Vaccinating Dogs: What Your Vet Hasn't Told You

[WebLady]

This is a great little clip; every pet owner should watch before you get your pet another shot!

Vaccinating Dogs: What Your Vet Hasn't Told You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s4s33Spdfw&eurl)

[PGDesigns]

Great clip and sooo true!

Our current vet told us about two years ago that the 1yr and 3yr rabies vax were the same thing, just different labels. Our current vet is 2 hours away (in our hometown) where 3yr rabies vax are the norm.

Where we live, vets are notorious for being money-hungry and, along with local gov't, require 1yr rabies. No thank you!!!

Getting titers run on pets is a lot safer than revaccinating every year, especially when some vaccines have been known to last 6 or 7 years. I really wish more vets around here would offer titer tests as options for their clients.

[Nekochanpurr]

For our cats, we take them up to their first year. We get their shots, got them fixed, and their front claws declawed. We didn't go back after that. They are inside cats.. And unless they are visibly sick, don't need to go. =P

[BarceloMayaPalaceBride]

Thanks for the post! Great info!!!

[ally20o7]

Where we live, vets are notorious for being money-hungry

I get very defensive when people say this. Keep in mind that vets are DOCTORS. They go to school the same amount of time as a human doctor. They have the same amount of student loans to pay off. They perform surgeries just as complex as the ones regular doctors perform on humans. They are trying to run a business with a full time staff.

I agree that some vets may be attempting highway robbery, but no more than some human doctors do.

[PGDesigns]

I get very defensive when people say this. Keep in mind that vets are DOCTORS. They go to school the same amount of time as a human doctor. They have the same amount of student loans to pay off. They perform surgeries just as complex as the ones regular doctors perform on humans. They are trying to run a business with a full time staff.

I agree that some vets may be attempting highway robbery, but no more than some human doctors do.

Sorry. I should have clarified. I realize that some are very good and that human Drs are often guilty of the same thing. FH and I both have experience working in a vet office and in an animal rescue that was based in a vet clinic. Several area doctors we worked with (and have pet sitting clients who used them or worked for them) have been known to:

--charge for procedures that were not even performed
--said they performed procedures that were not
--charged full price for a kennel run to board a dog when all they did was stick the dog in a small crate for the weekend and not tell the owners their pets would be in crates instead of runs
--give patients the more expensive products (because they receive kickbacks from them) when there are cheaper options that are just as safe and effective
--charged more because they knew the client was wealthy
--added pets to the rescue organization's bill that were not theirs
--boarding animals that are known to be aggressive... so aggressive that the doctors themselves would not touch them, yet they thought it was fine to put the techs and other animals in danger

Like I said. Sorry if I offended you. These are just a few of the incidents I know of, and there is only clinic in the surrounding area that I know of that we have not heard anything similar about from clients or employees. I realize that doctors of all kinds are guilty of this just like there are great doctors. I just mentioned vets since this topic was about vets. :flower:

[Jacklynn]

Being a puppy owner I just had to go through this whole issue of shots. The vet was very nice about only giving him what we wanted to. He didn't need bordatella since we won't be boarding him and that is mostly what that is for, stuff like that.

Wrigley got his rabies shot when we went last time (at just over 16 weeks old) and she said he will need it again at 1 year to complete it, but then not again for 3 years after that. He will not be getting it every year that is for sure his little 6lb body doesn't need it lol, and the law doesn't require that.

[WebLady]

I am worried about my Roxy since she had a bad reaction to her rabies shot last year. Our county is still on the one year vacination requirement; but I have heard that both the one year and the three year are pretty much the same vaccine. Plus they are not dosed by weight; so the same shot is given to dogs of all sizes! This puts smaller dogs at greater risk!

I am going to email Animal Control and talk to my vet and see what we can do.

[ally20o7]

Sorry. I should have clarified. I realize that some are very good and that human Drs are often guilty of the same thing. FH and I both have experience working in a vet office and in an animal rescue that was based in a vet clinic. Several area doctors we worked with (and have pet sitting clients who used them or worked for them) have been known to:

--charge for procedures that were not even performed
--said they performed procedures that were not
--charged full price for a kennel run to board a dog when all they did was stick the dog in a small crate for the weekend and not tell the owners their pets would be in crates instead of runs
--give patients the more expensive products (because they receive kickbacks from them) when there are cheaper options that are just as safe and effective
--charged more because they knew the client was wealthy
--added pets to the rescue organization's bill that were not theirs
--boarding animals that are known to be aggressive... so aggressive that the doctors themselves would not touch them, yet they thought it was fine to put the techs and other animals in danger

Like I said. Sorry if I offended you. These are just a few of the incidents I know of, and there is only clinic in the surrounding area that I know of that we have not heard anything similar about from clients or employees. I realize that doctors of all kinds are guilty of this just like there are great doctors. I just mentioned vets since this topic was about vets. :flower:


It's okay. Sorry if I sounded snappy, my dad's a vet and I grew up with people assuming we're loaded and that my dad is a thief because of stuff he recommends people use. So it's a touchy subject for me.


The vet you mentioned should have his license revoked.

[08chrissy08]

Plus they are not dosed by weight; so the same shot is given to dogs of all sizes! This puts smaller dogs at greater risk!



My two puppies haven't gotten their rabies yet and I'm scared to death. One of them is 4 lbs the other is only 2lbs. It just kills me that they don't adjust for weight! These little guys can get really sick from it. I'm dreading it so much.

[PGDesigns]

I am worried about my Roxy since she had a bad reaction to her rabies shot last year. Our county is still on the one year vacination requirement; but I have heard that both the one year and the three year are pretty much the same vaccine. Plus they are not dosed by weight; so the same shot is given to dogs of all sizes! This puts smaller dogs at greater risk!

I am going to email Animal Control and talk to my vet and see what we can do.

Sorry to hear about Roxy.

In the cases of pets who have adverse reactions to vaccines or have extremely weak immune systems, owners should be able to ask for titers instead. I have heard that some animal controls will accept titers as long as everything is documented by your vet. Definitely something to look into...

[PGDesigns]

It's okay. Sorry if I sounded snappy, my dad's a vet and I grew up with people assuming we're loaded and that my dad is a thief because of stuff he recommends people use. So it's a touchy subject for me.


The vet you mentioned should have his license revoked.

No worries. Glad to hear your dad is one of the good guys. ;)

[Jacklynn]

Yeah I hate that Wrigley had to get a regular dose of Rabies, I have heard that small does such as our yorkie could actually just have one Rabies shot for life, and they would be covered since the dose is so high and they are so little. I don't know if that is true or not, just something I heard.

Gosh I dk how I will react when I have human children!! I'll be like and why the heck are you giving them THAT?!

[WebLady]

Yeah I hate that Wrigley had to get a regular dose of Rabies, I have heard that small does such as our yorkie could actually just have one Rabies shot for life, and they would be covered since the dose is so high and they are so little. I don't know if that is true or not, just something I heard.I don't know about for life, but I heard approx 7 years. I am gonna talk to my vet about titers and/or doing smaller, weight appropriate doses. I am gonna try to email the county too.

Gosh I dk how I will react when I have human children!! I'll be like and why the heck are you giving them THAT?!
Oh yeah, there is some debate that Dr's are over vaccinating children and how it may be linked to autism and seizures and such! But that is another topic ;)