other genetic problems - Page 4

Yes Kougar and Blitzen - an all too familar story. My female is 6 now and she too has numerous problems due to the multiple vaccines. Interestingly, my new guy is imported from Germany and I noticed in his health record that the only shot he got before he was a year old was parvo. So far he is extremely healthy. I would like to here from those of you outside the US what you do as far as pupy shots.

Puppy shots....Good question, Never really had a reason to give it much thought.......Compared to humans, look at the things we innoculate against now that was killing people in prior years.Polio for example,small pox, and several others that slip my mind at the moment........They are no longer a threat yet for some the per expouser vaccines are a risk, some parents forbid there children from being vaccinated for things such as school registeration and the like.I have never had a problem with any of my dogs(knock on wood) but then again,maybe I would not have had problems if I had not vaccinated them?MAybe it depends on the dog it's self or where the dog came from?

I know Connecticut does not,The first vaccination is good for 1 year the 3 years therafter as long as it remains current.I on the other hand because of the work I'm in require a titer every year to see if I need a booste for pre exp rabies innoculations.

I saw an notice on a bullentin borad recently that says that all vet schools in the U.S. have agreed to re=state their vaccination policy !! It's about time !! We know people who have linked health problems to vaccines for years and years, and we stopped giving yearly boosters way before it was popular. We do titers (which, unfortunately now cost more than the shots - but worth it, of course), and we have adult dogs that are still good after 4-5 years !!! We give very few puppy series and refuse to allow the rabies to be given at the same time as a 5 in 1. And the rabies timing is a frace also --as the one year and the 3 year are the same damn shot !! Some vets are actually suggesting that they evaluate each dogs need for additional boosters on an "individual basis" - great - what the heck took them so long -- it's that buy it for $1.00 sell it for $20.00 mentality -- that's why !! My vet said (5 years ago) that vets are going to have to find another source of replacing that income because the dogs don't need that many shots !! year after year !! It's going to be harder to convice the "pet" people becuase most of them think their vets are gods and will do whatever they say, and pay whatever they charge !! I know a woman who did close to $4,000 in tests and hospital says because her dog contracted lepto -- (some say from the vaccine !!) and died anyway !! She's at fault, too, for allowing it, and not knowing when to say -- let her got -- but her vet took severe advantage of her bad situation !!

I believe that we should be looking very closely at what each dog (and bitch) produces and when we notice that they are passing along serious congenital problems, we need to re-evaluate using them for breeding. But it seems all we look at is how well the dog outwardly conforms to the standard and if the hips and elbows are good. It's human nature to want to get some of your money back from breeding stock, but we must remember to do what is best for the breed. I too know breeders that talk a good game but when you get close and see what they do day in and day out to make a sale and a buck, it is very disappointing. We need to track our dogs progeny better.

Another point which may be of interest to you. I remember reading a case study done by a knowledgable breeder who had retained two pups from a litter. All other pups sold and collected at 8wks old. The following day breeder took the two retained pups for immunisation. Two days later breeder received one pup back, it too had been immunised on the same day as breeders two pups, so it rejoined littermates. Four days after this the breeders two retainee's contracted what can only be described as a mutated strain of Parvo. In that the symptoms varied from the usual progression of parvo and the illness was prolonged over almost three weeks. The returned litter mate remained healthy, enjoying life & food, subsequently by the end of the three weeks looked in size to be at least one month older than litter mates. Investigations by the breeder revealed although all three pups had received their first immunisation on the same day, the two retained by the breeder had been given a vaccine with 'Dead' virus, whilst the returned pup had received a 'Live' vaccine. As it takes up to seven days after immunisation for a pup to build up it's own antibodies,the Morale of the story is, never mix puppies who have received different immunisation vaccines even if they were littermates and had all had them given on the same day.