My dogs only get given their puppy vaccinations and have never had to go to the vets other than for routine spaying. Do you give yearly boosters? I don't titre test. I am going to worm count in future also and they only have flea treatment if needed.
Yes! I live in Hungary where by law all dogs have to have a yearly Rabies vaccination. My dogs also have EU Pet Passports and in order for them to travel to another country all their vaccinations must be up to date.
It's interesting what everyone does and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I'm happy with my decision.
Yes to yearly boosters. Frontline Plus on the 1st of every month [except for December and February. Drontal Plus every six months. Rabies, which is mandatory yearly. And since Parkworm moved to this area from the centre of the country, little Tikva now has to have a Parkworm shot every three months. If it is necessary - and yearly boosters, worm treatment and flea/tick treatment are necessary as there are too many stray/dumped dogs here and I do not have a fenced yard. My dogs always have been on long, soft but strong rop tethers so they cannot get out of the yard but how many of the stray/dumped dogs get in when mine have not been out? I am not prepared to risk their health by not vaccinating or treating for internal and external parasites.. It is doubtful the stray/dumped dogs even had puppy shots let alone the mandatory yearly rabies shots. Parkworm? I doubt many people have heard of it, let alone give their dogs preventative shots.
My vet adopted the 3 yearly protocol in 2005. Following the initial vaccination course, we have a booster after 12 months, and then at 3 yearly intervals. Clients are entitled to a free annual health check on the intervening years. (Not that mine are ever away from the place long enough to take advantage of this). Eddie was due to have a booster when he was seven, but as he suffers from two autoimmune conditions, I was advised to not have any further boosters for him.
My vet pushes the yearly protocol. After my dogs complete their puppy vaccinations, I never vaccinate them again. My vet is actually very expensive and I won't do annual health checks because they are constantly pushing vaccines on me. But, they are the only vet within a reasonable driving difference. I've read that vaccines can cause a lot of problems in dogs, like allergies, cancer, behavioral problems, etc.
Nigredo still currently gets all the vaccines yearly, but the older dogs only get the required by law rabies. They will push the other vaccines, but frankly they aren't required by law and you can refuse them.
The other thing, of course, is that the Pension will not kennel a dog or even just for a few hours day care, unless everything is up to date.
I'd forgotten that kennels in Hungary won't accept unvaccinated dogs either, and before dogs can join training classes you have to show the dog/puppy's medical card to show it's fully vaccinated
I think that most people who don't routinely vaccinate give the puppy jabs and first annual booster, then stop. Puppy vaccinations given (not starting too young either) then first yearly booster, thereafter every 3 years. Because they are given so early is one reason for more than one and then a booster. Fortunately over the years have managed without the dogs having to go into Kennels. Kennel Cough is usually the viral kind and so like the human flu, it mutates so vaccinating it may only mean an affected dog shakes it off faster than an unvaccinated dog, not that they won't go down with it. You cannot actually booster immunity.
The Pension [it is at the end of a Moshav across the main road from the end of this one] does not have many kennels, its main business being the hanger-like store, which is mainly wholesale, although down one side there is a retail area. I have only ever seen a couple of dogs in the store but they have known me, first with Pereg and now with Tikva, and knew Pereg was and Tikva is fully up to date with all shots and treatments. And just as Pereg used to wander around inside the store off-lead, so does Tikva.
Chances are your vet's suggestions will break down into two categories: core pet vaccines and non-core vaccines. Among pet caretakers few topics are more debated than that regarding the vaccination of dogs (and cats). If a veterinarian independently decided not to follow the label recommendations on the vaccines, and an animal subsequently developed a disease that the veterinarian decided vaccination for wasn't needed, the veterinarian was vulnerable to being sued. In recent years, the vaccine manufacturers have been under some pressure to show data that truly demonstrates a need for annual vaccinations for dogs (and cats).
