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1446539 tn?1284552849

Am I hurting my dog?

I have a 3 year-old Black Lab named Harley.  First off, he is the love of my life!  I would never intentionally do anything to harm him, and I want him alive and healthy as long as I can have him.

But...he hasn't been to the vet I started taking him to in about 1 year and 4 months.  He had all his early shots & distemper & rabies.  But only once.  Over a year ago I got a postcard from the vets saying he was due for distemper.  But I never took him.  Money being the biggest reason.  3 times I took him to the vet It cost me no less than $200 each visit.  

He is my first dog.  As far as I can tell, he is in great shape.  The right weight.  Definitely the right energy.  He seems like the perfect dog.  Do they NEED distemper shots?  How often do they need rabies shots?  I am embarrased to call my vet because I feel like a bad owner.  And I have been buying the cheap heart medicine and flea and tick stuff.  No issues yet.

What do you think?
6 Responses
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1388999 tn?1370042814
It has been in the news recently here in Aus that with some of the vaccinations are unnecessary every year.Stands to reason I suppose as we do not have to do that do for ourselves .....Anyway check online as you have more serious diseases like rabies and such.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am one of the many that lost our jobs and can no longer pay the huge vet bills for my 2 dogs and 1 cat.  Like you, they are the love of my life and like my children, I would never give them up.  But their health is very important just as yours is.  If the cost is the only reason for you not vaccinating your dog, call your local Humane Society.  They can tell you if there is a low cost vetrinary service in your area.  We have quite a few in our area that are mobile and in different locations on weekends.  The cost are as low as $10 for a rabies vac.  You can check with your local feed store for information as well.  Also, feed stores sell the other required vaccinations as low as $6 per shot and you can give them yourself.  The feed store personnel can help you with direction as to how to give it properly.  There are many places to go to for help with care for our critters.  All you have to do is make a few phone calls.  As far as their yearly physicals go, check with your local Humane Society or the feed store as well.  But keep a close eye on your dog and when giving him his weekly bath, make sure you scan his body with your hands for any changes.  Check his eyes and teeth on a regular basis.  And if there is any reason at all that you think you dog might need to see a vet, don't hesitate to call.  Remember that vets are vets because they care about animals......most of them will work with you to make sure your pet gets the care he needs.
Helpful - 0
675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
$200 sounds quite a lot too much for the yearly check-up and booster shots.
I do have a feeling your vet is charging you WAY too much for this, and you need to shop around for a reasonable price.

Your dog will most likely be fine.....right up until the point he meets a rabid skunk, or something....or meets up with a street-dog who has distemper. Parvo virus is also EXTREMELY easy to catch, and is rife. Just google Parvo/dog deaths from Parvo/whatever....and you will see how virulent and how often fatal, this disease is.

I do believe immunity from the innoculations can last longer than 1 year, so it may not be strictly necessary to have the booster shots YEARLY....but the only reliable way to tell if your dog has, or has lost, immunity -is to get a "Titer Test" done at the vet's. Then you can get the shots arranged according to when they are needed, and not just yearly as a matter of course. (It could be that over-vaccinating can cause stress to the immune system, not so obvious in a young strong dog, but more likely to cause problems in an older dog)
Yes, this will cost you something. It's bound to. But it's a bit of a game of "Russian Roulette" here. You are definitely taking risks by not having him vaccinated at all.
I know you don't mean to do that, and it's obvious you love your dog. But the problem is, a serious and incurable illness could strike at any time, and if it did, you would never forgive yourself.
So find the money one way or another to either get the "Titer Test" done, or pay for his shots. Don't be ashamed, or shy. You could call a completely different vet, preferably one whose prices are more realistic. If they ask why you lapsed on his shots, you could say you were concerned about over-vaccination.
Helpful - 0
462827 tn?1333168952
Hi Carl & Welcome.......IMO, the most important part of yearly vaccines is the throrough checkup that goes with them......You need to inquire with your Vet if he/she gives the 1yr. Rabies vaccine or the 3yr. Vaccine... Sometimes, they don't tell you!

Yes, your dog needs to vaccinated! Where I live, it's about $55.00 for all vaccines plus the checkup... You should call around and ask for prices in your area as $200 sounds like too much to me, also.

The diseases that your dog can get, are NOT worth the risk!  If not already, Harley needs to be on a Heartworm prevention pill, too. It's a pill given once a month...This one should really come from your Vet. My Vet will sell you anywhere from 1-6 at a time...Trust me, treating heartworm disease is deadly and to treat it is VERY, VERY expensive......Plus, it's terribly painful for the dog......Good luck and find a Vet that doesn't charge an arm & leg for routine vaccines......Karla

Helpful - 0
1391531 tn?1289164143
Yes vaccination are up to the owner I agree with vivi, BUT that being said if you are not doing it because of money then that wrong BUT if you are not doing it because it is your strong personal belief that the are bad or will harm your dog that another story and then you have to live with that decision because dog disease are deadly and very prevalent in the US . I do not know how many times i have heard my dog health and  something bad happen!!!!!!!Vaccination schedule are more  often when they are puppies the first ones are the main vaccination and then done every 3-4 weeks they are given booster for a set of 2 more and then a yearly booster of those vaccination every year, rabies are given at 12-16 weeks depending what state you live a  year later they can get a 2year rabies vaccination and that will be done every 2yr after that some state even do 3yr ones.And you dog need regularly check up for test like heart worms. worms.  blood test and a good all round checkup yearly.There is such a thing as dog insurance banfield pet hospitals are all over the have dog insurance the basic package is 30 dollars a month it covers all vaccination office visit all test and more look into it also the are tones of other insurance out there i would look in to it.You took this dog on on and brought it home he depends on you to take proper care and make the best decision for his health and life he can not do it himself this involves money time and love so pls keep this in mind .
Helpful - 0
1387195 tn?1320918454
firstly, you seem to write from your heart and I'm sure you take great care of your dog.  With vaccinations it is the same like with humans. some choose to get vaccinated, others not. However, there are far more unvaccinated dogs, than humans, which means, that diseases are still everywhere. Dogs take in a lot of their environment through their nose, including smelling other animals poo. This is where the problem lies. I would strongly recommend getting your dog all the shots he needs, as your vet bills will be even higher if he should be unlucky enough to catch something. I don't live in the states, but 200 seems to be a bit outrageous. Here in Ireland the standard visit is about 30 Euros plus another 30 for the shots. this would roughly translate to an overall of $50. So consider changing your vet. We have 2 dogs and 2 rabbits, which all need the vet, so I opened an account with a weekly standing order from my general account of Euro 5 a week. I don't notice it really and the majority of the money is there for when I need it. you might consider doing the same.
Good, luck
Helpful - 0
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