tell the truth...do you vaccinate your animals

Sequeena

Guys you might want to reconsider using Advocate;

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/105049-warning-advocate.html

Hadrian

missindecisive wrote: »

and give them their yearly booster every single year? do you flea treatment them & worm them as often as you should?

I know a few people who don't bother. they're animals appear completely fine!
(quickly dashes behind sofa ready to be shot down in flames!):rotfl:

NO I DO NOT! I've had 2 Jack Russell's since birth, they can out distance me as we walk 3 or 4 miles daily. They have NEVER had an inoculation nor any other medicine. They are 10 and 11 years old and I feel they will see me out. Where do they go 'in the wild' for inoculations?? Mind you they love curry, jelly, yogurt, malt extract etc etc. Don't know anything they don't like really.

Rev

Mine have had both their vaccinations and will get their yearly boosters when due as their insurance policy will be invalid if they haven't.

But the initial inoculations? I agree with the other posters who think it's utterly irresponsible not to get them. If you've ever had the misfortune of seeing an un-vaccinated dog die of parvo or one of the other diseases you initially vaccinate against you'll understand why.

And in all honesty, I don't know why you'd not vaccinate when there is a chance the dogs can get such diseases, it doesn't make much sense to me. 'Oh, my dog might get life threatening disease, there is vaccine they could have to help prevent it, but I shan't give it'. These people are usually the first to stary crying about their dog/cat being extremely ill or dying from a disease they could very easily have prevented. It boggles the mind, to me, it's complete idiocy.

I'm one of those sad ones that mark on the calendar when they were last wormed and flead so as to make sure it's done when it should be.

crackerberry

Yep, my cat's ten and without fail is taken for her yearly booster jab and health check. Worming wise - every three months.

paddypaws101

Very brave to ask this question on an open forum! VERY BRAVE.
Ok, I will be honest and admit that my 4 oldies (16 and 15) have never had a vaccination between them....maybe that was ignorance and maybe I have just been lucky. One had dose of flu when she was les than a year old...none of the others caught it, and that cat has NEVER been back to the vet since, 14 years!
With my most recent kitten I have bowed to current opinion and had her vaccinated and even insured! She will have her yearly booster but at this stage I am not planning on any yearly jabs after that. I recently discussed this with a practicing vet ( not my own! ) who told me categorically that in his opinion boosters were unecessary.
I use flea/worming treatment as needed once or twice a year, and yes one of mine has flea allergy dermatitis.

chelle230

my cats don't as they are house cats, so don't see the point.
my dogs do every year, have learnt the hard way, I never vaccinated my greyhound as when he did he was in so much pain with it, and as a result he caught distemper. I was heartbroken, and had to see my baby suffer terribly until they found out what was wrong, and then had to have him pts.
still feel so guilty to this day

Sequeena

chelle230 wrote: »

my cats don't as they are house cats, so don't see the point.
my dogs do every year, have learnt the hard way, I never vaccinated my greyhound as when he did he was in so much pain with it, and as a result he caught distemper. I was heartbroken, and had to see my baby suffer terribly until they found out what was wrong, and then had to have him pts.
still feel so guilty to this day

The only problem there is even though you vaccinate your dogs they can bring diseases into the house (us humans can bring in parvo on our shoes) and transferr them to your cats.

chelle230

yeah, I did think about that too

Bubby

Yes to all:D

I always err on the side of caution and vaccinate yearly, worm and flea treat monthly:o

I am sure we spend a small fortune that we probably don't need to:o:o but I have never had a vet tell me not to vaccinate yearly and they recommend monthly worming and flea treatment as we have children.

NiceGuyEddie_2

Slightly different animal, but still a pet... my horse!

And yes he's vaccinated/wormed. Equine influenza every year, with tetanus every other year in terms of boosters, and wormers given approximately every 3 months (varies slightly but that's a fair approximation).

Dentist annually, farrier 6-weekly and sports massage as and when required - he's a well-maintained creature!