tell the truth...do you vaccinate your animals

Miggie

Just wanted to share our dreadful experience today. Firstly, we keep our cats up to date with worming, flea control and vaccinations - prevention being better than cure. All our cats are (appeared to be) in good health.

We haven't bothered with pet insurance as we have (had) five cats, three of whom are over 8 years old.

In the early hours last night, our youngest cat was crying out so I got up to her. She couldn't walk properly and was distressed. I sat up with her until we took her to the emergency vet at 9.00 this morning. It turned out she had chronic renal failure and she died at 11.30 a.m. We had no idea that she was ill (yesterday morning she was chasing a frog in the garden). Apparently this was a disease that doesn't show symptoms until the kidneys are almost totally shot.

I keep crying and trying to think if we missed anything, but truly she seemed normal.

The point I'm trying badly to make is that as well as being stunned and heartbroken, we've a huge vet bill too. I'm now looking into insurance for the others.

pigpen

I vaccinate my rabbits but not the cats

Miggie.. I lost a cat in very similar circumstances.. she was fine one day and gone the next.. no warning nothing.

pigpen

ooh.. my mum found an article a few weeks ago which said by annually giving boosters you actually damage the animal as they are totally unnecessary.. just a cash scheme for vets!

I don't vaccinate my children either.

Paradigm

pigpen wrote: »

ooh.. my mum found an article a few weeks ago which said by annually giving boosters you actually damage the animal as they are totally unnecessary.. just a cash scheme for vets!

I think the term should be "may" damage your pets as not enough research has been done to give a definate indication.
As for boosters being a "cash scheme for vets" I'm sure it is but, they are only following guidelines issued by the vaccine manufacturers who would also claim a chunk of annual booster revenue.

pigpen wrote: »

I don't vaccinate my children either.

That's your choice but I think it's foolish! I'm very anti annual boosters but even I give my dogs the initial course... my kids were done asap.

missmontana

I had mines first vac's done, but haven't had any boosters, they were indoor cats but are now outdoors cats and have not had any problems so far! touch wood...
Always flea and worm tho on a regular basis, funny you talk about kids too, at one point I was de-fleaing and de-nitting at the same time!!
Like with most things you never know what's going to happen, they could well come down with something you can't vaccinate against or have an accident.

KVet

I've seen unvaccinated and vaccinated dogs die/be PTS from Parvo. It's not nice at all. The vaccinated ones had the full puppy course then no more vaccs and got it at 2 years old. My kitten is fully vac. I haven't deflead her yet as she is indoors and I check her regularly and see no evidence.

I'd always vaccinate every animal I have. Honestly, we have to go by what the drug companies say. If we go against their advice we could easily get sued. Don't blame the vets, blame the drug companies. There is evidence that some vaccinations last longer than ayear hence why some companies are advocating every 2-3 years a full vaccine and just parainfluenza + lepto in the intervening years. No drug company is willing to pay for research into vaccines that will probably lose money at the end of it so we'll have to wait a while yet before concrete evidence re yearly vaccs is available. Cat vacs are quite different, FELV is a MUST to get vac for every year. The "cat flu" (calicivirus/herpesvirus etc) is also good to get done from a young age. Afaik they dont completely prevent them getting the disease but will make is have much less of an effect than it would have in an unvaccinated cat. Herpesvirus in cats is a horrific disease, both flu viruses are nasty that in some cats can lay dormant for years and pop out later on to cause very hard to treat diseases. (this is all from memory etc so I may have a few things squiddly etc. Haven't done any research recently)

vl2588

Miggie wrote: »

We haven't bothered with pet insurance...

So sorry to hear of your loss

Just a bit of advice re insurance - if you have a lot of animals to insure the chances are only one of them (if any) will get an illness that is covered by insurance. You cannot predict which one so you spend a fortune insuring them all. To avoid this consider putting back the same monthly amount into a 2nd bank account and soon enough you will have a nice sum of money to pay for any unexpected vets bills. Of course, you can always be caught out e.g. if the bills are larger than the saved sum, but it is worth a thought

bestpud

My cat was vaccinated annually until she was 7/8 and hasn't been since - she's now 14.

My dog has only had his first course as he is just a year old now but he will probably be vaccinated annually until he's at least a bit older. He doesn't ever need kennels at the moment but if that were to change I guess I'd make sure he had his boosters on time every year.

They have flea drops throughout the summer months but not in winter unless they show signs of having them.

Both are wormed every three months. My dog because he likes to eat cat poo and my cat because I find it easier to do the pair of them at the same time.

POSSETTE

no.i dont bother ..in 30 years of dog owning never felt the urge to be taken in by the same codswallop that parent get over MMR etc.
Only once have i vac them and that was because of kennels..but every other time dogs come on hol with us,or go to grandmas to be spoilt for a week!

CFC

I'd never heard of lungworm till I read this thread. Sounds nasty - how common is it and how noticeable are the symptoms?