Introducing our Winston plus vet and vaccine question

[Kat and Winston]

We picked up our boy on Saturday and had a pretty uneventful 6 hour ride home. I put a potty pad on my lap and then a towel on top of that. He peed twice on the way home and both times his body language let me know that he had to go so I moved the towel, he peed, and then I replaced with a new one. He did vomit once, funny enough when we were just 30 minutes from home. I think it was my fault for offering him a toy to chew on just a bit before that. Probably got his digestive juices running. I was just happy to not have to worry about letting him out anywhere.

He is adjusting pretty well and we've only had one little pee accident so far inside and that was on a little sleeping pad I bought him to put on the floor in the room we are usually in. Maybe he thought it was a pee pad..lol

I took him to the vet yesterday, as the breeder recommended for our own protection to be sure he's healthy.

I don't know but I just wasn't super impressed with the vet's office, but then I have nothing to compare to. The man that took me in never introduced himself or told me who he even was. At first I thought he was the doctor, so I mistakenly asked him about the bordatella vaccine. I had wanted to delay it, since he received a 5 way shot on Friday by the breeder's vet, but he reassured me how he should  really get it because a dog walking by our home could spread it in the air and expose him and puppy's have weak immune systems etc. (which is why I wanted to wait since I've read they can get a little cough and cold from the vaccine but of course I'm hoping that he won't), plus he said the groomer will require it etc., which I know, but I dont' plan on getting him groomed for a bit so wanted to wait until he was a couple of months to give the vaccine. They gave him the oral one and he did seem a bit warm last night and was panting more, but still ate all his dinner and was drinking and seems OK so far today. 

They told me he had some flaky skin, but no fleas or anything they could see. He had received advantage multi at the breeder on the friday and a bath Saturday morning, so for all I know it killed them all and washed them off. I'm a bit bothered by conditions at the breeder but that would be another long post and this is probably too long already.

Anyways I'm wondering about the Lepto vaccine. I have read that it can shed in their stool and urine. I am really bothered by this, as I have children who are getting down on the grass to play with him. Of course I clean up his stool(but there's no way to not leave a tiny trace of things) and urine well who knows if he could dribble and us not notice. I am trying to get him to go in just one area of the yard, but sometimes he'll be playing with the kids and suddenly go. I try to move him to the spot, but then that can backfire because then he seems to lose the need to go. 

Anyways, the vet already said about him getting that vaccine, and said how it's the inside dogs that go out only once a day or whatever so the owners choose not to vaccinate but then end up getting it. But  I've read it can shed for up to 7 weeks. That's a long time and it can be spread to humans. Of course so can the disease but it feels like having my kids in the yard could end up exposing them to this bacteria and taking a gamble. 

Who knew there were so many other things to worry about, besides just potty, house and behavior training. Does anybody have any thoughts on this vaccine and a regular house pet, that will mostly just go for walks around the neighborhood and on the beach with us and be in our yard and home the rest of the time.

I attached a couple of photos below. Not sure how some of you get them to show up without having to click on links.

[Sally M]

What a cutie!

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Wow, Winston is a doll baby!!! It sounds like he did well on his ride home-that's a long ride for a little one. We had about the same amount of time in the car when we picked up Tara.

As far as vaccinations, there is a wide range of opinion about when and how many vaccines to which one should expose their dog, especially a small puppy. Some believe that over-vaccinating can lead to not only short term but long term health issues.  Since Winston had a 5 way shot on Friday,  his immune system has plenty to deal with right now.  Here is a link to Dr. Dodd's recommended vaccine protocol for 2016. She has done much research on vaccines and has come up with these recommendations as being a good combination of coverage and safety for dogs.  As you noted, your lifestyle and the amount of risk and exposure that Winston will have should all be factored into the vaccination decision. It's not a "one size fits all" situation as some vets seem to think. :)

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/147595920886/do...

Tara lives a similar lifestyle to what you described as Bo's. We have never vaccinated her for lepto.  Like, bordatella, it has many variations and the vaccine normally only address one of them. And there is the issue of virus shedding. It just seems to be one of those vaccines that is fraught with problems. 

Here's another article with a different view of the vaccine. Like I said, many opinions...

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/leptospirosis-vaccine/

Hope I haven't made matters worse for you! LOL It's good that you're putting thought into your decisions for your baby. Keep up the good work! 

[Kat and Winston]

Thanks for the compliment about our fur baby and the articles. I will be sure to read them both. I have read a bit on Dr. Dodd's site already and respect the time and effort she puts in to it.

[Beth & Cheddar]

Winston is absolutely adorable! I chose not to do lepto because of the reasons Ricki mentioned. The benefits do not outweigh the risks for us.

[Lindsey Holt]

We don't do lepto here either and we are very selective because our Jake had a vaccine reaction.

He is 9 months and from now on we will titer.

I think that you should also consider your location when choosing your vaccines.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Quick answer to getting him to go in one spot in the yard - use a leash to keep him in that area.  I'm not impressed with what you reported the vet tech? said.

[Kat and Winston]

Thank you. We do always take him out on leash, but after he's gone potty we let him off to play with the kids a bit more freely and sometimes he'll end up going again.