I'm getting ready for my annual vet visit to get heartworm med scrips, rabies vax for the one that is expiring, and general well-pet exams. One of the dogs has her three-year DHLPP expiring. She is now five.

I know this forum is full to the brim with information on vaccinations and how often (or whether) they should be given, etc. And I know opinions differ. It is the policy of my vet's office to recommend vaccinations every three years. I know there is info out there to suggest that even that may not be necessary. I do not want my dogs receiving vaccination boosters that are not necessary.

I can easily find and print out the Dodds protocol, but I'm afraid my vet will say, well, Dr. Dodds is only one vet, one opinion. I know there's more out there, but my internet researching skills are not that great, and I'm not really sure what to look for.

I've heard of the AVMA, the AAHA, the 27 veterinary hospitals, etc., but I am a bit overwhelmed with trying to determine what is authoritative and what is not. Can anyone help save me the task of wading through hundreds of pages on the internet and perhaps still not coming up with the right sources?

I guess I'm in the process of answering my own question. I have been on the internet non-stop since my OP, and found this great resource:

http://dogaware.com/health/vaccinations.html

I was already aware of this site and don't know why I didn't think to check there first. There are many, many links here. I'm in the process of sifting through them to see what may be helpful.

I guess, just to clarify, what I'm looking for is scientific-based evidence (not just someone's blog) that supplements and supports the Dodds protocol. I know my vet is going to recommend a three-year booster for DHLPP, and I would like to have evidence in hand as to why I may not wish to re-vaccinate (or may want to get titers instead, although I know there is controversy regarding the accuracy of titer results).

Do you get Whole Dog Journal? (The owner of DogAware is Mary Straus, contributing editor of WDJ and one of the two best canine nutrition writers around, IMO, the other being Lew Olson). Anyway, WDJ has done several well-documented overviews of minimal vax protocols.

http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_8/features/Annual-Pet-Vaccinations_20036-1.html

Dr. Ronald Schultz is a name to look for, too.

http://www.news.wisc.edu/8413

I think that answer is just not known. How long is full protection from puppyhood vaccine with yearly booster? -- not well researched. What IS protective titer?
It is not really well worked out, it depends on many factors, like what is the virulence ( the power)of
the "germs" the dog is exposed to --- how good is the dog's immune system, a bunch of unknowns.

If your dog lives in town, occasionally encounters these viral agents,wild type exposure, they might be protected forever. Occasional natural exposure gives the immune system a little booster. If your dog lives in an isolated environment and is never exposed to wild type agents, for 5,6, 7 yrs my experience tells me they can become sick
if, for example, you adopt a pup from a shelter and the shelter is having a parvo outbreak. I have actually seen that scenario, had the owner say, "but my dog had her shots".
The vaccine companies will only stand behind yearly boosters.
My old IG (now 14) had the Dodds protocol, a booster around 5 or 6 -- and I boosted her again when I brought a new pup into the home.

Thanks, guys. Connie, that's a very good article you linked to in WDJ. I do get that magazine, but only started about a year ago. I'll search their archives and see what else I can come up with.

Betty, you're right, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of scientific research out there yet. What is there is pretty compelling (at least from my layperson's view), but in order for long-held opinions to change, there needs to be many supportive and corroborative studies.

Moving away from annual vaccinations is a no-brainer for me, but deciding how to proceed from there is a dilemma. I want to do what is best for my dogs' health, but it's difficult when the answers are not so black-and-white.

Thanks for posting this Cheri.

I'm also wondering how to proceed. My old boy has been vaccinated four times. Got all his baby shots and everything again the next two years until I smartened up. We were going across the line so I had to update his rabies at seven. He'll be 11 this year and I don't plan on vaccinating him again.

My baby did get the puppy protocol and is now 3. Vince came to me vaccinated and hasn't had any boosters in 3 years.

I was going to give them another couple of years before I seriously started to think about it. This is good information.

Cheri, I am not sure if you have seen this before, but this is a 4 part series, Dr. Karen Becker DVM, Interviews Dr. Ronald Schultz from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, professor and chair of pathobiological sciences at School of Veterinary Medicine.

I highly recommend everyone take the time to watch all four parts, as I think it answers lots of questions.
Anyhow, here they are:

Dr. Karen Becker Interviews Dr. Schultz (Part 1 of 4)
Part One:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC--bGthNN8

Part Two:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Zvg8tIxeY

Part Three:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_Zvg8tIxeY

Part Four:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdPhj8Vq9ck

Thanks for posting those links, Joyce. I haven't watched them yet but I definitely will set aside the time to do so.

It's funny, I've been a member of this board for a couple years or so, and I've read countless threads here on vaccinations, the pros and cons, the evolving protocols. But now that my dogs' vaccinations are coming up on the three-year mark, and I know I will have to have "the talk" with my vet, I've realized my brain just hasn't retained everything I've read here and elsewhere, so I'm scrambling to get stuff in writing so I will at least look halfway intelligent to my vet.

Cheri, I have watched these but I still feel the need to watch them again, not only because it is important, but there is a lot to take in and know. My brain hasn't retained it all either, so that makes two of us!

I need to take notes this time around!

Geez... I’m with both of you too. Read a ton of stuff and have seen those videos. I think they are so spot on with such a clear explanation and approach from passionate, educated individuals that have an incredible understanding of vaccinations. I thought they were fascinating.

But...when it comes time, what to do with our individual animals, I'm a bit perplexed by the whole thing too. Enviroment and encounters are such an individual thing. And of course there's titers and their reliability.

Please keep us updated on what you decide Cheri.