Vaccinate Or Not This Time?

[Whippets Rule]

Join our free community today.

Connect with other like-minded dog lovers!

Login or Register

Just a quick need for advice.....taking my oldie Bryn to the vets tonight, he's almost 14 and on three occasions has had a skin reaction at vaccine site.

Last year he had a big lump come up which stayed for over three weeks and the skin had lots of red pin prick type holes in it.

we have always had our dogs vaccinated and we are having our beagle boy Bill boostered tonight but am seriously thinking not to vaccinate Bryn again.

Having been brought up with always having dogs vaccinated I'm a bit worried about leaving him vulnerable if I don't get it done.

Please advise...also later this year there will be a new whippet pup in the house, assuming Bryn is still with us then, is his lack of vaccination likely to endanger the puppy.

sorry if these seem stupid questions but I want to be sure I do right by my dogs.

many thanks and please honest opinions and no arguing thanks xx

 

[whippetsrus]

I always keep my dogs vaccinations up-to-date. Beau, now 11, will be due his booster at the end of March, which will be done. I think it is particularly important if you are planning on having a new puppy in the near future.

The person you should ask is your vet.

 

[Whippets Rule]

I always keep my dogs vaccinations up-to-date. Beau, now 11, will be due his booster at the end of March, which will be done. I think it is particularly important if you are planning on having a new puppy in the near future.
The person you should ask is your vet.

yeah but the vet will just say vaccinate regardless and i'm not sure that it's right to do it when he has such a severe reaction. my whippet who died recently was given his booster shortly before he died and I think it was wrong to vaccinate a dog whose system was already compromised, it just gave his body yet more to deal with.

 

[whippetsrus]

I always keep my dogs vaccinations up-to-date. Beau, now 11, will be due his booster at the end of March, which will be done. I think it is particularly important if you are planning on having a new puppy in the near future.
The person you should ask is your vet.

yeah but the vet will just say vaccinate regardless and i'm not sure that it's right to do it when he has such a severe reaction. my whippet who died recently was given his booster shortly before he died and I think it was wrong to vaccinate a dog whose system was already compromised, it just gave his body yet more to deal with.

The decision is yours at the end of the day. Not all vets are unscrupulous. You have to weigh up whether the reaction he had to the booster is more severe than the diseases that they are protecting against.

 

[Whippets Rule]

I always keep my dogs vaccinations up-to-date. Beau, now 11, will be due his booster at the end of March, which will be done. I think it is particularly important if you are planning on having a new puppy in the near future.
The person you should ask is your vet.

yeah but the vet will just say vaccinate regardless and i'm not sure that it's right to do it when he has such a severe reaction. my whippet who died recently was given his booster shortly before he died and I think it was wrong to vaccinate a dog whose system was already compromised, it just gave his body yet more to deal with.

The decision is yours at the end of the day. Not all vets are unscrupulous. You have to weigh up whether the reaction he had to the booster is more severe than the diseases that they are protecting against.

I think my main problem is that I don't know how much at risk dogs are in general as I've grown up with vets all advocating vaccinations, however I know a fair number of people who only have puppy jabs then the first booster and nothing else but since I don't know what things their dogs come into contact with I just don't know lol....my dogs have little contact with other dogs and Bryn has none, other than our own dogs who are all vaccinated........I cannot compare his reaction to one of the illnesses he would be vaccinated against but then again I do not know how much more severe his reaction could be this time and an adverse reaction could cause death as much as contracting a disease could....it's so hard, I just know how bad he reacts and feel I am deliberately making him suffer by vaccinating him...soo difficult.

 

[jok]

No, i would not vaccinate him again.

If he's had that many boosters over the course of his life he won't require one.

I completely agree that you should NOT vaccinate an animal who's under the weather / immune system already compromised.

I personally do not do annual boosters - and it is for each individual to read up on the matter and make an informed choice. I think over vaccinating when not required does far more harm than good. Again, my opinion from the information available out there.

However, my parents always give an annual booster but when their very old Whippet boy was nearing the end of his life they didn't booster him.

 

[Whippets Rule]

No, i would not vaccinate him again.
If he's had that many boosters over the course of his life he won't require one.

I completely agree that you should NOT vaccinate an animal who's under the weather / immune system already compromised.

I personally do not do annual boosters - and it is for each individual to read up on the matter and make an informed choice. I think over vaccinating when not required does far more harm than good. Again, my opinion from the information available out there.

However, my parents always give an annual booster but when their very old Whippet boy was nearing the end of his life they didn't booster him.

Thank you, that helps reassure me a bit, he has always had all his boosters throughout life and he is reasonably ok in himself, he is rather senile and has a few mental issues as a result. He does have a slight issue with his breathing which we will have investigated tonight.

my other concern was whether I'm putting a new pup at risk if i bring it into a house with one unvaccinated dog?

 

[pippywhippet]

Could you ask your vet to do a blood test to check his levels of immunity rather than opting for a booster- that way you could feel reassured that he was still protected, and also wouldnt pose a risk to your new pup? I believe this is quite common practise in the US.

Good luck with your old boy :luck: I wouldnt want to give another vaccine at his age unless it was absolutely necessary... I have an old siamese cat who had a severe reaction each time to her first 3 boosters... she has never had another booster since and is still fit and very healthy aged nearly 18

 

[haycroft]

No, i would not vaccinate him again.
If he's had that many boosters over the course of his life he won't require one.

I completely agree that you should NOT vaccinate an animal who's under the weather / immune system already compromised.

I personally do not do annual boosters - and it is for each individual to read up on the matter and make an informed choice. I think over vaccinating when not required does far more harm than good. Again, my opinion from the information available out there.

However, my parents always give an annual booster but when their very old Whippet boy was nearing the end of his life they didn't booster him.

i would agree as above

although i vaccinate my dogs..Bows just had hers..i do because theres a chance they may go into kennels(i dont do the KC jab)

also my two do socialise with alot of other dogs and also out mooching around in fields and i never know what theyre going to pick up

But as you dog is elderly and only socialise within the pack and have had regulay boosters im sure he'l be fine ..im sure i read that dogs only need the puppy jabs and one booster to be covered for life

or some used homepathic boosters

but im not a vet so best to speak to him/her

 

[eve]

I do not vaccinate my dogs after their 10th birthday. 10 oldies later (all now gone to rainbow bridge except Misty ) and I have never had a problem. I do give the oldies the kennel cough vaccine if there is a flare up in the local area as oldies are probably the most at risk from kennel cough. My thinking is that the dogs should have built up immunity after 10 years of vaccines. Given that your old fellow has such a bad reaction, I definately would not put him through it unless you are planning to have him stay in kennels when you go on holiday as up to date vaccines are required by all repuitable kennels.

Hope this helps

 

[meddling]

I wouldn't!

 

[wilfred]

I think I personally would err on the side of not giving your oldie another booster ... I base this on my vet (she has long years of experience) reassuring me that the immunity doesn't end after 12 months if a booster is missed, your dog can still be immune 2-3 years later. Perhaps best to have a blood test to reassure yourself as to Bryn's levels of immunity?

Your new pup will have his vaccination and boosters later on so he should be OK IMO?

I don't know if this helps ...

 

[Whippets Rule]

ok thanks for all your input, we've just got back from the vets.

he had his booster for leptospirosis and parainfluenza but the vet said we don't have to vaccinate for distemper/parvo/hep again as that is the likely vaccine he reacted to,although the vet did say that a subcutaneous reaction even one that looks angry isn't something he would be overly concerned about and that an immune problem as a result of vaccine would worry him far more and make him suggest not vaccinating again.

We went with the lepto due to where we sometimes walk the dogs just to be safe and the vet felt the lepto and Pi were not the vaccines that would cause the reactions Bryn has been having. Have known this vet for some time and used to work at the practice so i trust his advice but am glad I asked.

thank you again for the help.

 

[masta]

Hi I work for a global vaccine manufacturer and all my dogs get their puppy jabs and no more your oldie will have a vast immunological memory i would not bother

 

[Whippets Rule]

Hi I work for a global vaccine manufacturer and all my dogs get their puppy jabs and no more your oldie will have a vast immunological memory i would not bother

I asked the vet if my dog would have built up an immunity from years of vaccination but he said no it's the opposite and that they need vaccinating to challenge the immune system so that if they contract one of the diseases, their body is able to cope with it..... its quite difficult to make up my mind what to think but I was comfortable with the lepto being given.

 

[hawky]

hi well i puppy jab mine and then they get one booster after that i have never bothered as i dont kennel mine while im away anyway i used to take my lurchers greyhounds and whippets that i have had over the years to an austrailian greyhound vet and he said that out there they only get the one jab and none after he recons there was no need and that like humans they built their own immunity and it was all money for vets how much of this is true i dont really know but like i say i dont booster mine after first one and i have a 10 yr old here and an 8 yr old who have been all over and out at shows all their lives i think its up to everyone to decide whats best for them :thumbsup:

 

[jok]

Hi I work for a global vaccine manufacturer and all my dogs get their puppy jabs and no more your oldie will have a vast immunological memory i would not bother

I asked the vet if my dog would have built up an immunity from years of vaccination but he said no it's the opposite and that they need vaccinating to challenge the immune system so that if they contract one of the diseases, their body is able to cope with it..... its quite difficult to make up my mind what to think but I was comfortable with the lepto being given.

I can't believe that he said that!!! :wacko: I can't comment on your vet as obviously i don't know him but i honestly wonder if some of them continue to educate themselves after qualifying many many years ago - the research is all out there.

Lepto is the one where the immunity wanes very quickly - and the vaccination is only effective for lepto for approximately 6 months anyway!

It's up to each individual to reasearch this and make an informed decision. I have decided to give puppy vaccinations, a booster at around 2 and then one around 7 or 8 and not again afterwards. I told my vet this and he agreed. As i say, if you want permanent immunity to Lepto you'd be vaccinating every 6 months.

 

[pippywhippet]

Hi I work for a global vaccine manufacturer and all my dogs get their puppy jabs and no more your oldie will have a vast immunological memory i would not bother

I asked the vet if my dog would have built up an immunity from years of vaccination but he said no it's the opposite and that they need vaccinating to challenge the immune system so that if they contract one of the diseases, their body is able to cope with it..... its quite difficult to make up my mind what to think but I was comfortable with the lepto being given.

I can't believe that he said that!!! :wacko: I can't comment on your vet as obviously i don't know him but i honestly wonder if some of them continue to educate themselves after qualifying many many years ago - the research is all out there.

Lepto is the one where the immunity wanes very quickly - and the vaccination is only effective for lepto for approximately 6 months anyway!

It's up to each individual to reasearch this and make an informed decision. I have decided to give puppy vaccinations, a booster at around 2 and then one around 7 or 8 and not again afterwards. I told my vet this and he agreed. As i say, if you want permanent immunity to Lepto you'd be vaccinating every 6 months.

My vets refuse to booster them unless it is less than 2 months after the "vaccination due" date has expired. They insist on a full (puppy) course after that

 

[aslan]

I find all the vaccination yay or nay discussion very confusing - it is extremely difficult to know who to believe - as is proof here from the various things vets have told various people.

I have taken to only vaccinating my adults every 2-3 years. And my eldest, Layla, at 11, was done at 8 and will not be done again.

Pups get the normal puppy course and then their 12 mth booster and then I do them every 2-3 yrs after that.

For me, this seems to be the midway point between every year or not at all after the initials.

Interesting to see that Jo's vet has agreed to puppy shots, then at 2yrs and 7yrs.

I also have a friend (in another breed) who does puppy course, 12mth booster and nothing after that and has never suffered a problem. His old girl lived to 14.

 

[eve]

With regard to the new puppy and your concerns regarding Bryn not being inocculated.

I would have thought that the puppy would be at just as much at risk from the germs for these viruses being brought into the house by your other dogs who are innocculated. For example if one of them had rolled in fox poo. But I do not know if this is correct. If Byrn caught Distemper or Parvo, yes the puppy would be at risk.

Perhaps the breeder could keep the puppy a bit longer and have at least the 1st jabs done on your pup before it comes to you. This would at least reduce the length of time that the puppy may be exposed to infection from Bryn and the other dogs. It would not do the puppy any harm to leave its Mother a bit older. A responisble breeder would probably be quite understanding and willing to help.

Distemper is rare these days. Parvo less so. Parvo is carried in faeces and also the hair, feet and sometimes feeding bowls of infected dogs. Extra hygiene precautions may help reduce any risk. If ANY of your dogs have been rolling in Poo they should be well disinfected before being allowed contact with the new puppy.

Lepto is by far the biggest danger and the commonest infection.