# Lou is due for 1yr old vaccines? What are your thoughts on vaccines?



## KidWhisperer (Apr 3, 2012)

Sammi just turned one also. I've read that she needs to complete her first year shots, then after that we can get yearly titers if we choose, which is the route I'm going to take.


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

We are going to do the 1yr vaxes then do titer tests from there. That's what the breeder recommended and the vet agreed. We will not do the lepto vax. The breeder doesn't recommend it and the vet said we don't have a lepto problem where we live so she rarely recommends it anyways. She did say if we were going to travel with him regularly we would revisit, but not until then.


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## momtymztu (Mar 27, 2012)

I will do the 1 year shots when Dusty hits that age and then I will probably titer after that. That's the route I go with my other dogs. Actually my little dog I titer every couple of years. 

I only do the necessities...Parvo and Distemper being my top 2. It is hard to get those with Parainfluenza included so they get that one too. I never give lepto...my vet recommends it for my area if the dog will be around water or wildlife and if I ever decided to train Dusty as a duck dog (not very likely but my DH does duck hunt) I will reconsider...but I have had dogs (not poodles) with severe reactions to lepto, so I stay clear of it. 

Of course Rabies is a must in the US. 

I am currently checking into my options for bordatella as it is required for training classes I want to take, but I don't generally give that one either. 

Whatever you do, I wouldn't recommend letting the vet do multiples at one time...in other words, space out the DPP and the Rabies or the Bordatella so the immune system isn't stressed too much all at once. Most vets won't argue with you on that, but I have met a few that really push giving them all at one time. 


Good Luck


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

momtymztu said:


> I will do the 1 year shots when Dusty hits that age and then I will probably titer after that. That's the route I go with my other dogs. Actually my little dog I titer every couple of years.
> 
> I only do the necessities...Parvo and Distemper being my top 2. It is hard to get those with Parainfluenza included so they get that one too. I never give lepto...my vet recommends it for my area if the dog will be around water or wildlife and if I ever decided to train Dusty as a duck dog (not very likely but my DH does duck hunt) I will reconsider...but I have had dogs (not poodles) with severe reactions to lepto, so I stay clear of it.
> 
> ...


Thank you!! I had not thought of that, and it sure makes sense to_ not_ do them all at once!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Swizzle only gets one shot at a time. I do not get Lepto or kennel cough. He got the parvo and distemper. He did get the Lyme disease shot. From now on it will be titters and rabies. I am not sure if I will continue with Lyme.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Molly got DHPP only(4in1 vaccine)...plus her rabies which is required....no Lepto(not rec.) no Bordatella cuz we have no need of this. Also, her rabies is a 3yr thing. Future will be titers......


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

I would absolutely do the 1 year vaccines (and yes, splitting them up is great). After that, if you choose to titre thats fine, usually after the puppy vaccines and 1 year they have decent immunity for parvo/distemper etc.

Rabies by law is required every 3 years (in our area). Also, know what is prevalent in your area. Here, lepto is very common so vaccinating dogs for that IS recommended more so than an area that is less effected. Lyme is not common here, so very few around here will do that one.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

Same as Mollie (we live in the same state) except I do bordatella, too. It's required for various training classes. 

Titers cost a lot more than the vaccines. You can get vaccines really inexpensively at the spca.


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## julietcr1 (Nov 10, 2012)

I follow Dr. W. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol, it was my choice but it was also suggest by my breeder. Sushi got the 3 yr serum Distemper+Adeno+Parvo (DAP) at 8 weeks and 12 weeks than he got the rabies at 24 weeks. He got nothing else. At 18 months he will get the rabies again and I will repeat every 3 years. I take not chance with rabies. The protocol is also to vaccine every 3 years for DAP but I am not sure I will follow this part because I never did with my other dogs. 

I believe vaccination is really important but you need to evaluate the risks of vaccination and re-vaccination against the risks of the possible infection you are trying to protect your dog from. For this reason I will not vaccinate against Lyme, Lepto or Bordattela. Sushi just got Bordattela (kennel cough) and it lasted only 3 days, I can live with that. Aki was never vaccinated and she did not get it.

I would suggest you read a lot about it (pros and cons) before making a decision. remember you will have to live with your decision i.e. if Lou gets the infection you will need to take care of her and in some cases pay for medication and treatments etc. If you decide not to vaccine and you stress about it it's not good for you and Lou! In any case try to not over vaccinate i.e. give her the 3 years serum for DAP and rabies and never give the rabies vaccine with another vaccine.


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## Indiana (Sep 11, 2011)

I give my girls the usual vaccines annually because here you can't go to a groomer, boarding facility or doggie daycare without them. I don't take them to those places regularly but I might need to for whatever reason (like my mom is having surgery and I'll go and help her out for a while). Parvo has been flaring up around here for a while and that scares me. However, the vet says we don't need heartworm in this area so that's one I don't get.


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## plr (Oct 20, 2012)

When I asked my vet about bordatella vaccine, she didn't recommend it. There are several virus, in addition to Bordatella bacteria that cause Kennel Cough symptoms. I choose not to vaccinate for bordatella, but then later changed my mind because so many training classes require it. 

Remy did get Kennel Cough - I took him to the vet after 2 days of coughing, no temp, so viral infection - it lasted maybe 3 days more days.

I plan on vaccinating him at 1 year. He has had lepto and Lyme in addition to the standard vaccinations, all given 2-3 weeks apart. Lots of visits but they only charge for the shot, not an office visit too. 

I'll then go the titer route.


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## frankgrimes (Nov 28, 2011)

We did the regular 1 year vaccines (needed for dog classes etc) but we did one at a time and waited 3-4 weeks between. Ralph's sensitive to meds, foods etc so we wanted to be as gentle as possible on his body. Plus, this way we would know which one, if any, caused a reaction. My vet was really good about it and didn't make me feel stupid or over protective. She also only charged me the one office fee and then just the cost of each vaccine when we went in each time.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you all so much for the info. I have also been reading...
I'm terrified of Leptospirosis, it killed my aunt's dog in a horrific dramatic way :-(
(my aunt and I are real close)
So I'm considering having Lou take that one, but I'm afraid of her having a bad reaction to the vaccine :-( I'm suffering over this...
Thank u all again 


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## Ainsley (Apr 22, 2013)

If there are known cases of lepto in your area I don think it would be a bad idea to get it from my understanding. The only reason our vet suggested not to is that she very rarely sees case of lepto in this area and when she does the dog had been out of the burbs in the real country.


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## Poodlemama99 (Feb 12, 2010)

I don't do lepto or bordatella but they get vaccinated for the rest plus we use year round heart worm prevention. 


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## FozziesMom (Jun 23, 2010)

We did one year vax including a 3 year rabies and bortadella (since we use doggie day care and boarding and the groomer also requires it). All else we titer for annually. 

Lepto we decided against. My vet said she does not vaccinate her dogs. As long as I keep Fozz out of standing water and underbrush on hikes (rodent pee) and away from dead seals, she said he should be fine. Also since I watch him like a hawk, and would notice illness like vomiting/diahrrea immediately and the disease is treatable she counseled against it. Also, re: lepto it's important to know the vaccine does NOT cover all strains so the dog can still get it. It is not 100% foolproof. 

He will be 4 this fall and hasn't needed a reup on anything other than bortadella since. but will probably be due for DHLPP this fall based on last year's titers. The titers ARE expensive--about $175 here in SF, but I figure what's the cost of Addisons or other problems triggered even just once?

We do heartworm tablets as well. I see no reason not to be safe on that one given the lack of risk.


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## Pluto (Jul 8, 2012)

I do lepto since we frequently encounter potentially contaminated water on hikes and walks. I don't do bortadella.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you all for keeping the answers coming. I totally appreciate it 

If anyone's poodles have experienced bad reactions to vaccines please share your story

Thanks!!

Ps. I'm leaning more toward giving the lepto, since the experience with my aunt's dog was so traumatic, and the pet hospital here said that if Lou comes in contact with any wild life's poop/pee, even a squirrel, that she could catch it. I think it was just the girl at the front desk when I called, and not the vet, but it made me worry. 
We do have a 6ft privacy fence and no animal larger than a squirrel could come in the yard with the fence. there are small areas where a squirrel could crawl under but that's all.... :confused2:

Ps2. Also going the titer route I think. But right now I need to make a decision on the ones she is due


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## Pluto (Jul 8, 2012)

Since we are talking vaccines...

Does anyone give the rattlesnake vaccine? It seems that the main goal is to give additional time for medical response in remote areas, and since we do have access to an emergency vet, we will probably skip it. But I was wondering if anyone had experiance?


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## Vibrant (Dec 7, 2009)

I believe in protecting my dogs with vaccinations, but I don't over vaccinate them. My girl, Cheers, is 7 years old and had the puppy series and a booster at 15 months (DHPP) and rabies at 5 months and a booster at 17 months. I just got her Parvo and Distemper titre results back today and they are still adequate after 6 years! By law we have to vaccinate for rabies every three years. I have given my dogs the lepto vaccines without any adverse reactions, but I'm still trying to decide if I'll give them to them this year. I test for heartworm yearly, but don't give the preventative medications.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Vibrant said:


> I believe in protecting my dogs with vaccinations, but I don't over vaccinate them. My girl, Cheers, is 7 years old and had the puppy series and a booster at 15 months (DHPP) and rabies at 5 months and a booster at 17 months. I just got her Parvo and Distemper titre results back today and they are still adequate after 6 years! By law we have to vaccinate for rabies every three years. I have given my dogs the lepto vaccines without any adverse reactions, but I'm still trying to decide if I'll give them to them this year. I test for heartworm yearly, but don't give the preventative medications.


Thank u ver much for your info, especially on the lepto which I am considering but was kind of afraid of


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

Lou are you aware that a Lepto shot is only good for 6 months? My vet no longer gives this vaccine. She said the risk of a serious reaction is too high.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

CT Girl said:


> Lou are you aware that a Lepto shot is only good for 6 months? My vet no longer gives this vaccine. She said the risk of a serious reaction is too high.


No I was totally not aware of that at all ..wow 
I thought it was a yearly thing.
Maybe that's why my aunt's dog died. Because she only got the shot one time I think
Thanks for letting me know. I am curious about what kind of reactions happen...

And now I'm not leaning toward doing it anymore... because vaccinating every 6 months for this...? :confused2:


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## Samba (Sep 14, 2012)

I would for sure give lepto if it is prevalent in your area. If its not, then its likely not a vaccine that would be needed.

Lepto vaccine reactions are usually minimal - fever, lethergy for a day or so. In the most severe case, anaphylactic shock can happen with any killed vaccine (inc lepto), which is why its essential to pretreat the vaccine with benadryl. These reactions will generally happen in less than an hour after giving the vaccine, so all pets should stay at the clinic for an hour after administeration. After the hour, typical routine reactions such as lethargy, mild fever are self limiting. Its always a good idea to keep an eye on your dog after any vaccine for 24 hours.

Acquiring lepto has a good chance of killing your dog, and if it doesnt it can lead to severe kidney/liver failure. 

More dogs die from lepto than from getting the lepto vaccine. No brainer for me as lepto is very common here.

Lepto vaccines are labelled for 6 month use, but if you titre for it you are likely to get many years out of it. DH2PP is labelled for every 12 months...and often just puppy shots gives them enough antibodies for lifetime.

I work at a hospital with a critical care unit. After seeing the amount of dogs in here for lepto, and many not make it home, its a no brainer for me do do annual vaccines. It doesnt completely eliminate the chance of getting lepto as there are many strains,but it does help and will reduce the efficacy of it. 

Now, if you dont have lepto in your area thats different. But, for me its like putting sunscreen on if I know its going to be a sunny day. Might not prevent a burn, but will certainly help prevent a nasty one.

Lou - I would talk to your VET about your concerns. While its nice to hear everyones opinions here, your vet will be able to give you a good answer on prevalence, frequency of vaccines, potential reactions, and percentage of lepto vaccine reactions:lepto diagnoses ratio.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Samba said:


> I would for sure give lepto if it is prevalent in your area.
> 
> Lepto vaccine reactions are usually minimal - fever, lethergy for a day or so. Ask your vet to PRETREAT with benadryl to help prevent a reaction.
> 
> ...


Thank u so much for your response!!!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

I agree you need to discuss and decide with your vet. I have made my decision because Lepto in my area seem to be the stains not covered by the vaccine, the greatly increased risk for a reaction because of Swizzle's size and the fact that Swizzle is always walked on a lead and I don't let him drink from puddles ect. Lepto is not considered part of core vaccines because of the risk to benefit ratio but if you are in an area that is high risk it may be something you want to get. 

Dog Owner's Guide: Leptospirosis

http://www.caberfeidh.com/Lepto.htm

http://www.oes.org/page2/18165~LEPTOSPIRA_Vaccine--

Here are a couple articles you may find informative.


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## PoodleChick (Dec 30, 2009)

A vet will give you opinion, same as here. More educated opinion, but still opinion. 
Case in point is my former vet whom I went to for years. Nice guy, well-educated and experienced. I wanted my dogs to be able to do pet therapy work and the group I was applying to required annual vaccinations. I was nervous about this but the vet assured me that in 27 years he had seen only three adverse reactions to vaccines and he vaccinated annually. My seven year old female Standard got her DHLPP, plus Corona. Corona? Did I even know what that was? No. I trusted the vet.
Two weeks later she had a huge hematoma under her tongue which appeared while playing fetch with her ball. My vet saw it and blanched. Sent us to a specialist who diagnosed her with Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia (platelets are seen as foreign by the body and destroyed. No platelets=no clotting). Even after that, my vet refused to believe it was due to the vaccines. He said he "needed to do more research" on his own clients, even though the new vaccination protocols from Cornell had just come out. I sort of woke up and realized that this vet has no business ignoring the extensive research that had been done at a major university,in lieu of his own possibly skewed view of his small town practice. I was livid. 
My dog was carefully managed for four years and died very suddenly and quickly at the young age of 10 and a half. 
So which vaccine did her in? I have no idea. But I do think that the combination of an already faulty immune system and the annual vaccines worked together to trigger this malfunction in her immune system.
For my other dog I switched to titers and got a waiver on rabies because several months after my girl died, he was diagnosed with cancer and underwent radiation and surgery. He lived to be over 14 and died last year.
So, my take home message is that you have to do what you can live with, and weigh the benefits and risks of your decisions. That includes getting opinions from people, owners and vets alike. 
I would never go back to annual vaccines. I like the titers but you have to understand they don't measure cellular immunity and they are more expensive than vaccines. 
There may be some things you can't do with your dog if you don't vaccinate and that is an individual decision. 
It sounds to me that you would do well to ask your vet how prevalent lepto is in your community, given your particular situation. A six foot fence doesn't keep out raccoons or possums and both are vectors for lepto. And those animals are in urban areas as well as rural. 
I'm looking at the same decision for my new puppy and I don't know what I'll do yet, but I'll be talking to my holistic vet as well as our "regular" vet (NOT the vaccinater guy).
Lynne


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## pinkteaji (Dec 7, 2012)

I'm also kind of on the fence about vaccinations too and not as well informed as most of you. 

Nova just got her rabies shot two weeks ago (her three year one was "expiring"). She seems fine for the most part. 

The vet told me Shelton is due for a parvo vaccine soon. Does anyone know long these lasts (monthly, every year, or every three years like the rabies)? I know I won't get Bordatella because he never goes to a kennel. Shelton is currently two years old.


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## Lou (Sep 22, 2012)

Thank you all for the information!!  I appreciate it


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