Seeking Puppy Vaccination Advice

[ChristineL]

Does anyone know anything about the prevalence of Canine Leptospirosis in this area?

I am highly likely to adopt a friend’s ten week old Bichon Frise puppy within the week. She needs her first shots and my research indicates that Bichons have extreme reactions to vaccinations more frequently than other breeds.
She will be living in my house, along with my healthy rescue mutt and my indoor cats. All her outings, and which dogs she socializes with, will be supervised by me. If Leptospirosis is rare in the area, I can get her a five-way, as opposed to a 7-way, vaccine and reduce the chances of an extreme reaction.

I’m adopting her as she is very bonded to me, and I to her. If I take her, she will never be bred or considered a commodity as opposed to a pet companion. These are also the main reasons her present owner wants to give her to me.

No lectures please...I love this puppy and will give her a good home. I’m not buying her nor do I want her because she’s a pure-bred. I’m seeking advice on what immunizations she needs in this area and the best way to give her these shots with minimal risk of negative reactions.

[Barbara]

Hi Christine. You are in for a treat, as the Bichon Frise is a very sweet breed of dog. I had one for 17 1/2 years.

As far as Lepto, I understand there is a high level of it in Sonoma County. The problem is there are several different types of Lepto and one vaccine may not offer protection for a particular strain of Lepto.

I was not aware that Bichon's had vaccination issues. I do know that collies of all types have this problem when it comes to heartworm preventatives. In any case, you might want to call your local veterinarian and ask for more helpful advice.

Good luck--and enjoy your little ball of fluff.

[hvnagdx]

Dr. Jean Dodds is one of the leading veterinary immunologist in the country. I have followed her recommendations for years with great success. Unfortunately too many veterinarians are vaccination happy. Dr. Dobbs believes that over immunization is responsible for causing diseases in our pets.

Dogs can be exposed to many species of Leptospirosis and unless she is vaccinated for the one that she is exposed to the vaccination will not offer protection. To the best of my knowledge Canine Leptospirosis is not a major concern. I have a friend who's dog contracted Swine Leptospirosis from wild pigs who wallowed in the creek upstream from her property.

Here is a copy of Dr. Dodds recommendation. Dr. Dodds does not recommend Leptospirosis vaccinations. You can even call her for a consultation.



CANINE VACCINATION PROTOCOL – 2007 - MINIMAL VACCINE USE
W. Jean Dodds, DVM
HEMOPET

938 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-828-4804; Fax 310-828-8251

e-mail: [email protected]

Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one I recommend and should not interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It's a matter of professional judgment and choice.

AGE OF PUPS VACCINE TYPE
9 - 10 weeks - Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy DPV)

14 weeks - Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy DPV)

16 -18 weeks (optional) - Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Intervet Progard Puppy DPV)

20 weeks or older, if allowable by law - Rabies

1 year - Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV

1 year - Rabies, killed 3 year vaccine (give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster

Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request.


On a personal note, I have used the Intervet brand for vaccinating my puppies and then run titers. Intervet is able to over ride mother immunity at a much younger age, hence protecting them against Parvo and Distemper.

Please don't forget to run stool samples. Most puppies that contract Parvo and do not survive have intestinal parasites!

Hope you have many many years of great companionship and love!
Dianna

[Vet-To-Pet]

Leptospirosis is one of the vaccinations that young dogs/puppies most often have adverse reactions to (to varying degrees). Therefore, most vets won't include that vaccination in the puppy's early vaccinations---it's usually given as a separate injection for those who do want their dog to receive it. All you have to do is make sure the vat/staff knows your preference not to have your pup get the Lepto vaccination. No one will force you to include it.

Regarding the prevalence of Lepto around here, it's not rampant, but it is "out there", usually transmitted by an animal drinking water that has been comtaminated (a pond or stream) with the urine of another animal that has the disease. It's something to consider if you plan to take the dog camping or out into 'wilderness' areas. I'm fairly new to this area (two years) and haven't seen a case of it so far.
Vet-To-Pet




=Christine;66682]Does anyone know anything about the prevalence of Canine Leptospirosis in this area?

I am highly likely to adopt a friend’s ten week old Bichon Frise puppy within the week. She needs her first shots and my research indicates that Bichons have extreme reactions to vaccinations more frequently than other breeds.
She will be living in my house, along with my healthy rescue mutt and my indoor cats. All her outings, and which dogs she socializes with, will be supervised by me. If Leptospirosis is rare in the area, I can get her a five-way, as opposed to a 7-way, vaccine and reduce the chances of an extreme reaction.

I’m adopting her as she is very bonded to me, and I to her. If I take her, she will never be bred or considered a commodity as opposed to a pet companion. These are also the main reasons her present owner wants to give her to me.

No lectures please...I love this puppy and will give her a good home. I’m not buying her nor do I want her because she’s a pure-bred. I’m seeking advice on what immunizations she needs in this area and the best way to give her these shots with minimal risk of negative reactions.[/quote]

[Khanamura]

Puppies need to be given ALL of their vaccinations in order to be protected against certain bacterial and parasite infections. I work at Banfield The Pet Hospital, as a CSC cross-training as a Vet assistant right now. One of our solutions before we vaccinate small breed dogs as to ensure they do not get allergic reactions to vaccines is to premedicate them. It's a small dose of the Children's Allergy Benedryl. It's the pink liquid form. You basically take your pets weight, divide that by 2.5, and that is the amount of CC (ml) you give them, an hour prior to the vaccinations. We require all of our clients to premedicate their pets (Small breeds) before we vaccinate them, and for years this has been a successful procedure for Banfield.
Usually 6-8 weeks, they need to get their bordetella(k9 cough) which is not mandatory, but is suggested due to the fact there are bad cases of kennel cough spreading at dog parks now, corona and giardia which prevent severe diarrhea, and their distemper parvo HA vaccine. all of these require boosters, which means your vet will most likely need you to come back weekly (at least 3) times for the booster, then after that they are given yearly. distemper parvo HA is a one year vaccine, then your pet is given the distemper parvo LA which is a 3 year vaccine. Between 14-16 weeks, thats when the lyme and rabies vaccine is given. Rabies is first a one year vaccine, then a 3 year vaccine. Dogs also need a heart worm test, deworming, pyrantal, and of course a comprehensive exam. Brushing of their teeth needs to be done often as well, or else you will need to get a dental cleaning done which can start off at $200 for the surgery procedure due to the fact that they will be under anesthesia. Dogs are VERY expensive, so if you can't give your pet ALL of its medical care, DO NOT GET A PET. This is another reason why you should also look into getting health care plans or insurance for your pet, otherwise you will be stuck with a hefty hospital bill. I hope that helps, or you can check out www.banfield.net for more info on the health care for your dog!

Does anyone know anything about the prevalence of Canine Leptospirosis in this area?

I am highly likely to adopt a friend’s ten week old Bichon Frise puppy within the week. She needs her first shots and my research indicates that Bichons have extreme reactions to vaccinations more frequently than other breeds.
She will be living in my house, along with my healthy rescue mutt and my indoor cats. All her outings, and which dogs she socializes with, will be supervised by me. If Leptospirosis is rare in the area, I can get her a five-way, as opposed to a 7-way, vaccine and reduce the chances of an extreme reaction.

I’m adopting her as she is very bonded to me, and I to her. If I take her, she will never be bred or considered a commodity as opposed to a pet companion. These are also the main reasons her present owner wants to give her to me.

No lectures please...I love this puppy and will give her a good home. I’m not buying her nor do I want her because she’s a pure-bred. I’m seeking advice on what immunizations she needs in this area and the best way to give her these shots with minimal risk of negative reactions.

[ChristineL]

Just wanted to thank everyone who responded for their information and advice.

I was officially given my Bichon puppy in mid-September. I am enjoying every minute I spend in her company. She is social, playful, very funny and smart. She's beginning to learn that hiss/growl/bop on the head are not cat language for "let's play some more". The cats do play with her, they just set boundaries. It took several weeks, but she finally got my other dog, Ruben, to play with her. He tends to be a stick in the mud, Baby has rejuvenated him. Watching her and my blind cat play together is a riot...poor Baby doesn't know that all her delightful "flirting" can't be seen.

I crate trained her and have become a total advocate of crate training. Baby likes her crate, will go nap in it on her own and gives herself time-outs in it when she feels she has done something that upset me (like chew an electrical cord). I've made sure to expose her to lots and lots of people, she loves attention.

My next request for assistance...can anyone recommend a good brand of clipper? Baby has a coat that is more like a Maltese than a Bichon. I call her a Bichon non-frise. I believe I've found a good reasonably priced groomer, but want to clip her myself most of the time. She is used to being brushed almost every day.