Polish Lowland Sheepdog - pons - pon the dog

 

 

 

 

 

PON von Regensdorf , Switzerland

www.pon-nizinny.ch

 

 

 

 

Are you overdoing vaccinations ??

 

 

The era of automatically giving vaccinations is over. However, many PON owners still tend to rely solely on their local vet's advice without doing their own independent research. The following information may help guide you when considering vaccinations.

Always consider your neck of the woods, lifestyle, risk and vaccine effectiveness. Bordetella (kennel cough) is essentially for dogs in poorly-ventilated close quarters (for example, kennels), not for PONS sometimes playing with fellow PONS. Leptospirosis is a disease of wetlands and woodlands, and the vaccine may not protect against the actual disease in your area. Lyme is only for dogs in areas with Lyme disease. Further, each of these vaccines has dangerous side effects and their efficacy is questionable. Don’t give them without proven need and benefit. If your vet is too busy to discuss these shots, find another vet who has more time.

Consider Eliminating vaccines on the “not recommended” list of the American Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force as well as most veterinary organizations and schools. These include Giardia and Coronavirus (often found in many combination shots).

Reject combination shots. Combo shots (called names like DHLPPC) assault your dog’s immune system with five or seven vaccines at once. Given for (false) economy and convenience rather than health or safety, combination shots are often  linked to autoimmune disease, allergies and other health problems. In addition, they invariably contain unnecessary and even dangerous vaccines.

Avoid vaccinating against diseases for which your dog may already have immunity. Blood serological studies show that parvovirus vaccines given to dogs over 15-16 weeks of age generally give at least 7 years of immunity, as does the Rockborn distemper strain. (The Onderstepoort strain gives 5 years.) Ask your vet which vaccine your dog received.

Don’t allow your vet, kennel owner or groomer to intimidate you into giving unnecessary shots. Suggest titer testing for parvovirus or distemper — or go elsewhere.  Require written proof from your state veterinary association that your dog needs any vaccinations. Your PON'S  future health  is at stake.

Think out of the box and test immunity; don’t automatically re-vaccinate. Titer tests are blood tests measuring antibodies to disease.  Don’t expect everyone to accept test results in lieu of vaccination. You may find yourself arguing with your vet, kennel owner, groomer,etc.

Never vaccinate sick dogs.  All vaccine labels state that they’re to be used in healthy animals.  Unfortunately, vaccine labels  don’t define “healthy” and are uninformed about this. Consequently, ill and immune-compromised dogs, etc. pets are vaccinated.  Any shots given to an unhealthy animal may not provide immunity and most likely cause an adverse reaction. e Chronically ill or immune-compromised PONS may be eligible for a rabies shot exemption. .

Avoid vaccinating puppies too early. Vaccinating pups who still have maternal immunity is unnecessary and ineffective. Most vets suggest waiting until at least 8 weeks of age. Some experts suggest waiting until 3-4 months to vaccinate puppies. keeping pups away from public places and strange dogs until immunity is proven by titers.

PON owners need to insist that family vet document any adverse vaccine reactions in detail. You may want to apply for rabies vaccine exemption in the future.

PON owners need their own copies of dog licenses and vet files. Keep these documents in a safe place. Clinics lose records, etc. Without your PON'S records, you may have vaccinate sooner than necessary because of lost or missing records.