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Do dogs really need boosters every year


shooternick
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Not to far away from me there was a outbreak of parvovirus, it started in a travellers camp where none of their dogs had had any jabs. Unfortunitly it spread very quickly after 2 weeks it was under control but i believe about 6 dogs died from it.

 

At my vets there was a huge increase of boosters given in those weeks and after including to my 2 dogs. In future i will keep them up to date i will not risk them.

 

Just found this link

 

Rimmy

Edited by rimfire4969
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Im convinced that yearly boosters is just a money making scheme courtesey of veterinary practices and the pharmacetical industry.Dogs years back were never boosted and they still lived long lives.Boostering has gone on for quite a number of years now and the drugs supposidly innoculate them against umpteeth diseases,but the price is forever going up.

 

My point-a drugs initial price tag is to cover the cost of its development and testing,but since this was done decades ago-why hike the price? This is why im sceptical of boosters.

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It depends if you want the best for your four legged friend or not. A course of vaccinations is set out from the very start and is based on being boosted each and every year.

 

Personally I would rather pay £20 a year and be safe in the knowledge that I have done what I can for my best mate. Or I could go and spunk the money on some cans of tennents export and hope that he never gets a cut near where rats have been or there is an outbreak of parvo etc near by.

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We have always got our dogs boosted each year but my parents never bothered and never had any trouble and all of their dogs and cats lived to old ages, the one cat was 22.

We never bothered with the cats and got told off by the vets when one of them got cat flu but the outcome was she is now immune to the cat flu and doesn't need the vaccination.

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Ok I actually know a little about this as my brother used to be a territory manager for Pfizer who make a lot of the vaccine, the reason behind yearly is to be absolutely sure because the effectiveness has been found to vary a lot from dog to dog. Some will be fine and carry the antibodies for a good few years while some will loose them within a year. So to be absolutely safe and of course make the vet and the drug company the maximum amount they say yearly as it covers all eventualities.

In practice there are potential side effects to vaccination and they can even cause reactions bad enough to kill the dog so there is a growing number of vets who are against yearly jabs and recomend once every 2 years. Of course this leaves owners none the wiser, personally after the initial jabs I tend to do once every 2 years though I have gone longer with no detrimental effects. Of course if your dog goes into kennels then you need yearly but fortunately mine doesn't.

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It isn't just a jab that my dog gets once a year, my vet gives Merlin a full checkover. Teeth, paws, nails etc etc.

 

It is about tye only time he goes to the vet so it is an ideal time to ask any advice or questions you may have. If he didn't have the yearly jab we wouldn't have been to the vets in the last 2 years.

 

I believe you owe it to your dogs, and I would have to be extremely hard up before I didn't. And even then I would find the money somehow.

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you say that but if you had an adverse reaction that does occur maybe your view would be different! Much like humans you are injecting a form of the disease and it can cause problems which is why I tend to do mine bi yearly. She does have regular vet attention though as my dad is one so tends to get the once over whenever I go and see him.

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Yes you are right Al4x but my vet knows what is best for my dog, each vaccination plan is worked out depending on breed, weight etc. I am sure that it is the same for dogs as it is humans, yes you can have side effects but you tell your doctor/vet and you then use another type of drug.

 

The first set of worming tablets gave Merlin the two bob bits so I went back to the vet and he is now on a different type. I didn't decide not to worm him because they didn't agree with him.

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not strictly true, your vet gives information based on what the drug companies tell them. Drug companies aren't known to be that scrupulous in their sales techniques and were they to recommend less regular vaccinations then their profits from that drug would literally halve. You'd be surprised at the number of UK vets trying to get it changed because of their concern of long term issues connected to regular injections.

My brother also worked on the small animal side for a company called fort dodge who are the second larger supplier of vaccines, they have one that as you will see is fine for up to 3 years protection.

 

Fort Dodge

 

But only a small minority of vets advise using it less frequently, could this be due to their income from vaccines? bording kennels etc still insist on yearly protection, the whole system is a farce at the moment and needs sorting out. Yearly boosters have been done as routine for years with no accounting for medical advancement or in a way the animals best interests. The main problem is money and the funding for any research coming from the people who make the money out of it.

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I was told by a Hunting and Shooting Vet that for a family pet over four years old it isn't necessary to get them done every year and every 24 months is fine.

 

However, if you work your dogs then it is silly not to get them boosted every year as they will likely come across all sorts of nasties and it just isn't worth the risk.

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It isn't just a jab that my dog gets once a year, my vet gives Merlin a full checkover. Teeth, paws, nails etc etc.

 

It is about tye only time he goes to the vet so it is an ideal time to ask any advice or questions you may have. If he didn't have the yearly jab we wouldn't have been to the vets in the last 2 years.

 

I believe you owe it to your dogs, and I would have to be extremely hard up before I didn't. And even then I would find the money somehow.

:yes:

 

What about if you have Pet insurance? Would they still cover you if you did not have your dog boostered and it died of parvo?

 

df

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:sly:

 

What about if you have Pet insurance? Would they still cover you if you did not have your dog boostered and it died of parvo?

 

df

 

Very good point, I bet they wouldn't be covered and there's probably some clause written in somewhere on up to date vaccinations and boosters etc.

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It's best we all play safe with a shooting companions isn't it despite the cost of a few pints of heavy in the pub :good:

 

 

 

 

 

 

LB

 

you would think so but does that include protecting them from adverse reactions, which funnily enough can get worse as the dog gets older. Be interesting NTTF's view as I think theres a lot more opinion over the water with regard to how long vaccines stay active in animals

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  • 3 weeks later...

My springer is my shooting mate and if the vet says he needs jabs every year then he get them..

The vet is the expert and mine is very good and not just after your money.

She has the welfare of the dog first and foremost and he gets a full check over when we go... :good:

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