I went a couple of weeks ago to my traditional vet and dropped off a fecal and asked if they could order me the 3 year rabies vaccine. (I already knew that they gave only the 1 year)

The receptionist said she'd ask the vet. When she returned she said that he would not order the 3 year for me! (Not that this matters, but Chula had been through all puppy exams/puppy vaccinations (before I knew any better), 2 eye surgeries, and a spay with this vet. A fair chunk of change...)

I said, 'I believe the current protocol is 3 years for rabies.' She replied that they still only gave the one year, because otherwise, people would only bring their dogs in every three years, and the vet needed to see them on an annual basis. I said thanks, but no thanks, and walked out.

The end result is that I found a holistic vet in my area, and we went on Friday for an exam. Very nice vet and nice staff...no Science Diet in the lobby, and absolutely fine with titers for parvo and distemper, and the 3 year rabies vacc. And very supportive of raw feeding...

They even gave me the name of a boarding kennel in the area that accepts titers and doesn't require bordetella.

Glad I was 'forced' into doing this. I feel much better about this practice, and I've added this vet to Cindy's list...

Hi I wanted to add something in this thread.

For all who did not know.
The 3 year rabies and the 1 year is the same shot for dogs.
They have always been good for 3 year but vets have always given
1 year vacs.

For cats it is a different vac but not for dogs.

Most people don't or did not know that.
In the office I work for we use the same shot and she has been using 3 years for a while now.
Longer then protacal

Yes, this is true. The problem (I think) is that if the label on the vaccine says '1 year', then the vet has to indicate that when he fills out the registration form for the county.

Every day I lose more respect for money-hungry vets. I have a very good friend who works for a major drug company in their animal health dept. His company has been trying to educate vets that their vaccines' efficacy is much longer than one year- it's anywhere from 3-7 THAT THEY HAVE PROVEN. It may be longer.

They have only had a few vets willing to try the 3 yr protocol. The others refused, stating "large loss of revenue" as their reason. I think often we give vets the benefit of the doubt b/c they're educated by the food and drug companies, but I think we've sunk to a new low when the drug companies are more concerned about the animals than the vets.

Disgusting.

Well yeah, have you seen the markup on vaccines at the vet? I buy mine at 4.29 a dose and pay .14 for a syringe for the standard 5 way puppy shot. If I could give my own rabies shot I could get them for as low as 1.50 a shot.

Last time I took a dog in for shots it ran me 55.00 just for the shot.

Don't get me wrong. Vets do need to support themselves and i can understand why they would like the simple maint of a vaccine to do that. I'm all about paying for good services but the markup on these among other things caused me to fire one vet and start doing alot of the maint stuff on my own,so now I do my own shots, my own microchips (It's between $10 - $15 if you do them yourself), and have found a good vet who will support me on this.

I think some people are really giving vets the short end of the stick.

Yes some of them are very staunch on their vaccine protocols and other things, and i'm sure they like to make money, who doesn't. I'm sure there are a few that really abuse their position to make money too, just like any other profession has its bad apples.

But you need to have a little persepective. Being a vet costs a lot of money, becoming one costs a lot of money. They have specialized knowledge that can save your dogs life, YOU don't have that knowledge. I'm not going to explain the economics behind running a business, but you charge a little more for certain things smaller things that happen for frequently because the big dollar items most people can't afford and don't happen as often. anyway, if you don't like prices, go somewhere else

but with vaccines, vets have something you don't have. They have an office, they have staff, they have continuing ed. they have insurance to pay on that building, equipment, staff and on their professional conduct as well. They also have a big thing you don't have and that is liability. you can buy cheap vaccines and give them cheaply. You really report to nobody and if something happens it's on your head. A vet doesn't have that luxury.

and I question your friend working for the major drug companies animal dept. Most vet colleges have been saying for a long time that yearly vaccines are too much, and that has met stiff resistance, by the vaccine makers themselves. Some vets have been resistent to change for a number of reasons. Some because of that liability.

It doesn't matter who's right or wrong, but perception seems to matter more. Vets that went against the current trend and recommended 3 year vaccines or longer put themselves at risk. If something happens and you're going against the conventional though, right or wrong, you are crucified. I don't blame some vets for resisting that change.

I've run into a few vets that didn't want to talk about options or discuss my concerns whatsoever. It's my right to leave and find a new one, which I have done a couple times. For the most part I've run into vets that do care and at least respect my decisions even if they don't fully agree with them.

 Quote: Eric Read

It doesn't matter who's right or wrong, but perception seems to matter more. Vets that went against the current trend and recommended 3 year vaccines or longer put themselves at risk. If something happens and you're going against the conventional though, right or wrong, you are crucified. I don't blame some vets for resisting that change.

Eric, I don't take issue with anything you've stated, except the above quoted text. The current protocol is every three years for rabies vaccines, not every year. (recommended by various vet schools and AVMA), hence , I opted to do what you suggest in your last paragraph, which was to find another vet!

Now yes, years ago, it was still every year even though vet schools were recomending 3. That was kind of my point, it took years for it to change and still some resist

Eric, you can question all you want. He has worked for several big name companies, and I personally find it very scary that a pharma company is more concerned about the animals than a vet. Part of his job is to try to "awaken" vets to the dangers of over-vaccinating when the shots last several years. Of course the drug companies don't want to make a worse name for themselves b/c their products are being overused. Whatever their real motive, the fact that the vets still insist on boosters makes me ill.

Of course I know there is normal mark-up on vaccines. I didn't say ANYTHING about the prices. I don't care one iota about price. If I ever felt like vaccinating, I'd go buy them myself, like Melissa said. I don't buy the liability thing. How often are they really liable for anything they do? If anything, the liablility falls back on the drug company if it's a problem with the vaccine itself. If they did the continuing ed I think they should, maybe they'd change their minds.

My point is that it's sick to keep vaccinating yearly when they know better, and simply don't care. I really don't care about the fact that it's a business. Why be a vet if you care more about lining your pockets than the animals themselves??? I think if you're looking at it as a business before a service, you need a new job! There are conscientious, holistic vets who make plenty of money without putting animals at risk unnecessarily. They sell things GOOD for animals. What a concept!

Ok from a vet tech.

The shot you buy from the feed store are the same shots in the office.

We order ours through the same company as the feed store does. Your pup has a vac reaction it really does not fall on the vet's head even. The company that makes the vac ussaully takes the fall.

The only difference is our are the 5 in 1 with the nacel bortitella

theres are the 7 in 1 with the vac having bortitella