Vaccines

[Oliver]

I've been calling around to different veterinarians in the area (we recently moved to Maryland) to get an idea on what they usually vaccinate puppies for and the schedule of these vaccinations.

1 vaccination that I'm worried about/not convinced of its usefulness is the leptospirosis vaccine. Apparently a significant number of puppies are allergic to this vaccine, and hence a fair number of vets are no longer offering it. It also only covers 2 species of Leptospira spp. so there's really not a lot of protection. Also, it is easily treated with antibiotics if a dog were to become infected...

Any ideas/hints/tips/advice on this vaccine and on vaccines in general? (From what I've read, it's a pretty hot topic at the moment...pretty controversial, but I'd like to hear what all of you have to say!)

[Adina P]

I asked on another forum about the lepto issue and was told (by a doodle owner in Hawaii) that she chooses to NOT vaccinate for lepto because the strain they have on the island is NOT what is available in the vaccine offered. Apparently your local health department would have info on this. I would check to see:

1) How prevalent is lepto in your area?
2) Which strain(s) are in your area?
3) Does the vaccine vets offer locally cover that strain?

I do believe it is a zoonotic disease, though...so it can be passed to humans--but you might want to check.