Author Topic: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?  (Read 4045 times)

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Offline Pookie

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2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
"Pass on what you have learned."  -- Yoda, Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2012, 03:15:50 PM »
Problem is, Big Pharma has conviced our lawmakers that pet vaccines are necessary for public health.  So, stupid legislators have enacted laws making it a (minor) criminal offense not to get pets vaccinated.  Getting those laws repealed is not likely to happen, because Big Pharma will use their resources to block any such efforts.  It's all about $$$.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2012, 09:27:45 PM »
But only rabies is required by law in most states.  The others, that this article discusses most, are not required by law anywhere, that I know of? (not that I know everything, haha)

 That is a good article. Thanks for posting it Pookie. The more people are aware, the more they will question their vets.  Which hopefully will cause vets to do more research and change their own thinking on these vaccines.

My cats get kitten shots, then one adult "distemper" vaccine (FVRCP). Annual PureVax rabies, because it is non adjuvanted.  I read in the article that a 3 year approval is pending for the Feline PureVax rabies, and while that is in Texas, once one state approves it for three years, more states will follow.

(edit)  I could have sworn I read in that article that approval was pending for the Feline PureVax rabies to go three years.  Now I can't find it.  Must be bedtime.  shadow1 kittyball catmilk1 goingtobed

Offline Lola

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2012, 05:36:04 PM »
Our dog records show that they received a 3 year rabies vaccination and a DHP-P.  I know rabies is required by law.  I didn't question the DHP-P.  Like most people, I ASSuME my vet is doing the right thing by my pets. 
Also, Banfield (in PetSmart) had a MUCH longer list of vaccinations they wanted to give.  (I get it now that they have to "up-sell.") Anyway, when my vet said the dogs didn't need everything the Banfield vet had on the list... I went with his recommendation.
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2012, 11:22:41 AM »
Another article for you to consider: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lifelong-immunity-vets/

Honestly, due to the fact that we don't vaccinate our human population every year for most things, I've always wondered why dogs & cats needed vaccines every year --I'll continue to get rabies just due to the fact that I can get fined with a Class C misdemeanor if I don't. I'd prefer that 3-year vaccine, but every vet I know of around here participates in that yearly "low cost" booster program & only carries the yearly type. I asked about it once, and my vet told me it was illegal for them to use the 3-year, so I've not looked anymore.

But after their "puppy shots" I just don't feel it's necessary to their health to re-vaccinate them & studies are beginning to prove this. A lot of pre-human testing for certain things is done on dogs, so I think they've got to be pretty much like us in a lot of ways anyway.

With the dogs we have now, I want those blood titer tests done at three years, and then again at five. From what I can tell, titer tests are about par with the costs of having them vaccinated & isn't necessary every year. As long as the titer tests show they're safe, they're not getting anything other than rabies every year (I will go out of my way to find a vet that does the titer tests if mine isn't doing them by the time they reach three). I didn't do it to my human children, so why would I do it to my furbabies?
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2012, 11:53:37 AM »
I'd prefer that 3-year vaccine, but every vet I know of around here participates in that yearly "low cost" booster program & only carries the yearly type. I asked about it once, and my vet told me it was illegal for them to use the 3-year, so I've not looked anymore.

The 1 year and 3 year vaccines are the same thing, literally.  The vaccines was tested for efficacy for 1 year and 3 years and is sold as such, but it is the same vaccine.  The only one, to my knowledge, that's different is the Purevax by Merial, which does not contain the adjuvants (e.g. mercury, etc.) that increase the immune reaction.  It was also tested for 3 year efficacy but was not approved because not enough animals died of rabies.   :-\  So it's sold as an annual vaccine.  I find it stunning that vets don't seem to know that the 1 and 3 year vaccines are the same (unless it's Purevax).   bangshead bangshead  And immunity does not increase with each vaccination.

Check this out:  http://thewholedog.org/wholedognews/?p=118
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 12:15:52 PM »


Check this out:  http://thewholedog.org/wholedognews/?p=118

Wow. I wish they'd included the whole state instead of just one county in their main target.  That's just 3 counties east of me. I can sure write my state senators in that list at the bottom though and replace Putnam with my county in the letter.  clapping1 Maybe they're just using Putnam county as a test to see if they can get it passed in one and go from there.

I'm definitely going to ask for the Purevax next year though. Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much for telling me that! See, I've been going by this http://www.itsfortheanimals.com/DODDS-CHG-VACC-PROTOCOLS.HTM protocol and rabies didn't list a specific name by it like the Proguard Puppy.
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2012, 12:48:38 PM »
I think that letter was from around 2008 but not sure.  It certainly doesn't hurt to contact your senators, though.  Feel free to research the Merial vaccines.  I think they also make a device that "injects" it without a needle (sprays it through the skin), but I don't know if they have that for all of their vaccines or just some of them.  I should mention, though, that Merial vaccines are more expensive than the adjuvant vaccines.

Here's some good info:  http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/vaccination/  I know it's a site for cats and their pawrents, but I think most/all of the info on that particular page is applicable to dogs.

I hope this helps!
« Last Edit: August 01, 2012, 01:02:53 PM by Pookie »
2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2012, 01:30:27 PM »
Here's some good info:  http://www.littlebigcat.com/health/vaccination/  I know it's a site for cats and their pawrents, but I think most/all of the info on that particular page is applicable to dogs.

I hope this helps!

Thank you! That looks like most of the information I've seen for dogs too, so to me, it only backs the newer research up if they're saying the same things about cats!

The only thing not on Dr. Dodd's protocol that we did were add the leptos, because since we RV, in the past sometimes in woodsy "camping" settings, we've come into contact with raccoons. Of course they run when you come up on them, BUT you don't know what your dog will do around their feces if they find it before you can pull them along past the dumpster and garbage can areas. We gave bordetella also right before their first-ever trips b/c they were young & a lot of people are permanent campers going from one state to another, never having a permanent vet & never visiting one unless they MUST. I've seen several in the past that kind of looked & sounded sick, so THOSE pets scare me. I see no reason to give them boosters for leptos again though since they had them past the age of 6 months.

Like I said, we don't give humans boosters every year, unless it's for things like flu that change every year in composition, so why should our pets need yearly boosters too? I don't understand the reasoning behind doing so other than BigPharma says so to keep their profits up for their shareholders & they've brainwashed the majority of our vets.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

Offline Pookie

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2012, 01:35:10 PM »
Just want to add a quick note that I once contacted Dr. Dodds to ask if there was a difference between the rabies vaccine for dogs and the one for cats, or if they were the same.  I'd assUmed they were the same but she said while similar, there are differences.  So the info. on the littlebigcat link I posted may generally apply to dogs, but I just wanted to point out there are differences between the dog and cat vaccines for rabies.   :-[

Like I said, we don't give humans boosters every year, unless it's for things like flu that change every year in composition, so why should our pets need yearly boosters too? I don't understand the reasoning behind doing so other than BigPharma says so to keep their profits up for their shareholders & they've brainwashed the majority of our vets.

Don't forget the lawmakers who have also been convinced that all these vaccines are necessary (for both pets and people).  *sigh*
« Last Edit: August 01, 2012, 01:37:39 PM by Pookie »
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Offline DeeDee

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Re: Are Annual Pet Boosters Necessary?
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2012, 05:32:20 PM »
 So the info. on the littlebigcat link I posted may generally apply to dogs, but I just wanted to point out there are differences between the dog and cat vaccines for rabies.   :-[

Don't forget the lawmakers who have also been convinced that all these vaccines are necessary (for both pets and people).  *sigh*

You're right. The Purevax isn't available for dogs though it was tested on dogs. Only the killed is from what I can see on brands. *sigh* We'd be a LOT better off if lawmakers were required to have a competent researcher to check out (and share differing studies) information given to them via the big lobbyists. The $ amount spent each year, for animal concerns alone, could feed several 3rd world nations for at least a year and is ridiculous. The lawmakers only go by what they're given & don't care to truly educate themselves otherwise.
"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." Edward Hoagland
"Thorns may hurt you, men desert you, sunlight turn to fog; but you're never friendless ever, if you have a dog."

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