Jacks two year Update and a Lepto question.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Today went great, Jack is up to a whopping 13 pounds and doctor said his weight is great. She is very pleased with the food (Orijen) she is on. It is funny she knows what a stinker I am about what I will let him eat, she asked me if I would bend the rules and let him eat a pill pocket treat, to help get his heart guard medication down. I have tried a million times to get him to eat those, so I said go ahead he won't eat one, low and behold, he scoffed it down and begged for more.

 

Titers were drawn for Parvo and others and we will have results back in a few days. We will go from there. I will not get any certificate or anything in my hands other then the titer results to show other people.

 

Teeth, Lungs, Kidneys, Heart, Ears, Eyes, Poop and Pee, all got A+

 

I did ask for blood work, I wanted a chemistry done. I wanted to check his electrolytes to see if by chance there was a problem with anything. Everything was perfect.. Big surprise right.

 

I did ask about the life expectancy for Jack if he was lucky enough to die of old age and she told me about 16-17 years... but that is just an average and does not include diseases or accidents or insane moms..

 

His anal gland were full again. She said small dogs sometimes just need help with that no matter what you do, Funny after they expressed them, everyone said the room smelled bad, I didn't smell anything. Do I think my dogs butt doesn't stink or something??? I really couldn't smell it

 

I asked the Vet about if the titers are low can Jack get his shots separated, She told me they don't do that and no one does, the parvo, distemper and the other one just all come together as one shot. I thought you could get them all separated??? Anyone know?

 

We talked about leptosporlis  (Sp) when I asked her when Jack was one years old she said NO way he is too little etc... Now she said she has seen a few dogs die of it because owners have not brought there dog in soon enough to reverse the kidney damage. She said Jack is little and most likely will have a reaction to the shot. She said if Jack's titers are not high enough and he needs to get the regular ones updated, she does not recommend the lepto at all for him

 

Lymes disease.. She has told me in the past, in this area it is not a concern, this year, she is more concerned, again if Jack's regular titers are high enough this will be his very next shot he gets this week, if they are not, he will get his regular shots, then a few weeks later, Lymes.

 

I want to say again, I am not against giving dogs vaccines, Jack has even had his flu shot. I just don't want to over vaccinate, that is the only reason for the titers.

 

Does anyone have any experience with giving the parvo, distemper etc separate?  How about any of you that have little dogs, any trouble with the lepto?

 

Jack is in good health and I am grateful....Thank you for your balance.

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

I used to work at a vet clinic (It was about 20 years ago though) and  we did have only a couple of dogs who didn't get the Lepto, however, they did get the D, H, P, P part. I remember clearly that their charts said "No Lepto" right on them.I did some Google searching and found that the Fort Dodge brand vaccines do have combos without Lepto, some with it, and a vaccine for just Lepto alone. So I am sure that other brands are made the same way as well. Maybe you will just have to call around and find a vet who will offer the vaccine separated. Here in Michigan there was a big increase in the number of dogs that were getting sick with the Lepto virus last summer. Some of it was attributed to lots of road construction disturbing  a rat population near the road way, and causing them to move to the city/residential area.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I haven't heard of Parvo and Distemper being given separately. It's usually at least a DHP shot (the H is hepatitis) and sometimes DHPP (Parainfluenza included) and even DHLPP (Lepto included). Our vet does not give Lepto combined with any other vaccines in one shot.

But there is a newer Lepto vaccine that is given in two separate injections, one month apart. This newer version supposedly has fewer side effects, and for obvious reasons, can't be given in the "cocktail" of other vaccines.

There is also a new three year DHP shot, so Parainfluenza vaccines are not included in that one, either.

It is true that the incidences of Lepto in pet dogs has risen in many parts of the country. Last year, my vet advised all dog owners to consider it, for the first time ever. Where they had not seen one case of Lepto from one year to the next in this practice, they had suddenly had 6 cases within a few months, mostly all smaller pet dogs (Shih Tzus were mentioned) living in suburban neighborhoods where the closest they came to nature was a walk around the block or an encounter with a rabbit in the backyard. No hunting dogs spending time in forests and streams.

I haven't given it to JD yet; I'm afraid, even if the newer version does have fewer side-effects. But that's not advice for anyone else not to do it.

I'm glad Jack had a good visit and is in good health!

[Jennifer and Jack]

Karen, If Jackdoodle has not been given his lepto shot, I am going to have a hard time giving it to Jack Daniels.. I for sure am getting the Lyme's disease one but the Lepto is such a harsh one.. UGGGG

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

I did a little more searching and found that you can buy Parvo as a separate injection (made by Vanguard and Duramune), Parainfluenza is combined in some of the Bordetella vaccines, and I did find a single component Distemper only vaccine made by Nobivac. (called Nobivac Galaxy D ). Now finding a vet that carries all single component vaccines is another story..... Maybe a vet who specializes in allergies?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

No, my Jack's specialist is a veterinary immunology and allergy specialist, and she doesn't do any routine vaccines or procedures. We have to go to his regular vet for those.

Jackdoodle just got the Parainfluenza vaccine along with his intranasal Bordatella today. They're doing that now because with the three-year DHP vaccines, dogs still have to get the flu vaccine every year, so they separated it out with the bordatella. makes sense, since they're both viruses, lol.

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thank you Angie for looking, I tried to find a place that sells them so I can buy them and bring them to the vet to give individually if needed but had no luck. I would give the shot myself but then it doesn't count on his records. Hopefully he won't need any of those and I can just get the Lymes disease one.

 

I appreciate you looking for me

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I don't know about the shots... but glad to hear Jack's checkup went so well!!

[Jennifer and Jack]

Thanks Suzann me too!!!!

[BG and Gavin]

I am no expert in the shots department, but for us Lepto was a must.  Gav spends alot of time outdoors, especially at the cottage where there are all kinds of animals (dead and alive) and mud puddles to drink from.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yep, even JD's specialist said that if he's going to be in the ponds at the woods, or drinking from puddles, he should have the Lepto vaccine, because Lepto is a really nasty disease.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I was told it is a very nasty disease as well. My vet said that people's who's dogs end up with it almost always die from it because they don't catch it early enough and then they have to live with the guilt that their dog died of a preventable disease.  Jack does not play in the woods or in ponds but he is very active in the dog community and it can be passed on through someone's urine that is infected with it.

 

From what I understand, there is not any harm in the shot once they get past the initial reaction to the vaccine and from what I understand the reaction is not fatal, it is just rough on them. I have done some reading tonight and I read they can be premedicated with steroids and benadryl, treated for the fever and that the benefit of the shot is worth the risk of it.

 

If he only weighed more, i would feel better about it. For now, I am moving forward with the lyme's disease and awaiting the titers...

 

My breeder who lives in IL, said she has never given any of her dogs the Lepto shot and never will. For now, the jury is out.

[Martha & Cooper]

Hi Jennifer,  I just wanted to let you know about my Cooper's experience with the Lepto vaccine.  He had a terrible reaction to it last year when he got the first shot.  It didn't happen immediately either.   We got all the way home and about an hour later, I noticed that his face was all swollen and he was having trouble breathing.   I had to rush him back to the Vet's office for a Steroid and Benadryl injection.  They kept an eye on him for at least an hour before his breathing was back to normal and we were able to go home with instructions for more Benadryl later in the day.   He is never to get the vaccine again.   I was warned to try and keep him away from ponds and streams.    His Vet knew immediately that it was the Lepto portion that had caused the reaction.  It was very scary to see him like that and I don't want to think about what might have happened if I hadn't been home to check on him and find him all swollen and not breathing well.