they would know the protocol for Rabies for that state. ;)

    FWIW, I was advised (by my dog's breeder) from day one to not do a ****tail of vaccines on one day - that rabies should be done alone. When I used to do lyme, I would usually do rabies alone and then wait 3-4 weeks to do lyme - never both the same day. I followed my breeder's advice since I figure they know what they are talking about. My vet also thought it was a good idea. Oh, and I think the rabies vaccine is the same - whether for 1 year or 3 year (Maine is 3yr, but for pups you give the 1 year and then the next year they get the 3 year). Additionally, I get baseline bloodwork done at their annual exams.

    Regarding Lyme…it is a big issue here in Maine. But once my vet told me that they have dogs in their practice that use Frontline and have had the Lyme vaccine still get Lyme, I opted not to do the Lyme vaccine last year. I don't use any topical either. My vet just advised to do visual checks - harder with my boy Oz since he is b&w - but doable. So I do visual checks after walks and then throughout the day in case I miss a tick the first time. Everything I've read says you have 36 - 48 hours to get a tick off before you have to worry about them contracting Lyme.

  • I'm really not sure why you care so much as to remind me where my breeder lives or who she is ( as both of us clearly know) . It's a rather insulting innuendo. As mentioned on the forum previously I experienced the hard way about not vaccinating more than one shot… Id rather a breeder teach me not to repeat Mistakes and tell me how to move forward ( which Pat did) Rather then hearing "ive killed my dog" and be chastised, which was what I wa first met with when trying to get guidance! And believe I mentioned in this thread I don't have intentions of giving more than one. As for why I prefer to ask Pat questions ( which really isn't your business) I don't have a great breeder relationship with Oakleys breeder, while I love her dogs...her an I don't get along personality wise. Hope thats enough of a satisfying answer for your obvious itch to know, of which I assume my breeders already told you!

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  • Small Dog Vaccination Danger Alert

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    Kris_ChristineK
    Debra, I'm happy to send you a copy of the report if you e-mail me at ledgespring@lincoln.midcoast.com. Below is information I excerpted from the report: The quotes in red below are from the attached scientific report covering adverse events within 3 days of vaccination in dogs over the course of 2 years. Reports of dogs having vaccinal adverse reactions within the same time frame were not included if heartworm medication had been administered along with the vaccines. This study did not include adverse reactions such as development of fibrosarcomas and/or other conditions which take longer than 3 days to develop. Moore, George E. et als., Adverse events diagnosed within three days of Vaccine Administration in Dogs, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol 227, No. 7, October 1, 2005 Animals—1,226,159 dogs vaccinated at 360 veterinary hospitals. Results—4,678 adverse events (38.2/10,000 dogs vaccinated) were associated with administration of 3,439,576 doses of vaccine to 1,226,159 dogs. The VAAE rate decreased significantly as body weight increased. Risk was 27% to 38% greater for neutered versus sexually intact dogs and 35% to 64% greater for dogs approximately 1 to 3 years old versus 2 to 9 months old. The risk of a VAAE significantly increased as the number of vaccine doses administered per office visit increased; each additional vaccine significantly increased risk of an adverse event by 27% in dogs ≤ 10 kg (22 lb) and 12% in dogs > 10 kg. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Young adult small-breed neutered dogs that received multiple vaccines per office visit were at greatest risk of a VAAE within 72 hours after vaccination. Records for dogs that received both an injectable heartworm preventive and a vaccine during the same office visit were not included in analyses. Population—In the 2-year study period, 4,531,837 vaccine doses were administered to 1,537,534 dogs at 360 veterinary hospitals. Among breeds with 5,000 or more dogs vaccinated, Dachshund, Pug, Boston Terrier, Miniature Pinscher, and Chihuahua breeds had the highest rates of VAAEs with 121.7, 93.0, 83.8, 76.4, and 76.1 adverse events/10,000 dogs vaccinated, respectively (Table 1). The VAAE rate for mixed-breed dogs was in the bottom quintile of all rates. The VAAE rates decreased significantly as body weight increased (P for trend < 0.001; Figure 1). For all vaccines or for rabies vaccine alone, the VAAE rate for 10.1- to 45.0-kg (22.2- to 99.0-lb) dogs was approximately half the rate for dogs that weighed 0 to 10.0 kg (0 to 22.0 lb; P < 0.001; Figure 2). For rabies vaccine administered alone, VAAE rates/10,000 dogs that weighed 0 to 10.0 kg, 10.1 to 45.0 kg, and > 45 kg were 32.1 (222/69,178), 15.3 (69/45,088), and 0.0 (0/1,966), respectively. The risk of a VAAE significantly increased as the number of vaccines administered per office visit increased (P for trend < 0.001). In all dogs, each additional vaccine administered per office visit increased the rate of a VAAE by 24.2%; the rate increase was significantly (P <0.001) greater in dogs that weighed 0 to 10.0 kg, compared with dogs that weighed 0.1 to 45.0 kg (27.3% vs 11.5%, respectively; Figure 4). The 3 dogs with recorded deaths each had received ≥ 4 vaccines at their last office visit. The lowest rate was observed with parenteral administration of Bordetella vaccine (15.4/10,000; 82 VAAEs/53,238 doses), and the highest rate was observed with Borrelia (Lyme disease) vaccine (43.7/10,000; 132 VAAEs/30,201 doses). The risk of a VAAE in this study population was inversely related to a dog’s weight. Factors known to cause vaccine reactions include the primary vaccine agent or antigen, adjuvants, preservatives, stabilizers, and residues from tissue cultures used in vaccine production. The overall formulation of various vaccine components (eg, antigen, adjuvants, and diluent) is proprietary information that was unavailable for analysis in our study; thus, the variation in VAAE rates among single-antigen vaccines may not be solely attributable to the primary vaccine antigen. … because of genetic heterogeneity, the relatively low VAAE rate observed in mixed-breed dogs suggests that laboratory safety trials that use such dogs may underestimate the VAAE rates that would occur in purebred dogs. This is important because purebred dogs comprise at least two thirds of the US dog population. The risk of allergic reaction has been reported to increase after the third or fourth injection of a vaccine (ie, a booster response). Neutering appeared to increase risk of a VAAE more than sex. Females mount stronger immune responses after vaccination or infection than males because of a dimorphic enhancing effect of estrogens and a protective effect of androgens. Below are links to excellent information on veterinary vaccines from authoritative sources: Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm What Everyone Needs to Know about Canine Vaccines, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.puliclub.org/CHF/AKC2007Conf/What%20Everyone%20Needs%20to%20Know%20About%20Canine%20Vaccines.htm Age and Long-term Protective Immunity in Dogs and Cats, Dr. Ronald Schultz et als., Journal of Comparative Pathology January 2010 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WHW-4XVBB71-1&_user=10&_coverDate=01%2F31%2F2010&_rdoc=17&_fmt=high&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%236861%232010%23998579999.8998%231578454%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=6861&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=24&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fb57fe5e84a086c6b1fa65abea55dbd8 Genetically Engineered and Modified Live Virus Vaccines;Public Health and Animal Welfare Concerns by Michael W. Fox BVetMed,PhD,DSc.MRCVS http://www.twobitdog.com/drfox/specialreport_Article.aspx?ID=273f53f4-bcdc-474f-a189-cca1d1a81c38 Vaccination: An Overview Dr. Melissa Kennedy, DVM360 http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=568351 World Small Animal Veterinay Association's 2010 Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats http://www.wsava.org/VGG1.htm (scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2010 http://www.wsava.org/PDF/Misc/VaccinationGuidelines2010.pdf World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF) The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm . The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/VaccineGuidelines06Revised.pdf 2011 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/CanineVaccineGuidelines.pdf Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/ October 1, 2002 DVM Newsletter article entitled, AVMA, AAHA to Release Vaccine Positions, http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=35171 July 1, 2003 DVM Newsletter article entitled, What Do We Tell Our Clients?, Developing thorough plan to educate staff on changing vaccine protocols essential for maintaining solid relationships with clients and ensuring quality care http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=61696 July 1, 2003, DVM Newsletter article, Developing Common Sense Strategies for Fiscal Responsibility: Using an interactive template to plan service protocol changes http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=61694 Animal Wellness Magazine Article Vol. 8 Issue 6, How Often Does he REALLY Need A Rabies Shot Animal Wellness Magazine - devoted to natural health in animals The Rabies Challenge Animal Wise Radio Interview Listen to Animal Wise (scroll down to The Rabies Challenge 12/9/07) The Vaccine Challenge Animal Talk Naturally Online Radio Show ? The Vaccine Challenge - Show #91 Rabies Prevention – United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP), Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly March 22, 1991 / 40(RR03);1-19 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041987.htm "A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies, although rare cases have been reported (48). In a nationwide study of rabies among dogs and cats in 1988, only one dog and two cats that were vaccinated contracted rabies (49). All three of these animals had received only single doses of vaccine; no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations. "
  • Dog Lice

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    dmeyD
    Thanks for the advice. We are now lice free, thankfully. I did some research and it turns out that. Dog lice are a specific species, different from human lice and we cant get them, neither can my cats.(I have two cats) I guess the bird lice are different. I had already given them the frontlin( not actually frontline brand, its called Fipronex, so that they wouldnt catch it. So I was extra worried for no reason. I am not a big fan of chemicals either. Thats why I didnt have Ayo on the regular dosis of frontline but the thing is that we have such a big stray dog problem that , almost every patch of grass in town is flea and tick infested and we end up having to deal with it a lot, so most people use frontline or similar products regularly. I didnt really have that problem with my last dog ( my great dane CHelo). I used to find a couple of ticks on him like once a year and usually they would dissapear with one application instead of having to regularly do preventive treatment with it. I will read up on the natural remedies, maybe I can use them next time without having to use the chemicals. I also read that these lice are very very uncommon in countries like United States or European countries,.. again, its the conditions of all the stray dogs that we have here. Its a shame, and there are a lot of organizations that try to help, but in the end, you know, when you have a lot of people that need aid, its really hard to get aid for animals. Thanks for the help….
  • Vision in dogs

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    AJs HumanA
    Very cool….thank you for this. Makes me want to look for more information on it. Speaking of the chase, AJ almost got a groundhog yesterday... Fortunately, that groundhog was smarter than AJ and hid under a storage container. I would imagine that had AJ been off lead, I'd still be trying to get him out from under there. :D
  • Vaccine swelling

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    W
    @sinbaje: This "tender knot" is a localized reaction to the vaccine. It should go away on its own but can take a while; upwards of 8 weeks or more. Those of us in the vet field consider this "normal" but one has to wonder. I would certainly let your vet know for future references that he had a reaction to the vaccine as the next reaction (if he were to have one) could be more serious (ie hives, swelling, etc). Benadryl would no longer be effective. That said - you could ask your vet about pretreating with benadryl prior to injection to help minimize any possible future reactions. You could give orally an hour or two prior to exam. Talk to your doctor re: proper dosaging and exact timing. Best to just leave it alone and let his body deal with it. To add: Vaccines are given in different areas of the body. The most commonly known is that Rabies is given in the Right Rear. So that if a reaction such as a lump is formed due to the vaccine, the doctor will know which vaccine caused the reaction. It would be safe to give benadryl before each vaccine as to not take a chance but it should be known which vaccine will give a reaction to that animal.
  • LYME–Vaccinate or Not

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    Kris_ChristineK
    You're very welcome!
  • Bumpy dogs?

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    S
    Thanks everyone! Now I'm wracking my brain trying to remember where exactly her vaccines were. She got two in one day, and I preoccupied with holding her and giving her cookies! I keep rubbing it, and if anything, it seems a bit smaller, but I will absolutely let everyone know what happens next. Cheers