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OT: Puppy Vaccinations
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We finally caved and let dd13 buy a puppy. Now we just learned that puppies are supposed to have several rounds of shots….hundreds of dollars!!! Navigating the web on the necessity of them is just like with kid vaccinations….mainstream says you need them, holistic says more cautious, boosters may not be needed, single shots better than combo…but can we find that and will it cost more? He’d had his first round before we got him. No rabies (too young then). Any reputable sites on this? Thanks for ant info.:) Gina
We vaccinate our dogs ourselves. About $7 a year. Except for the rabies vaccine. I can’t buy that in Texas, so we do rabies clinics and it’s about $10.
As to whether or not it’s necessary, I haven’t studied it in depth. I legally have to vaccinate them against rabies, so we do it. I’m just not nearly as worried about if a vaccine kills or maims my dog as I am if it hurts my kids, so I don’t research it.
Our dog is up to date on shots. He needs quite a few to be kennelled when we go out of town, so we keep them current. The diseases they prevent are very serious. I’d rather risk a bad vaccine than risk his life to Parvo or rabies. Here it is legally required for them to get rabies…even our housecat needs it. After finding 2 bats in our stove vent last year, I’ve realized how important this is!
I vaccinate because sometimes we need to kennel him, and they won’t take him without. i’ve never looked into doing it myself and would have no idea how to figure that out. Most kennels won’t accept a home shot record though and being in the military we do need a kennel option. I’ve heard that most humane societies offer low-cost shots (and neuterings) which might be a good option.
go to your local feed and farm store to buy vaccinations for your pets – it is easy to give the standard 7 in 1 shot and booster. the vaccine should be kept refrigerated at the store and you may want to pack it in a cooler to get it home if you live very far from the store (like I do). we go to our local vet for the rabies shot and get the official tag from him to prove the pets have had it.
Thanks, all. I’m a bit nervous to administer myself. Is there any added precaution with a small pup? He’s almost 3 months and only weighs about 5 lbs. Thanks!
We have never done shots for our dog. We don’t plan to do it. But I do know there are times (kennels, surgeries) that they need to be done. But you can do them right before that time if you need it done. We don’t get them ourselves, why would I do that to my dog? Just our thoughts. Good luck lots of options.
I agree with misty. IMA- unless your dog is going to be around other dogs and is outside alot it shouldn’t be a problem. I do ditto the parvo and rabies shots though when they are young. Especially if you live in an area that has alot of dogs. Or you plan on taking your dog with you to parks and places other dogs go. Parvo can be a killer. They can get it from sniffing where other dogs have gone potty or walked. Puppies can get crippled up and can loose motion in their legs ect… It attacks the muscles, even the heart.
Rabies- if you live in that rural area that can have animals with rabies. Also, your animal may grab at a few carcasses that may have been rabid. Not to mention that bat that can find it’s way under a step or porch that they like to crawl under. It can happen.
Do you really need all the shots. Well, they do need to be dewormed. They are born with them and this is usually done to farm animals and sometimes dogs get ahold of an old carcass and get the eggs from them. They even lick their feet ect… which can carry worm eggs. So, deworming can be done on a yearly basis at home.
Between my husband and I we have seen animals get other diseases that a shot can’t always cure. So, I guess it all depends on you. Are you willing to give them the shots? If you are then it will be a lot cheaper. Some vets think that if you gave them yourself they don’t count. They want to administer them again. Just thought I might give you a heads up on that one. Also, to the vet you may look like a bad pet owner and you may get a few evil looks or snide remarks or questionings. Just a heads up on how they can make you feel if they think you are not taking care of you animal properly. There are good vets out there that won’t make you feel that way but it may take a little searching to find one. (more money too)
If you plan on keeping your dog on a leash all the time and not going where other dogs have gone and the laws in your state are not too strict on it then there is no reason why you should give them all those shots.
The choice is really yours. IMA- I would probably get the rabies shot. If your dog bites someone then they may want to sue you for having to have all of the shots when it would be cheaper just to buy a shot at the vet once a year. Plus you won’t have to have your dog put down. It would give the other person peace of mind. Even if the person may have broke into your house… Tehe he…
Blessings on your new addition! I heard you added 4 new feet! Tehe he
:@ :@ :@ :@
We only give the rabies shot, and our vet says that really the vaccine will last more than 1 year, so she recommends the shot every 2-3 years. That cuts down on the junk we’re putting into our dogs, but still keeps us legal. We have found a boarding kennel that will accept our dogs without all their vaccines because they know how we feed and take care of them. Like human vaccines, I think a lot of animal vaccines are very unnecessary, but that’s my opinion.
You can go to a feed store, like Gebo’s or Tractor Supply, and buy vaccines if you do decide to proceed. They are much cheaper, and you can give them yourself. I’m sure there is a lot of info online about administering vaccines yourself. Usually, it’s under the thick nape of the neck, and many of the shots are combined so you have to stick less.
The rabies shot is mandatory here in our state, so we give that one. We had to give the one year shot when he was 6 months old, then after that he gets the 3 years shot, which means he only has to have it every 3 years. If you don’t have the rabies shot and the dog bites someone, then he has to be quarantined until they know if he has rabies, if he has had the rabies shot he can be quarantined at home. The other shots, we gave him when he was a pup and there after we have done titers which show he is still protected from the puppy vaccine, it is quite pricey to get the titers but our vet accepts them and does the titers and we can also kennel him there as well so have no problem. I prefer to pay for the titers than give unnecessary vaccines. A lot of the initial vaccines can last for years, so why over do it. Have fun with your pup. We give heartworm medication yearly because that is a very expensive illness if the pup gets them and very unpleasant. We treat for fleas and ticks naturally most of the year and then use medication every month in the hottest summer months when fleas and ticks are at their worst.
Thanks for all the advice everyone. We’ve been down and out w/flu or something so I haven’t been typing, but have been reading:) Yes, we would definitely do rabies and we treat our other dog for heartworm and would do that. Just not sure about all the others. Thanks for mentioning Parvo…definitely seems like one to get. Any others that are concering? I believe there are 5 in the shot…distemper, Parvo, can’t remember the others. I’m concerned about giving him so many because he’s such a tiny dog….5 lbs., will be a max of 9 lbs. I don’t understand why they don’t make a smaller size vaccine for smaller dogs…he gets the same dose as a great dane! I’ve read that small dogs can have 4x the vaccine reactions as larger dogs. Haven’t heard of titers…will look into that. We have an alternative vet in town, think I’ll give them a call.
Thanks again everyone for giving me a lot to chew on. If you are vaccinating, are there any shots besides Parvo and rabies that you think are important? And we will likely do a fecal sample to check for worms. He’s eating so much now I wonder if that could be it…or just hyper puppy metabolism:) Thanks! Gina
Bordetella is the other one we “needed”. Our vet considered it optional, but the kennel we use requires it. If you google it, you can see pros and cons of getting it.
I can see you being concerned with his size! Our dog is 50 lbs, so I’d never thought about that.
Yeah….we so rarely use a kennel, so I guess could just get that when the time arose. Our older dog ran off from a dog sitter once and we found him at the pound and he did contract kennel cough from not having the bordetella vaccine (but was fine). I probably wouldn’t be as concerned about vac.’s if he was 50 lbs.!
MissusLeata and Gem…..if you get back on I have some qu.! We have a feed store 5 min. away that sells the puppy vac.’s for $7. I think we’ll go this route, hubby says he’ll administer:) I asked if they sell the shots separately and they said yes….hope they understood that I meant I wanted to separate one at a time, and not do the whoel 5-way or 7-way in one dose. Any qu. I should ask besides making sure they are refrigerated? Thought I read something about making sure they were not live vaccines. Any tips? I found a Youtube on how to administer and it didn’t look too hard, though still a bit scary! But to save hundreds of dollars and be able to not overload his system (if sold separately) I think it’s worth it. Are all doses the same? Do you rec. 5-way or 7-way? Thanks for any guidance:) Blessings, Gina
I think the shots you mentioned are each just one shot – with 5 or 7 vaccines mixed in one. I would not worry too much about such a short trip, but be sure to tuck them into the fridge when you get home, and of course, get syringes at the feed store. As far as I know the doses are all the same – it is a very small dose and it is meant to stimulate his immune system, not as a medication that would be administered according to weight, so I guess that is why there is not a variation in dosing. I’m not sure what is in the 5way or 7way but be sure to get a vaccine for parvo if there is choice between the two. I have lost puppies to parvo and it will break your heart. Also distemper.
Consider heartworm meds too for the future if heartworms are a big problem in your area. In our part of the country (southern Arkansas), heartworms are pervasive. My rural vet got me started using ivermectin which can be purchased at the feed store. I give this orally to all my dogs monthly at a fraction of the cost of the vet supplied heartworm meds.
Have fun with your new pup! I think you will find it is not too hard to do the shots, it will save you some money and you will have learned a new skill in the process. Not bad!
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