Vaccinations advice

[kb13733]

I recently rescued a border collie/ red heeler mix boy from a family who decided they couldn't handle the breed. He's such a little sweetheart, I couldn't imagine what horrible problems he caused that made them not want him. He is six months old and they didn't give him any shots and I had a few questions about self - vaccinating.

1- Would you recommend self vaccinating your dogs?

2- What combination is best for a border collie/ red heeler?

3- What brand is healthier to use?

 

I've got an appointment set up with a vet just in case I decide to not go this route but I just wanted to ask someone who has border collies and how they handle their dog's health.

[Journey]

I would not do any of the combo vac. If it was me I would still follow Dr. Jean Dodds protocol.

[juliepoudrier]

I am not against doing vaccinations oneself, but to me it makes sense to at least have one visit with the vet to get a well puppy check. So even if you decide to vaccinate yourself, do take the pup to the vet for a checkover. Take a stool sample so the vet can check for worms (all puppies have worms and if this one never got vet care, it's probably carrying quite a load). The vet will listen to heart and lungs and just do a check of the pup's general health. It will help prevent surprises later.

 

As for vaccines, I order directly from a source on the Internet. I pay extra for overnight shipping and for the cooling gel packs in the package. I stay away from vaccines at feed stores and the like because you just don't know if they've been handled properly. I was at Tractor Supply once and vaccines were sitting in a box at the end of an aisle waiting to be put away. They had gotten warm. I said something to the staff and they moved them, but who knows if they actually set them aside or went ahead and put them in the cooler anyway. If the vaccines get warm, they lose all effectiveness, so you're just wasting your money and not protecting your dog.

 

I agree with Karen about a reduced vaccine protocol. There's a good thread on vaccination pinned at the top of this forumn section. Your pup is overdue for a rabies vaccine. That's the one vaccine you need to have the vet give to your dog; if you do it yourself and your dog bites or comes into contact with a rabid animal the law will consider him unvaccinated, and that's not a good thing.

 

P.S. Vaccines are not breed specific. Some vaccines could be considered situational; for example, you may not need to vaccinate against leptospirosis if your dog isn't going to be exposed to environments where it could pick up the disease. But the fact that your pup is a border collie/red heeler doesn't mean certain vaccines are required, or not.

 

J.

[Chi-Ann's Mom]

I tried to post this on the Over Vaccination topic but it is locked so could not. This is what Jean Dodds says about Boretella:

Boretella

(Intranasal)

(killed) Only recommended 3 days prior to boarding when required.

Protects against 2 of the possible 8 causes of kennel cough.

Duration of immunity 6 months.

I also use her protocol on giving shots. I believe the vets want us to over vaccinate out dogs and this is why there are so many problems with our dogs.

[Mark Billadeau]

I agree with Julie's approach. See a vet initially so you can establish a relationship with a local vet and the vet can get a baseline reading on your new dog.

 

I personally, do not have an aversion to combo vaccines; to me it makes sense to minimize the exposure to all the other stuff in vaccines which are the most likely source of adverse reactions.

 

Vaccine ingredients with the potential to cause anaphylaxisin sensitized people include egg proteins (e.g., influenza vaccine),gelatin (in live viral vaccines) and antibiotics.¹

 

Polysorbates are commonly used as solubilizers, stabilizersand emulsifiers in cosmetics and medical preparations. Polysorbate80 could be a potential trigger of nonallergic ("anaphylactoid")anaphylaxis. There have been a number of reports of anaphylaxisor generalized hypersensitivity reactions occurring followingthe receipt of drugs that have implicated polysorbate 80 asthe cause.^34–37

 

source: Anaphylaxis following quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccination

 

Gelatin-containing diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis (DTP) vaccine causes sensitization to gelatin in the recipients

 

 

 

While I believe vaccines are overused (revaccination more frequently than needed for efficacy) I do not believe that over vaccination is the cause of so many problems in our dogs just like I don't believe modern kibble is the cause (another commonly touted source of canine ills). I believe decreasing genetic diversity is the root cause for most of the problems with dogs.