[Kayla]

Today, I saw that Dexter needed a Heartworm test and also a Canine Wellness Blood Profile. How important is it to get these testing done? Is it necessary? He is around 1 years old and doesn’t appear sick or anything. I am just wondering because I never had taken a pet to the Vet before for check ups or regularly tests and shots that needed to be done?

Any thoughts? I have an appointment tomorrow but now I am wondering if it is really important to do it now or can it wait? :/

[Dori]

In my opinion it is very important to take your dog for a yearly physical and blood profile. It is also imperative to get the HW test done yearly. I have taken every dog I have ever had (and there have been very many) for a yearly physical, blood work and HW test. Again, in my opinion, it is imperative. As for vaccines at these yearly physicals, the only vaccine I allow (and not by my choice but because it’s the law) is the rabies vaccine.

[Kayla]

Okay! The Vet said he needed a Lepto, DHPP, Rabies and Bordetella vaccine.. The only one I have ever heard of was Rabies :/ So I have no idea if he really needs those vaccines… Can the vet turn him down for check ups if he isn’t updated on those shots?

As for the Heart worm test and Blood profile test, he has an appointment tomorrow at 10am for it. I was just curious because I never had or tested a dog yearly for it.

[Dori]

Kayla, has your dog every had any of these vaccines before. I can’t remember how old Dexter is and how many of any vaccines he has had. Unfortunately, the rabies vaccine is mandatory by law. Please call your county health department (find number on google if you don’t already know it) and ask them if the county you live in accepts a one year or a three year vaccines. It varies by county, not by state. It’s actually the same exact vaccine, the importance of your knowing which it is is so that your vet will give you the correct tag and paper work. Hopefully your county accepts three year rabies vaccine. As to the other vaccines, if your dog has had them before, ask the health department if they will accept titer testing results instead of having to do the actual vaccines again. Keep in mind that if you board your dog ever (kennels, etc.) most want proof of a bordatella (kennel cough) vaccine if they don’t really know you. I don’t give any vaccines other than rabies (my county accepts three year paperwork).

[frostyrockyk]

I am so glad you got an apt. with the vet , had you said this in your other post , I’m sure we all would have said “time to bring him in” . The vet may find other problems , and or you will KNOW your pup is good to go !

[theBCnut]

If you live in an area where heartworms are prevalent, then yearly testing is really important. Having bloodwork done every once in a while is good so that if your dog is ever sick, the vet has a baseline for what is normal for your dog. Having the complete set of normal puppy shots is very important, and boostering at 1 year is important, but after that, you don’t have to have them repeated if you don’t want to. I do not do Bordetella at all. It’s like the common cold or maybe the flu. There are a huge number of different strains and the vaccine doesn’t cover all of them. Immune compromised dogs are the only ones that ever have issues with getting a bad case of Bordetella and the vaccine doesn’t work well on immune compromised dogs. The Lepto vaccine is only good for a few strains of Lepto and will not help if the Lepto strains common to your area are not the one covered by the vaccine. If your vet can tell you that the serovars in your area really are the ones covered by the vaccine, that is the only case where I would get that one.

[Dog_Obsessed]

I agree that the Wellness Blood Panel and checkup are important, just bought I’d give my stand on vaccinations.

When we got Lily, she had been vaccinated at a Petco several years before. Despite their heroic efforts, my vet’s office was unable to track down her vaccination record, so they said we just had to start over with adult shots. We got her Rabies, DHPP, and Bordetella. Her grooming facility requires Bordetella, and she is staying with a pet sitter and some other dogs next week when we go on vacation, so we felt that was necessary. At my vet, DHPP and Rabies are the only required vaccines, and everything else is by risk factor. From what I understand, Lepto is primarily transmitted through water and mainly a risk if the dog does outdoor swimming. Lyme Disease is transmitted through ticks, and it is mainly a risk if the dog is at high tick risk. Rattlesnake vaccine is not all that effective, and is only necessary at all if you live near, well, rattlesnakes.

I am against unnecessary vaccinations, and I think that all vaccines besides Rabies and DHPP should be on a case-by-case basis.

[theBCnut]

Lepto is from wild animals and is contacted by dogs drinking from stagnant water or getting into the urine of an infected animal. We had a dog down the road from me get it. It was a hunting dog, so they don’t know if he came in contact with it while hunting or from one of the numerous wild animals that live in our area. It is transmittable to humans, BTW.

[frostyrockyk]

I’m with you on as little meds as possible , as far as I know my dogs got shots for parvo . I don’t know if that is the right spelling . I have not seen you all mention that yet as far as I know . Any thoughts on that ? I have not told this part of the problem I had with Frosty . Last Nov. he had a seizure , then one in Mar. , then a 3 day storm in June that did him in . I don’t know 100% what did that , I think one of the Flea & tick meds that you put on their back is my guess . He was on the low side of the weight scale & a week or so later his hair came out in clumps around his collar , I have never seen that in any of my dogs . I think possible harsh meds , bad food and or some other toxin could be a trigger once they start down that road . I never gave him any meds after the hair came out . I think the time frame from the tick meds to the first seizure was about 2 months . At the time I didn’t know I had a problem so I didn’t TIME IT ! That was a first for me … no fun at all . At this time I want to stay as far away from ANY of that as possible & only what is really needed . My 5 yr old is now 2 months past her yearly check up , I can just see the look on my vets face when I tell them , I don’t want any of their CR@P. That will go over real well !!

[Dori]

frostyrockyk. Your vets can make all the faces that they would like, the decision on what is given to your dog is yours, not theirs!!!! Whether it’s vaccines or food, it’s your decision. Just stand strong. Your dog has already had all the vaccines it needs. You can have them do titers if you wish though they are not cheap. The only acception to no vaccines is the rabies vaccine. It’s required by law. Just make sure what the county that you live in requires. I have heard that there are a few counties around the country that will accept titers for the rabies vaccine but, personally, that has not been my experience. Some are one year and others just require three year. Mind you it’s the exact same vaccine, it’s the paperwork and tag that changes. If you can get away with the three year rabie’s vaccine then that means less chemicals going into your dog. My vets are not always crazy about my choices for my dogs but they know they are my dogs and not theirs. I don’t do vaccines other than the three year rabies and I feed raw diet. The vets don’t like it but I could care less what they like and what they don’t.

[pugmomsandy]

I agree on getting baseline bloodwork and heartworm test done. I’m glad I have a vet that asks me what I want done at my appointments rather than list out everything that can be done!

[theBCnut]

Parvo is part of a combo vaccine, so if you see someone mention DHPP or DA2PP or some other combo of letters, it has parvo in it.

[InkedMarie]

I wish everyone would remember that pet owners should be making the decisions about their pets, not the vets. I go to a holistic vet once a year for their yearlys. She & I discuss vaccinations which are none after puppyhood for my crew. We titer.

[Kayla]

I had to cancel his appointment because we are going out of town and I didn’t realize we were leaving so soon! He will have another appointment at the Vet when we come back!

He had the Rabies shot on 7/15/14
Heartworm test was negative 7/15/14 ( It hasn’t even been a year since he had the test done…do I really need to order another test so soon?)
He has had Bordetella shot on 7/14/14 and 7/16/14
DHLP/PV on 7/15/14

2 lepto shots -7/15/14
DHPP Vaccine 4th- 7/14/14

When Dexter was at the Shelter, they gave him all of these. I didn’t adopted him until Aug. He is not due for shots until 7/15/15 and 7/14/15

When it comes to shots, I have no idea. I do know…that the Rabies shot…it’s the law he has to get them. I do know, that for boarding like doggy day care… He has to be updated on the Bordetella Vaccines.

• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kayla.
• This reply was modified 10 years, 4 months ago by Kayla.

[Hound Dog Mom]

I bring my two in for a check up, a snap 4dx and titers once a year. They’re 2 and 4 years old. I obviously have a rabies done as necessary, but neither have been vaccinated for anything else since they were a year old.

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