Vacinnes

[mnp13]

I think vaccines are a major problem in this culture. Yes, of course, Polio and Measles needed to be stopped, but for heaven's sake, do we REALLY need a Chicken Pox vaccine?

It's the same for dogs - vaccines are not 'harmless', and there is plenty of evidence of the side effects of them.

I will only give the vaccines that Ruby HAS to have - unfortunately TDI forces a number of them. Due to her health problems, I may be able to have my vet waive most of them though.

Michelle

[Hondovious]

This may be a really dumb question but here goes anyway. Which adult vaccines do you not give? Do you give any? Is a monthly pill like HeartGuard considered a vaccine? My pup is almost 6 months so he is done with the puppy stuff and not into the adult boosters/vaccines yet. If I should not start him on more vaccines while he has a clean slate then now seems the time.

I am a big believer that for people we should only have bare minimums for vaccines and the like. If it won't start an epidemic I don't want a shot for it. I eat food of the floor, 5 second rule of course, and try not to sterilize the hell out of everything I eat. Some people want everything so clean/sterile/bacteria free, and if you eat and live like that you will have so little immunity that the smallest little bug can really mess you up. I eat beef almost raw and chicken slightly underdone so there is the tiniest trace of pink still, never been sick.

[mindonmatter]

My pup got his first set of shots and won't get anything else except the mandated rabies shots(every three years I believe).

[mnp13]

Many people only do rabies, and as little as possible - since titer checks wil tell if the immunity is still working.

I know a number of people who do nothing more than rabies, which is fine, until they had to put the dogs in a kennel and couldn't find a single one to take the dogs because they had no shots. Bordatella has to be given 90 days before some kennels will let the dog in.

Many people think monthly meds are bad, I'm stuck with them due to Ruby's whip worm infestation that we only seem to keep away with monthly meds. Hopefully next year we can stop.

Michelle

[concreterose]

I will be getting titers done on Vicki this year and only be getting the required rabies shot (in Michigan it's every three years). Having a dog with cancer has really made me reconsider what is really necessary as far as vaccinations and diet goes. All the people I know with older dogs (and cats) never vaccinated their pets past the puppy boosters.

I will continue the monthly heartworm preventative, no question about that.

[mydogroxy]

roxy's had her puppy vax, but only got rabies at her last visit (she's coming up on two years). she's super healthy and it does seem that we over vaccinate our animals. i'm still trying to sort out how to handle the whole thing though.

what i do know is that my mother's cats have never been vaccinated beyond initial kitten stuff. one lived to be 18, one is 15, one is 10, and the other two are somewhere around 5. in all the years i've known these cats, only one has ever been sick and that was a little upper respitory. all except the two younger ones go outside as well.