Probably not. Several years ago we started hearing some rumblings at conferences and seminars about duration of immunity from some vaccines. Some of the vaccine manufacturers finally had proof that their vaccines lasted 2 or more years, so I started paying attention. I had been using a 3 year Rabies vaccine since I opened in 1989 , although at that time, the State of Tennessee didn’t recognize it lasting that long. I used it because it could be given under the skin vs. in the muscle, it was very non-reactive and it came in single dose vials instead of using the same bottle for 10 different patients. I just had to give it every year for my patients to be legal.
When we talk about the longer duration vaccines, we are talking mainly of the “Core” diseases. Besides Rabies, these include Distemper, Parvovirus and Adenovirus for dogs & for cats they are Herpes, Calici and Panleukopenia viruses. There are of course other diseases, but they aren’t included in the “Core” vaccines.
The first company that came out with proof and a label for 3 year duration was one called Intervet. I did my research and decided that it was better medicine. I did realize that this was NOT a good business move. Our philosophy is to offer to treat each patient like we would treat our own, and I wasn’t going to vaccinate my own dog or cat for every disease every year. We don’t want to under-vaccinate, but we don’t want to over-vaccinate either. Now I’m not talking about the series of vaccines that are given to puppies and kittens. Those need to be given in a series to override the immunity they got from their mother. We can talk about those at another time. When Parvovirus first came on the scene several decades ago, there were veterinarians that vaccinated every 6 months for a while, and that may have been warranted. Some even gave a feline vaccine for Panleukopenia (similar to Parvo) to try to boost their patients immunity, before a commercial vaccine became available for dogs.
Aren’t vaccines safe? Of course they are, but no drug is completely innocuous. Every once in a while, we see a vaccine reaction and the pet will get hives and swell. Sometimes a Beagle can look more like a Shar Pei. There are many experts that believe that some of the Auto-immune diseases, like Hemolytic Anemia can be triggered when the immune system is stimulated. We saw a cat that was over 17 years old that went to a Veterinary Hospital and received every vaccine available, even though it never went outside. That cat almost died. When something upset the delicate balance of this geriatric cat, things got bad. Was it the vaccines? Or was it that this patient was well compensated even though it had some underlying problems that surfaced after some stress...
There are some pets that are exposed to more things and the “Core” vaccines may not cover them. For instance, if your cat goes outside, then we advise giving Feline Leukemia. This vaccine now has a duration of 2 years after the initial series. Chlamydia virus is included in some cat vaccines. If your dog is boarded or goes to training, he will need the Kennel Cough vaccine which includes Bordetella and Parainfluenza. If your dogs hunt, work livestock or simply wander into wildlife areas, then Leptospirosis is given. At this time, these two vaccines are only good for 1 year. FIV and FIP in cats are controversial vaccines and we don’t currently advise them. Lyme disease in dogs in this area is up for discussion. Some give it to everything whether they ever go outside or not, and some don’t give it to anything. Canine Influenza is probably not in this area and the Rattlesnake Vaccine, may have improved, but it isn’t used much around here.
We started using the 3 year vaccines in 2007 and LOVE it. Instead of focusing on shots, we can do our yearly exam and focus on the patient. It is very common to see a patient for its yearly checkup and not have to give any vaccines. Every patient that comes in is different, whether its age, size, exposure, job, household, diet, personality, etc. etc. etc…. It makes it difficult on our receptionists, since they aren’t sure which vaccines the doctors will give to a particular patient. I take pride in the fact that we are not an assembly line practice. If a veterinarian is still giving every vaccine to every patient, many feel that is malpractice. The only two reasons I can think of to vaccinate every pet with everything every year are ignorance or financial gain. It’s just bad medicine.
The information that is filled out before a Yearly Exam or Vaccine Review is used to determine which vaccines might be warranted. We also want to know what else is going on with your pet, so that we can do the best job we can improving or maintaining good health. We are very particular about our vaccines. We only purchase from manufacturers that we believe in and if the order isn’t received the day after they are ordered, we send them back. These vaccines can be inactivated if they aren’t stored properly or stay on a truck or a loading dock too long. If we notice that a vaccine is causing lumps or reactions, we look into it and decide if the vaccine is right for our patients.
I can’t figure out why in the heck people take their pets to a Rabies Clinic to supposedly save money. You have to go every year and pay for the injection and the license fee. With a 3 year Rabies vaccine you only pay for the injection once and after that you only pay the fee for the license for the next 2 years…………….and you don’t have to stand in line. The physical exam is the most important part of a visit to the vet.
Having a Doctor-Patient relationship is very important to the health of your pet. Ask your veterinarian questions about what vaccines they recommend… or maybe what vaccines their pet would be getting. The way I explain it to my staff is that, “the more the client knows, the better care they will take of their pets”. I have also said several times that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially if it comes from the internet”. Let us know if there is a particular subject you would like for us to cover in our BLOG……...(I forgot; this BLOG is on the internet isn’t it?)
When we talk about the longer duration vaccines, we are talking mainly of the “Core” diseases. Besides Rabies, these include Distemper, Parvovirus and Adenovirus for dogs & for cats they are Herpes, Calici and Panleukopenia viruses. There are of course other diseases, but they aren’t included in the “Core” vaccines.
The first company that came out with proof and a label for 3 year duration was one called Intervet. I did my research and decided that it was better medicine. I did realize that this was NOT a good business move. Our philosophy is to offer to treat each patient like we would treat our own, and I wasn’t going to vaccinate my own dog or cat for every disease every year. We don’t want to under-vaccinate, but we don’t want to over-vaccinate either. Now I’m not talking about the series of vaccines that are given to puppies and kittens. Those need to be given in a series to override the immunity they got from their mother. We can talk about those at another time. When Parvovirus first came on the scene several decades ago, there were veterinarians that vaccinated every 6 months for a while, and that may have been warranted. Some even gave a feline vaccine for Panleukopenia (similar to Parvo) to try to boost their patients immunity, before a commercial vaccine became available for dogs.
Aren’t vaccines safe? Of course they are, but no drug is completely innocuous. Every once in a while, we see a vaccine reaction and the pet will get hives and swell. Sometimes a Beagle can look more like a Shar Pei. There are many experts that believe that some of the Auto-immune diseases, like Hemolytic Anemia can be triggered when the immune system is stimulated. We saw a cat that was over 17 years old that went to a Veterinary Hospital and received every vaccine available, even though it never went outside. That cat almost died. When something upset the delicate balance of this geriatric cat, things got bad. Was it the vaccines? Or was it that this patient was well compensated even though it had some underlying problems that surfaced after some stress...
There are some pets that are exposed to more things and the “Core” vaccines may not cover them. For instance, if your cat goes outside, then we advise giving Feline Leukemia. This vaccine now has a duration of 2 years after the initial series. Chlamydia virus is included in some cat vaccines. If your dog is boarded or goes to training, he will need the Kennel Cough vaccine which includes Bordetella and Parainfluenza. If your dogs hunt, work livestock or simply wander into wildlife areas, then Leptospirosis is given. At this time, these two vaccines are only good for 1 year. FIV and FIP in cats are controversial vaccines and we don’t currently advise them. Lyme disease in dogs in this area is up for discussion. Some give it to everything whether they ever go outside or not, and some don’t give it to anything. Canine Influenza is probably not in this area and the Rattlesnake Vaccine, may have improved, but it isn’t used much around here.
We started using the 3 year vaccines in 2007 and LOVE it. Instead of focusing on shots, we can do our yearly exam and focus on the patient. It is very common to see a patient for its yearly checkup and not have to give any vaccines. Every patient that comes in is different, whether its age, size, exposure, job, household, diet, personality, etc. etc. etc…. It makes it difficult on our receptionists, since they aren’t sure which vaccines the doctors will give to a particular patient. I take pride in the fact that we are not an assembly line practice. If a veterinarian is still giving every vaccine to every patient, many feel that is malpractice. The only two reasons I can think of to vaccinate every pet with everything every year are ignorance or financial gain. It’s just bad medicine.
The information that is filled out before a Yearly Exam or Vaccine Review is used to determine which vaccines might be warranted. We also want to know what else is going on with your pet, so that we can do the best job we can improving or maintaining good health. We are very particular about our vaccines. We only purchase from manufacturers that we believe in and if the order isn’t received the day after they are ordered, we send them back. These vaccines can be inactivated if they aren’t stored properly or stay on a truck or a loading dock too long. If we notice that a vaccine is causing lumps or reactions, we look into it and decide if the vaccine is right for our patients.
I can’t figure out why in the heck people take their pets to a Rabies Clinic to supposedly save money. You have to go every year and pay for the injection and the license fee. With a 3 year Rabies vaccine you only pay for the injection once and after that you only pay the fee for the license for the next 2 years…………….and you don’t have to stand in line. The physical exam is the most important part of a visit to the vet.
Having a Doctor-Patient relationship is very important to the health of your pet. Ask your veterinarian questions about what vaccines they recommend… or maybe what vaccines their pet would be getting. The way I explain it to my staff is that, “the more the client knows, the better care they will take of their pets”. I have also said several times that “a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, especially if it comes from the internet”. Let us know if there is a particular subject you would like for us to cover in our BLOG……...(I forgot; this BLOG is on the internet isn’t it?)
Doesn't make sense.
RSS Feed