# Vaccinations and Gidget



## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

Okay in 2 weeks Gidget will be due for her "supposed" 4th set of vaccinations. I have a breeder/exhibitor friend of mine that is telling me she would not have them done because the guy we got her from says she has now had 4 sets. I usually follow Dr Dodds protocol and my friend says she does....

"If he already gave her 3 sets, I don't think I would give anymore!!! My vet gives just a parvo at 6 weeks, then a 4 way combo at 9-10 weeks, and a 2nd combo at 12-13 weeks. When they are around 14 months old, I give a combo booster, then no more. When they are tiny, I wait until they are close to a yr old before the rabies"

Now I agree with this if I knew for sure she has already had 3 series but without knowing for sure? For those of you that havent been following Gidget, she comes from a potentially unscrupulous person therefore I am not sure what to believe about what he has told me and even her age. 

I am thinking about just having a titer done in 2 weeks, what do you guys think?

Also, my vet which I LOVE, and he has 6 of his own Chihuahuas one being a tiny, tells me that he thinks Rabies vaccination is the least of the worries in the vaccinations and gave a pretty good argument however most of the other things on rabies I have read and heard tells me different. 

I would love everyone's thoughts/opinions?


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

If she were mine I'd definitely have a parvo/distemper titer done. Then if she needs it, go ahead and give it. Otherwise don't. On the rabies, I would wait until she is close to a year.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Brodysmom said:


> If she were mine I'd definitely have a parvo/distemper titer done. Then if she needs it, go ahead and give it. Otherwise don't. On the rabies, I would wait until she is close to a year.


AGREE 100%

My Vet did titers first with BG & Sonny at 10-12 weeks when I got them. Their breeder gave them one booster and per the titer BG had to get one but Sonny did not. Sonny just had his 2 year old check up and is still great with out another vaccine so he has only had one booster. BG has had the 2 but she is 3 and nevwer had another. My Vet is very picky about vaccines in my littles so I could only imagine what she would do with Gidget. 

I have also never seen a Vet do this before but a rabies dose is the same for 3lb and 100lb dog. My vet draws the appropriate amount but only give 1/4 the dose. She also refuses to give any vaccine with another vaccine. She states you can not watch for an allergy if you do that so they wait 4-6 weeks in between.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

My vet also told me that the Rabies was the least of my worries. None of mine had it before age 1.

The two things are this. One, it's usually required by law. Two, if any dog without a rabies vaccine bites anyone, including vet staff, they will require the dog to be quarantined. If your vet has reason to believe that it's best to wait, they can help you should any situation arise from her not having it. 

As for the other vaccines, did he give you any kind of records? Dates of prior vaccines? Normally there is documentation of some sort? You and I talked about this briefly.

From the first vaccines, to my knowledge, she will show some immunity. I'm not sure if this is correct, but a real young puppy carries some of the immunity from Mom as well? I didn't research that much. 

I did the puppy series, a booster and rabies. The above info was just something I ran across during research. My understanding is that if you are going to do titers, you do them after the booster. This will give you a more accurate idea of her immunities. Otherwise you'd need to do it again within 6 months to a year?

I might not have understood all of this, so if this is incorrect, please feel free to correct this info. 

This is a tough call. With no records at all, it's so hard to say what I'd do.


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## elefonte (Jun 18, 2013)

I am wary of extra vaccinations too. My dog in 2005 became sensitive to them and I believe they may have contributed to his getting sick. He had to have a series of extra vaccinations for airline travel.

However, my new dog, possibly found as a stray, may have had an extra round of vaccinations. She doesn't seem to have been affected.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

Wanted to add. My vet doesn't do full doses of any vaccines in the smaller pups. Not even the rabies vaccine. He said it would be like doing something that you know will have serious consequences to the pups, and just pray that it works out. He's not willing to do that. So thankfully every vaccine mine had by him was dosed accordingly.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

No record of the shots he has given, he wasnt the best or brightest. She was very sensitive on her neck where the vaccine was given the Thursday before I got her so I do believe she at least got that one and he said she had been wormed then too and she was negative for worms at my Vets. She has already been given the 5 way by him and had no issues with that so I am hoping there will be no issues if she has to be given another round.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Hi!! I agree with Tracy, I would just titer her for parvo/distemper and then vaccinate if needed. I would also wait a year before giving her rabies shot as well. I hear they are "harmless" but I experienced a completely situation. My chi got autoimmune disease after getting his rabies shot. Just a coincidence? I doubt it. 

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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I'd ask your vet if the titers at this point would tell you what you need to know. Or if it would be jumping the gun, so to speak. Meaning you'd just have to repeat the titer in a few months. Here titers are very costly. What advice does your vet give in this situation?


As I sit here and think about it. If she were mine, I'd do the titer. Even if I had to do it again soon. It's better than taking a chance.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

As for the rabies vaccine. Reports show many adverse reactions. That's a scary vaccine. Especially in a Chi.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

He wants me to vaccinate her and then wait a month and do the titer. The titer is around $80.00 I think I would feel better if I had the titer first?

Yes I have heard that the rabies vaccine can actually alter the temperament of a dog?


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## Brodysmom (Jan 8, 2009)

Yoshismom said:


> He wants me to vaccinate her and then wait a month and do the titer. The titer is around $80.00 I think I would feel better if I had the titer first?
> 
> Yes I have heard that the rabies vaccine can actually alter the temperament of a dog?


You heard right Michelle. Google rabies vaccinosis and you won't believe what comes up. I am convinced that our old standard poodle had rabies vaccinosis as at the time, we were giving the rabies every year (before the 3 year came out). And before I knew better.  She was a mess. Weird skin cysts. Lots of fatty tumors. And fear of thunder like no other dog I have ever seen. She would shake for days. I am convinced that was rabies vaccinosis.


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Chloe still has not had her rabies. I want to wait as long as I can. My Roxy used to react so bad to the rabies. I am just so nervous about it. I know I have to do it because it's the law but I keep putting it off.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Yoshismom said:


> He wants me to vaccinate her and then wait a month and do the titer. The titer is around $80.00 I think I would feel better if I had the titer first?
> 
> Yes I have heard that the rabies vaccine can actually alter the temperament of a dog?


Why do a titer after the shot? I do not get that at all. My Vet titers then if needed gives the shot and the shot is free since you paid for the titer. A titer is to determine if they need a shot. 



Brodysmom said:


> You heard right Michelle. Google rabies vaccinosis and you won't believe what comes up. I am convinced that our old standard poodle had rabies vaccinosis as at the time, we were giving the rabies every year (before the 3 year came out). And before I knew better.  She was a mess. Weird skin cysts. Lots of fatty tumors. And fear of thunder like no other dog I have ever seen. She would shake for days. I am convinced that was rabies vaccinosis.


I am going to toss this out there but look at me. I feel guilty for every sneeze Huly has. Yes he is a Cat but it is my fault for his issues. He was negative for everything as a 3 week old kitten so we started doing his boosters at 8 weeks by age 2-3 he was feline herpes positive from the FVRCP vac. He has never been around another cat but my Nala who is negative so he had to catch it from the vaccine. My current Vet (who was the same vet that saved him as kitten before she went holistic) thinks he received a vaccine when he was too young, too little, or too sick (he had an upper respiratory infection as a kitten). So now I feel the guilty I gave him this disease. 

Now with Sonny I had asked her about his reverse sneeze and she was hesitant to give him a rabies at his yearly and has me keeping a reverse sneeze Sonny journal as supposedly a reverse sneeze is a sign of an allergic reaction to the rabies.


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## TLI (Sep 3, 2008)

I still agree with the titers. They will build immunity even after one puppy series. So if she doesn't need any vaccines now, you don't have to give it. I would suggest doing another titer within a year to see if she's still showing immunity. The vaccines are overkill, and many times they don't even need all of the puppy shots. 

I agree with Christie on titering after the vaccine. That would almost certainly show immunity. What would be the point?


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