Yearly Vaccinations

[farthing]

Originally Posted by Shelley123

I am not against vaccination, Farthing. In fact it is a most wonderful discovery that we are all lucky to have.
What i personaly am questioning is if we are vaccinating uneccesarily.
As for worming and flea treatment i keep telling myself to look for more natural alternatives.
BTW i didn't realise Distemper vaccine was 3 yearly anywhere in the uk, i'm sure our vets still offer it annualy. I will have to look into it.
It's amazing what is involved in research isn't it .

It isn't just distemper, but I can never remember the others which are 3 yearly- but here they are. Some vets do still do all of them annuallt, but costwise it doesn't make a huge difference to the price- however it does mean you dog isn't vaccinated for all illnesses as often.
http://www.future-of-vaccination.co....le-nobivac.asp

[Shelley123]

Originally Posted by farthing

It isn't just distemper, but I can never remember the others which are 3 yearly- but here they are. Some vets do still do all of them annuallt, but costwise it doesn't make a huge difference to the price- however it does mean you dog isn't vaccinated for all illnesses as often.
http://www.future-of-vaccination.co....le-nobivac.asp

Thanks for this Farthing. Just had a quick read and it looks like there are some vaccines here to last 3 years. I'm pretty sure our vet vaccinates annualy for all diseases, will have to check.

[Elaine]

Originally Posted by farthing

I am quite interested as to why people are so against vaccination, compared to worming and flea treatment, also used as a prevenative measure. These are also chemicals that we pump into our animals' bodies, at a more frequent rate than vaccines?

TBH I didnt used to flea or worm the cats that much at all but since getting the dog I have to do so more regularly, incase she brings anything in. Eva used to get wormed more often as she would eat mice from the cellars, I suspect come spring, Milly may be the same.

[alexgirl73]

I'm not anti vaccination as such, I just feel that we OVER vaccinate in most cases, and if my cats went out then I would vaccinate them, at least for the first few years. My personal opinion is that if we only vaccinate humans a few times in their early lives, then why do we yearly vaccinate our cats? I feel that natural immunity is then supressed by chemical intervention. And as for fleaing and worming I am much like Elaine, very irregularly and we don't have any problems here But as I've already said, this is my opinion, and it's up to each individual owner to do what feels right for them and their pets.

[wilbar]

I agree, that as responsible pet owners, we should be looking at the latest research, talking to our vets & taking into account the life styles of our pets & the risks involved in worming/flea etc treatments & vaccinations. There's not going to be a "one-size-fits-all" answer ~ it's up to us to weigh up the pros & cons.

As far as worming is concerned, I rarely worm my pets ~ for the simple reason that if they are fit & healthy anyway, a few worms won't hurt them, or even infest them, & even if I did worm regularly, there's nothing to stop them getting infected the following day! I take sensible hygiene precautions myself, but as my dogs are fed a raw meat diet, I'd do this anyway. I do worm my dogs about twice a year as it is one of the conditions of attending hydrotherapy. And if I noticed any of my pets had worms, then I'd treat them all. Same for fleas & ticks ~ treated if they have them, but not as a matter of course.

On the subject of annual vaccinations, I was going to say that titer testing could be an alternative, but having researched this, it seems it's not that simple!!

[dandysmom]

Originally Posted by alexgirl73

I'm not anti vaccination as such, I just feel that we OVER vaccinate in most cases, and if my cats went out then I would vaccinate them, at least for the first few years. My personal opinion is that if we only vaccinate humans a few times in their early lives, then why do we yearly vaccinate our cats? I feel that natural immunity is then supressed by chemical intervention. And as for fleaing and worming I am much like Elaine, very irregularly and we don't have any problems here But as I've already said, this is my opinion, and it's up to each individual owner to do what feels right for them and their pets.

Alex has expressed my opinions better than I did!

And as to an unbiased opinion: many of you have heard me mention Dr, Michael Fox, the well known vet here in the States. Well, he opposes unnecessary boosters, and as he has not been in private practice for many many years he has no axe to grind in the controversy.

[farthing]

I think as long as there is no definative proof that boosters last longer than they are recommened at the moment I will continue to vaccinate- especially being a sanctuary where we have a higher than average turnover of animals.
I agree that vaccine protocol should be researched and discussed with your vet, and indoor cats probably do not need as rigourous vaccines as cats who go outside and who may be exposed to ferals and un-vaccinated cats.
My concern is that most people do not research and although indoor cats probably don't need to be vaccinated as much, indoor rabbits do because of the transmission and vectors that carry their diseases. I think that it may well be safer to leave the general public to continue with yearly vaccines rather than confuse with different protocols for different animals and situations.
Lets face it many pet owners do not put the same thought into their pets as much as many on here and other forums.

[Shelley123]

Reply from Rcvs,

Dear Ms Cuff



Thank you for your e-mail enquiry.



The RCVS, as a regulatory body, is unable to offer independent clinical advice. We deal primarily with allegations of professional misconduct and we are required by statute to investigate complaints against registered members which may give rise to such an allegation.



Any questions about how often vaccinations should be administered should be raised with your veterinary surgeon. We are aware that there are some different views in the US, but this is not something the RCVS has commented on.



I am sorry I am unable to provide any further advice on this issue.



Yours sincerely,

[angieh]

Well, thanks for nothing RCVS. I wonder if they get off the fence in the advice they pass to vets, or don't they even do that????

Thanks for posting their reply though Shelley.

[Shelley123]

Originally Posted by angieh

Well, thanks for nothing RCVS. I wonder if they get off the fence in the advice they pass to vets, or don't they even do that????

Thanks for posting their reply though Shelley.

It's a rubbish reply, they must realise how awkward it is for people to approach their vets.