Quote:

I've vaccinated my dog every year. There does seem to be complications. My GSD has trouble moving for several months after vaccination. This year seem particularly bad.

I'm going to talk to his vet. Anyone with a similar experience?

MDHZ

Several months of difficulty in moving?

You gotta consider what's basically happening to your dog everytime it gets a vaccination.

Here is a simple break down of a universal process.

Stressors come in an infinite assortment; physical, as well as entirely subjective emotional and mental stimuli.

Regardless of the cause, the response is basically the same. It's an inflammatory stress response which releases hormones which indiscriminatly break down bodily proteins.

The person who gets chronic colds from stress at at office job is exactly the same as the guy who gets chronic colds from over exercise. Exactly. The reason is that things in the blood stream (like white blood cells) are just the first things the hormones come into contact with, so you see the subsequent symptoms. But that does not mean the hormones don't break down every other substance they come into contact with...THEY DO. Muscle, bone, cartilage, skin, organs...everything.

What exactly is the benefit of such a horrible sounding process? Emergency energy. In a crisis situation, the body realizes that there may not be enough latent stores of simple carbohydrates to fuel promptly needed activity. However, as long as I HAVE a body, I have matter (protein) with which to make energy. So, the body takes a loan from itself to serve a temporary situation.

Temporary. We're designed to handle stress in brief doses.

I can't imagine the havoc being sown in an animal showing symptoms for months. Animals don't like behaving ill...it shows weakness. Typically, weakness is symptomatic shortly before death...that's how much they want to avoid it.

Oh, and his vet is the last person you want to talk to about it. Expect to be summarily ignored or patronized.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

Annual boosters? MANY people have similar experiences. Have you read about titer-testing instead? If it's his vet doing it, I would recommend that you read other sources and talk to other people.

And I would get a new vet.

What I'm really trying to do is to find someone that will do titers here in town. There was a post a few weeks ago where a Leerburg member who is animal control officer got into a heated discussion with Cindy about rabies and bats.

I do have bats on my property in the summer I watch them swoop and swoosh in my backyard. It's nice having them there as they eat the Ontario National Bird the Mosquito .. though after reading that post I'm a little uptight now.

Some of the other local Leerburg members helped me out with Rabid bat stats via PMs and for the year of 2007 the public health www site only showed 2 cases of rabies in bats.

I then called the local health department and got a health inspector on the phone and asked about bats and rabies in general with domestic animals such as my dog.

She stated that I'd have more to worry about with my dog getting in contact with a Coyote or Skunk. She also said that even if my dog is immunized that it may not have immunity if it did get bit. My dog would still have to have a 10 day quarantine.

I asked why then does My City have a law in place where they insist on yearly boosters. Then she hemmed and hawwed and went into avoidance. At that point I figured it was pointless to ask about titers.

I'm really confused about it now.. 5 year - 3 year vaccinations, titers it is making my head spin.

Geoff,

Any vet should be able to run a rabies titre. Vet pulls the blood, spins it, and it's sent out to the lab. They may not do them routinely and you may get a blank look if you bring the subject up but trust me, it's no big deal for them to send it in.

In Florida, titers are not accepted in lieu of vaccinations for Rabies. (must be a strong vet pharmaceutical lobby here...)

They aren't accepted in California either, that I am aware of.

To the O.P.:

Are we talking about rabies here, or other "boosters" (Distemper, Parvovirus, etc.)?

And if it IS rabies, then I would find out the current requirements in your state.

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/Vaccination_Titers.htm
discusses titer tests in NY in lieu of the vaccination.


It also notes that stiffness and sore joints are classic vaccinosis symptoms.

From what I have gathered, it's not a question of so much whether they accept a titer or not; it's whether it comes into play w/a liability issue. In other words, titering your dog for your own knowledge, or boarding, or a class, etc. is fine and dandy, but if that dog bites someone, it is still considered unvaccinated in the eyes of the law, so you'd better know your laws regarding this, or your dog could pay with its life.

For this reason, my number one jacka$$ IS current on rabies (3yr); but I waited until he was 2 to vaccinate him. He has also left the country a few times, and there's no crossing the border to the north w/out a rabies cert. I tell the county that the others are dead, as their liklihood of biting someone is far less than his. Also, they are mostly young. When they get around 1.5-2, I will evaluate them and go from there.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/Vaccination_Titers.htm
discusses titer tests in NY in lieu of the vaccination.

In NY, officially town clerks are not supposed to accept titer results. Apparently some have in the past. I read a note from the state to the town clerks telling them to stop the practice.