Quote:

.....my boy has had 8 and 12 wk vax, no 16 wk follow up (the 12-wk really knocked him out for about 12 hrs). he's due for his rabies, when i take him in, i'm SURE doc'll want to do the "missed" 16-wk vax. ....

Kirk's Current Veterinary Therapy, 13th and 14 Editions (excerpt above) is not a weirdo volume; it's an authoritative text.

You have already done double what the Ronald D. Schultz citation states. (He says one vaccination and a second only if very low titers test.)

QUOTE: His protocol is to give a single vaccine (he recommends the 5-way with the lepto left out) at 12-14 weeks of age. Wait two weeks and run parvo and distemper titers. If the dog has an adequate titer measure at Cornell as 1:100 or higher, there is no need to repeat either the vaccination or the titer for the life of the dog. Rabies is given separately and has to be re-vaccinated by state law.
**Giving multiple vaccinations does not boost immunity, and, in some cases may erode it.
Even though he recommends that the titer level be 1:100, he does not recommend re-vaccination unless there's a really low titer. He says it probably won't improve immunity, though it may make you feel better. END

So yes, I would print the whole excerpt above (my earlier post) and take it with me if I thought the vet would not respect my own research and request. Read what Anne said, and then be calm and assertive with the vet. Pretend you are training a dog.

Connie-
Yes that was the one. He was beautiful, quite the charm boy
at the local nursing home too.
Ann-
If you state what the 12 wk did, which is why you shyed from the 16 wk, his common sense should understand. Otherwise, it's your dog, your wallet, and who cares if it requires being overbearing? Any sense would dictate at least seperating the rabies and another by weeks anyways. What
scares me is the combos. I'd sooner come back weeks later,
if only to isolate which seemed to be punking him out.
With the rage of controversy surrounding this issue, Dr. Dodd's protocol over the drug company's IS common sense!
My new vet is relieved to share this responsibility, that is
common sense, or at least becoming more common. Besides,
the 16wk, meant to insure he'd get this old would be redundant, no?

Enjoy This Day!

Many vaccines are given several times (at least twice) to give a strong recall response. It depends on the particular vaccine. Vaccinia (for smallpox) is given once, becasue it is a live vaccine, and therefore very effective. A repeat dose is only given if exposure occurs, or is likely to occur, and the last vaccine was a number of years ago, and then you get a very visible inflammation at the site, becasue the immunological memory to a live viral vaccine is very robust.

Many childhood vaccines are given in a series, I think for two reasons. One is that vaccinations, especially heat-killed bacteria and toxins, are generally more effective if given 2 or 3 times, and also because maternal antibodies can interfere with the vaccine. In other words, Mom's antibodies soak up the vaccine befor the kid/pup's immune system can see it. Also, for kids, some viral vaccines (MMR, or mumps, measles, rubella) are given twice just in case the first one doesn't take, because the risk of the disease is much greater then the risk of an adverse reaction to the vaccine. Parvo in dogs is a similar situation.

Once vaccinated as children, people are not revaccinated every year. Kids are vaccinated I think once at about 4-5 years old, then not for at least several years. Adults get boosters every 10 years. So, I think there is plenty of evidence to support few vaccinations in adulthood for dogs, but personally, I give the full series as pups. As far as the reactions observed, I have only seen some lethergy for a short time, and I have never heard that that is dangerous.

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.......I give the full series as pups. As far as the reactions observed, I have only seen some lethergy for a short time, and I have never heard that that is dangerous.

May I ask what is included in "the full series?"

Thank you.

I do a parvo/distemper at 6 & 8 weeks and them a 5 way no lepto at 12. I will never give another shot for the live of the dog except rabies as required by law. In most states you can do your own shots, that's what I do. You can get the supplys at a farm store or order them online. I buy at 25 pack of each type of vaccine and keep it refrigerated but you can buy single doses at a farm store or online. Why pay and argue with a vet over vaccinations? I just tell my vet that I do my own vaccinations and case closed; if they can't live with that I go to a new vet. I will admit it took me going through four vets before I found one that will work with me.

If I remember correctly, for my young dog it was parvo/distemper/adenovirus at 9 and 12 weeks (breeder may have given one set earlier), rabies at 16 weeks. Rabies, parvo/distemper/adenovirus were given again at about 2 years, and will be given again every three years, at least the Rabies. I do not vaccinate for Lyme.

My other dogs were adult rescues, they came "fully vaccinated" and got boosters every 3 years.

thanks for your input guys. connie- i'll print that out before we go, just in case...and dan--you're right, it IS my money, isn't it? i'm an assertive person in general, but tend to be more, how do i put it?, "non-assertive" to a degree with docs and attorneys (the people i should be MOST assertive with!), so i have to be really organized in my own mind before i "take one on" so to speak. having the research (in print) to back me up is just the sort of thing i need.

i also write down all the questions i can think of before i see any of the above, or i tend to get into the head-nodding, "ok" mode. the list helps me A LOT!! (i hope i'm not embarrassing myself here.... <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

but here's one last question--because it's been so long since i've had a pup: was his reaction to the 2nd vax a little extreme (12 hrs of being knocked out)?

This article gives a good and simple explanation of why puppy vaccinations are given in a series: puppy vaccine article

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This article gives a good and simple explanation of why puppy vaccinations are given in a series: puppy vaccine article

Diane,

May I say that the site you linked Ann to* is one of my fall-back sites, always, when I need a quick and up-to-date overview. It's a *very* good site, IMO. <img src="http://www.leerburg.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

*MarVistaVet.com

Ok, I've read this thread and some of what's been said unfortunately goes over my head.

I adopted a dog a few months ago and will be bringing her into the vet soon to get her spayed. I'm sure I will be asked to vaccinate her as I know from experience my local vets want to do anual vaccines.

This is what I'm reading off a copy of her original vet's file. Can some one help me make some sense of this stuff and tell me if she acutally needs any more vaccines other then the rabies. This is what her notes say:

Sep15, 9wks, DHPP
Oct27, 15 wks, DHCPP, lepto
Nov15, 18wks, DhPPC, lepto + Rv
then there are 2 vaccine stickers on the sheet, I can't make out what they say

then Nov15, DHCPP lepto RV Tag# 875
3 more stickers one of which I can see sais Rabies Vaccine Killed virus

and that's it.