Little Rant? (maybe)

[Graceful-Lily]

I've had a couple of different vets tell me it's the 3 year vaccine for rabies and distemper that can cause injection site cancer as well but not the one year vaccine. Regular vet doesn't even carry the three years anymore. So I avoid going there as much as possible. They either lied or are not staying current on the research.
Since the last puppy booster isn't a 3 year shot anyway, a vet wouldn't tell there's an increased risk. It's still important to make sure she has as much immunity to parvote as possible since it's such an awful and deadly disease.

That's why I believe the newer research because I've been told it's the *exact same* dosage and everything. So I don't understand how the exact same shot could cause a problem that it doesn't cause with the other one. See what I'm saying?

Also, veterinarians here recommend just the puppy series and then rabies for the rest of your pets life since apparently one shot gives immunity for quite some time.

 

[kashmir64]

I give them every year, regardless. All this 1 year, 3 year stuff reminds me of the tetanus shot for humans. They say it last 7-10 years. Unless there is an incident after 5 years. In which case you need another one. Then...It doesn't last 10 years. Why say it does?

 

[IndyJones]

Honestly with all the it causes cancer scares it's hard to know what to believe anymore. I have never personally heard of or seen cancer associated with a vaccine. At one point they said vaccines caused autism but that's not true.

Anyways it is up to you but I personally think that there's a better chance of being struck by lightning indoors than getting cancer from a vaccine.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Honestly with all the it causes cancer scares it's hard to know what to believe anymore. I have never personally heard of or seen cancer associated with a vaccine. At one point they said vaccines caused autism but that's not true.

Anyways it is up to you but I personally think that there's a better chance of being struck by lightning indoors than getting cancer from a vaccine.

Injection site sarcomas are a real concern, for cats especially

 

[Graceful-Lily]

I was just about to say the same thing. I've read too many stories online from multiple websites and studies to believe that it's a super rare occurrence. Protection is important nonetheless. It's never a win-win situation it seems.

 

[talkingpeanut]

I was just about to say the same thing. I've read too many stories online from multiple websites and studies to believe that it's a super rare occurrence. Protection is important nonetheless. It's never a win-win situation it seems.

Getting the protection is essential, but know to look out for any unusual, lasting swelling around the injection site.

 

[IndyJones]

I'm not saying it isn't a concern just trying to be rational about it. If we look at the total number of animals vaccinated globally in a year and compare the number who have a reaction it is actually a fairly small percentage.
If something is truly unsafe drug companies and pharmacies put strict warnings and regulations in place.

There are lots of things we use that have the potential to hurt us but the chances of it happening are fairly low.

I personally chose to only vaccinate if the vet brings it up at an appointment but for me it's more of a money issue since I am low income. Plus in Kabby's case, he's older and its just overall harder on his system.

 

[arouetta]

A rate between 1 in 10,000 cats and 1 in 1000 cats (yes, a tenth of a percent) is not super rare. Especially when you look at how many vaccinated cats are in the US. Plus while onset can be as fast as less than a month, it can also take upwards to 15 years for the vaccine to trigger the sarcoma (yes, that's proven according to NIH and the AVMA), and average is a couple of years. That length of onset can cloud the perceptions of non-medical people since the cause-effect is harder to see, making it seem more rare than it is.

To make the issue scarier, the NIH summary of the studies said that a tie between sarcomas and microchipping can't be definitely proven since the old place for vaccines was in the same place. However it also did not say that a connection between the two is disproven. There will probably be definitive data in a few years now that vaccine sites have been moved from the shoulder blades.

However it's pretty much a cat problem. It has been seen in dogs, but nowhere near as often. Dogs are more predisposed to getting sarcomas in general than humans are, but the vaccine tie really isn't there. Sarcomas in dogs look to be a genetic problem instead.

 

[kashmir64]

I personally only get the starter shots for my cats. But we are talking about your dog here. One that goes outside and you take places. The risk of disease far outweighs the possibility of a sarcoma.
Like I said earlier, I give those myself for $10. Ask the clinic vet to show you how if you are so inclined.

 

[kittens mom]

So, I few weeks ago, I said I'd be trying a new vet. I gave them my files but didn't switch over Felix's or Smokey's because I like the veterinarians that deal with cats at the old clinic. Just not the dog ones. I thought I'd really enjoy this new vet because the first experience was really positive and I enjoyed it. However, it seems like when money got involved, things went downhill. Very fast. I have a new puppy which I wasn't prepared for since I had planned on getting a rescue. But when that didn't work out and my mom got me a puppy, I thought I knew enough. But I was wrong. Upon further research, I learned a whole lot about vaccinations and there is so much controversy. Just like with raw feeding. I closed the laptop feeling very upset. If I had know better, I wouldn't have made Daisy get those extra vaccines. I felt like I was pressured to spend more money at this new vet. Which in fact I did, I was told that it would only cost me $41 but I walked out of the clinic spending $150+. I had to borrow money from my mom to cover the rest. I feel at a total loss now. I've been to so many vets in the past few years and it seems like money cast a very dark shadow over the well being of pets. I was also so scarred Daisy would get parvovirus or something so I kept researching until I felt sick. I started second guessing everything. I'm even thinking that I should cancel the appointment she has set for 16 weeks for her last vaccination because I'm afraid that I'm over vaccinating her. I wanted to have a titer test in a few weeks to check her immunity for the diseases she's apparently at risk for but the vet said, "Why would you want that? It's so expensive!" But I'm sure it's better than over vaccinating my puppy at such a young age. She's been on strange streets, the dog park, puppy classes, etc. I know the risk but she has a very important purpose in life and I wanted to make sure she is well socialized. The vet also didn't say anything about her getting parvovirus! The vet actually put Daisy on the ground herself! Which is probably where she would most likely get the disease in the first place. I'm getting really sick of this. This is part of the reason why I don't take my cats often unless it's absolutely necessary. I always seem to get the short end of the stick and have issues with vets. I honestly don't want to go back to either vet. I don't know what to do. Has anyone ever experienced this? Please let me know because all this run around has been exhausting and stressful for not only Daisy but me as well. I'd appreciate anything.

He can help you find a titer at a good price.
John Robb

 

[Graceful-Lily]

Thank you but this has already been discussed and resolved.

 

[kittens mom]

That's why I believe the newer research because I've been told it's the *exact same* dosage and everything. So I don't understand how the exact same shot could cause a problem that it doesn't cause with the other one. See what I'm saying?

Also, veterinarians here recommend just the puppy series and then rabies for the rest of your pets life since apparently one shot gives immunity for quite some time.

It's not how long the vaccine is tested for it's the lack of an adjuvant in Purevax that makes it safer.

 

[Graceful-Lily]

From reading John's post, he seems to be anti-vaccine. I could be wrong. The numerous people who comment on his posts also seem to hold that same belief. He's in the USA anyway so to do a titer would be impossible since I'm in Canada.

And like I said before, this has already been discussed and resolved. The thread has been open for a long time so I've made up my mind already.

 

[arouetta]

From reading John's post, he seems to be anti-vaccine. I could be wrong. The numerous people who comment on his posts also seem to hold that same belief. He's in the USA anyway so to do a titer would be impossible since I'm in Canada.

I went back a couple of pages, can't figure out which poster is "John". I'm not anti-vaccine. I'm middle of the road. When the disease is far more likely than any risk the vaccine poses and catching the disease is not an itty bitty "cough, I'm sick" but involves death or permanent disability, I'm right there at the doctor's door (whether human or animal). When the chance of disease is virtually nil and the risk of the vaccine is far more likely, then I'm not going to do it.

IndyJones' comment is exactly the situation that made me research vaccines for my own personal household. I was there when the war between parents who vaccinate their children and anti-vaxxers broke out, and I wanted to know the facts. The facts that are proven or strongly suspected is the reason why I got my daughter vaccinated for chicken pox and HPV. The facts that are proven or strongly suspected is why I hate that the military forced me to get a flu vaccine while I was pregnant and why I breathe a sigh of relief that my daughter didn't suffer the potential effects from it. The facts that are proven or strongly suspected is the reason why my indoor-only, never exposed to another cat, never exposed to an animal possibly carrying rabies, darling kitties don't get vaccinated.

Vaccines can cause problems, yes. That's why there is a government mandated pool of money for people harmed by vaccines. But people die from the diseases we are vaccinated against. I'd rather run the extremely small risk of a vaccine reaction than the fairly decent size risk of my kid dying from whooping cough or measles. I'd rather get my kid vaccinated against chicken pox than her turning into one of the few thousand kids who die of breathing complications from chicken pox or one of the few thousand kids who die of sepsis from an infected chicken pox blister or one of the tens of millions of people who end up with a nasty case of shingles when they are old and medically fragile. But on the opposite side, if she had caught full-blown measles from the first MMR shot, I'd be skipping the rest of the series as additional shots would have no benefit but still contain some risk.

 

[kashmir64]

Let us know how it goes after your clinic appointment.
More importantly, let us know how you are doing afterwards.

 

[inkysmom]

Arouetta I'm the same way. I'm more minimale about vaccinating my indoor only cats who never go anywhere but the vet. My dog who is very social and goes everywhere and loves meeting other dogs and is constantly exposed to everything I vaccinate for everything. I've worked a lot in hospitals with high risk populations and feel that I get sick less often and less severity when I get the flu shot, so I choose to get it. I also was forced to get the hepatitis b vaccine by a hospital I worked at which I was not happy about. I had an allergic reaction to the third shot. Luckily that was the last of the series and amazingly the ER doctor diagnosed it as an allergic reaction but adamantly refused to admit that it was to the vaccine even though the symptoms started within a few hours of getting the vaccine and absolutely nothing else had changed. I think he didn't want to do the extra mandatory required reporting paperwork.

 

[Belle Bosse]

Could you possibly redirect me to neutral sources then?

I suggest you try looking up
healthy pets . mercola . com and in the search line type in: puppy vaccines. (Take out the spaces in the address).

Dr Karen Becker is an Integrative Veterinarian which means she understands the Natural and the conventional as well as Nutritional sides of pet care. She makes heaps of sense and does not believe in overdoing anything. Her view is well balanced and with the animals best health in mind. I wish there were more Vets like her.