Hi, I have a 5 month old GSD. I live in an area that, a vet said, has a lot of lime disease going around. I don't want to vaccinate my puppy for Lyme Disease and I don't like using Frontier or any of those other medications. Things have changed in the last 18 years since I had my last GSD who which I only gave her the regular puppy vaccines (2 times) and then rabies when needed for her license. When I ask this current vet why so many vaccines now, he says there is more things going around now a days. My last GSD lived until she was 15 years old with only 3 vet visits and no health problems that whole time. I feel alot of this had to do with her not going to a vet or being on any meds. I used to give my GSD a shower if she had flees and always checked her for ticks after our nature walks, but this vet is scaring me, saying that the Lyme Disease Vac also protects for some bateria that cause something (I can't remember) in water puddles that dogs drink out of. Anyone have luck with a natural flea and tick repellant? Is there really more things going around now a days and should I think about giving the Lyme Vac?

Hi Anna,
My vet and I go round and round about vaccinations,heartworm prevention,and all that. I have a 14yr old Rottie female.Never has been on heart worm medication and only recieved her puppy shots. I live out in the woods to and what I do is use a horse fly spray and I have used the original Skin so Soft by Avon.I just hate the scent.
Vets have to make a living just like anyone else and some pharmaceutical companines give promotions or whatever for vets and Dr.'s to promote their meds.
One of these days over vaccinating is going to cause problems and I can prove this by our use of over using the flu vaccine.Viruses mutate.As much as I hate to say it we are a pill taking,vaccinating society.Our antibiotics don't even work anymore they have been so over used.

The other disease that the vet mentioned that could be contracted by drinking from puddles, were they talking about leptospirosis?

This article, other than being really good overall, has a nice little section on lyme and lepto.

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

Here is a recent thread from forum member that has 2 dogs with lyme. I thought it was very informative of the disease.

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=10&Number=229720&Searchpage=1&Main=22533&Words=lyme&topic=0&Search=true#Post229720

http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/vmth/clientinfo/info/genmed/vaccinproto.html

Heres a little more vaccine info.

I have a question relating to this. I ask this but I haven't had a chance to read the Leerburg article on vaccinosis (sp).Has anyone had problems with heartworms with the not giving heartworm meds? I ask because I had a dog as a kid who got heartworms and it was rough on her. I don't want to have to go through that again.

The area you live in is important with regards to heartworm risk, as is the time of year.

Yes, leptospirosis was the other disease...Thank you for the info!

Oh my, I forgot about Skin so soft! We use to use it on diving trips to tropical islands...It worked so well that I did use it on my GSD years ago...I like the smell...guess it's a girl thing.
Is horse fly spray natural? Never heard of it.

Thanks!

One more question. My puppy has had 3 sets of puppy vaccines. The vet said she needs one more round for them to work. Is this right? I told him I thought that was too much so I said no. I don't want to be wrong at the expense of my puppy. How many sets of vaccines should be enough?

Have you seen the Dodds protocol?

http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html


What and when were the 3 sets?