Piper wrote:

We vaccinate for rabies every 3 years and Distemper annually here.
I don't know if I would be entirely comfortable with stopping vaccines (at least the Distemper) as we run on many different trails in the fall and winter. Not to mention being at races with hundreds of dogs in one area and running on the same trails. Plus I sometimes train with other mushers at their kennels so my dogs are exposed to a lot.
But, I would like to learn more about it.

Maybe this is a silly question but what is a titer test?

Distemper has been proven to last 7-9 years, and actually when we took my 10 year old chi girls to get updated so they could get groomed where I worked the vet told us not to even bother when they are that old and that generally you really only need to give it once in a lifetime. This wasn't a holistic vet, either, so I was surprised to hear that.

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Distemper has been proven to last 7-9 years, and actually when we took my 10 year old chi girls to get updated so they could get groomed where I worked the vet told us not to even bother when they are that old and that generally you really only need to give it once in a lifetime. This wasn't a holistic vet, either, so I was surprised to hear that.

Oh wow, that's a long time. I just did the round of Distemper last month but I might look into stopping it next year for some of my older dogs, especially the retirees who won't be racing and my older house dogs.

So, with the vets who suggest having vaccines annually, is that just a money thing? Do they only want the money from the office calls even though they know the vaccine lasts longer than they say it does? Or is it more of a way for them to make sure pet owners will bring their dog into the vet every year for a check up?
Sorry if that doesn't make sense, it makes sense in my head. lol

Oh and thanks, Kristina, for the explanation.

Most vets want that guaranteed visit every year. Also there's a huge profit from vaccinations. People go into their vets and pay $350+ per dog for the same vaccines that the clinic charges $45-75 for. TOTAL.

arooroomom wrote:

Most vets want that guaranteed visit every year. Also there's a huge profit from vaccinations. People go into their vets and pay $350+ per dog for the same vaccines that the clinic charges $45-75 for. TOTAL.

Wow! thats a lot. Where I work the office visit/ full examination is $42, Rabies $22, DHLPP $17, Bord $17, which totals $98.

Kale got all of his puppy shots, and just recently got his 3 yr rabies and DHLPP, He is not getting anymore vaccs till his rabies is due. Totally skipped the Bord and am not getting another until I have to board him again, and it will be the intranasal vacc.

I agree with Kristina, I think with most vets it's about making money. But there are also vets out there that just aren't keeping up with new research and findings who still live in the dark ages as I often say...generally they're the older vets who are so set in their ways.

The only vaccine my dogs ever get is the 3 yr rabies.

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People go into their vets and pay $350+ per dog for the same vaccines that the clinic charges $45-75 for. TOTAL.

Whoa! That's A LOT! I think our rabies here are around $50-$60 total.

hypers987 wrote:

Wow! thats a lot. Where I work the office visit/ full examination is $42, Rabies $22, DHLPP $17, Bord $17, which totals $98.

I should show you guys some of the vaccine sheets we get in here at work... It's unbelievable. Most of the ripoffs come out of the Banfields.

They like to vaccinate for DHP, and then Distemper, and then parvo, and then 6 month bord, and then yearly bord, rabies.... ect. ect at one visit. Total over vaccination.

I've toyed with the idea, but we don't go to the vet for vaccinations, we go to the low cost clinic at Petco, they hold it every Wednesday and it's out Vet doing the shots so it goes straight on their files. Plus they need them all for Daycare anyway..

arooroomom wrote:

hypers987 wrote:

Wow! thats a lot. Where I work the office visit/ full examination is $42, Rabies $22, DHLPP $17, Bord $17, which totals $98.

I should show you guys some of the vaccine sheets we get in here at work... It's unbelievable. Most of the ripoffs come out of the Banfields.

They like to vaccinate for DHP, and then Distemper, and then parvo, and then 6 month bord, and then yearly bord, rabies.... ect. ect at one visit. Total over vaccination.

AH! Banfields! No wonder! lol Yea I work at a privately owned practice. We have a lot of ranch dogs and cats come in They never push vacc on clients, they tell them what they do and what they are for and leave it up to the client to decide whether or not they want it. They even recommend not doing certain vaccs in they're lifestyle doesn't require it, which I appreciate since my views on vaccinating differ from the Drs I work for lol

We don't have rabies around here, but the daycares all require proof of vaccination or a titre test to show immunity. So obviously with the dogs being new to us we had to get them the jab. Tbh I'll probably stick to the vaccination, at least while they are young. I've had the human rabies jab (the pre-emptive one, not the one for if you've been bit) and although I knew about it, it wasn't that bad. So I don't feel bad for giving the dogs it.

The way the dog license works here is that if your dog gets loose and is picked up, it gets a free ride home if it's got the license tag. The money also goes to the off-leash dog parks, which are really useful to us because they are fenced, so I don't mind paying because it feels like we get something for the money. In Vancouver proper (we are just outside), they are threatening to reduce the number of dog parks because so few people pay the license fee.

When people tell me they use Banfield or VCA I cringe. Ouch.

I remember when my moms cat had his tail cut off from a door getting closed on it... VCA quoted her $1,300!!!! I said no way go to my vet (privately owned practice) and showed him the quote he laughed said he'd be rich if he charged like that. She walked out the door with the cat that night paying $300.

We should start a vet thread recommending vets in our area to support them! We still haven't found a fantastic vet. They've been pretty good, but the nicest one is at a VCA, farther away and so expensive!

hollywoodhuskies wrote:

We should start a vet thread recommending vets in our area to support them! We still haven't found a fantastic vet. They've been pretty good, but the nicest one is at a VCA, farther away and so expensive!

That's a good idea! although I don't think anyone here lives by me haha

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That's a good idea! although I don't think anyone hear lives by me haha

I agree too, but I don't think anyone here lives by me either. lol

Definitley like that idea, wish there were more people near me lol

arooroomom wrote:

When people tell me they use Banfield or VCA I cringe. Ouch.

I remember when my moms cat had his tail cut off from a door getting closed on it... VCA quoted her $1,300!!!! I said no way go to my vet (privately owned practice) and showed him the quote he laughed said he'd be rich if he charged like that. She walked out the door with the cat that night paying $300.

Last weekend when Beth was picking up bargains at a neighbors garbage sale I was told they paid $700 to do the tail removal for the same reason. My reaction was WHOA!!! because I couldn't say holy shit with all the ladies around.

(For those of you who've noticed I'm going through a lot of older threads, doing some research)

I'd like to mention that another reason that some vets are scared to move to a vaccination schedule that is not every year, is because some worry that people will not feel the 'need' that they do to come to the vet yearly since their dog isn't going to be at risk for being 'sick'. Checkups are needed yearly and in cases where responsible owners get heartworm medication, a test is required yearly for the prescription (at least at my vet). In my city/county it is required for me to get rabies every year, but I am doing the core vaccines every 3 years from now on (since diesel has now had his puppy shots, and just got his 1 year shot). I am torn on bordatella as I volunteer at the shelter and that place is so infested with sickness. My vet requires it every 6 months since it does run rampant here but I am thinking of moving it to at least just every year, I might go ahead and do it every 3 years too. My vet is quite nice to me and graduated at least within the last 5 years or so. I think he realizes I do a lot of research and that I'm pretty hard headed about my opinions on my dogs health. I will also have Diesel's hips x-rayed at his next checkup since he will be 2 1/2 then - I don't know ANYTHING about his breeding. I never saw the parents or anything.... so. Will also ask the vet to check on his eyes yearly from now on.