Category: Health

I used to believe that being a responsible pet owner meant diligent annual vaccinations.  I now realize that it is unnecessary and even potentially harmful.

I’ve used a limited vaccine protocol for over 10 years now.  I vaccinate for parvo and distemper at 8-9 weeks old, 4 weeks later and then a third, and final, booster at a year old.

Wait until the puppy is at least six months of age before vaccinating for rabies.  A rabies booster is then required 12 months later.  After that, I vaccinate every three years  for rabies (per Iowa law).

Note: Never give a rabies shot at the same time as other boosters – space them out by at least two weeks. Completely avoid 5- or 7-way combo shots (which many vets push).  The combo shots are risky for multiple reasons.  Read about the risk of combo shots.

I do not give any other vaccines throughout the life of the dog. Over-vaccination can be detrimental to your dog’s health.  Challenge studies have indicated parvo and distemper vaccinations give animals 5-7 years of immunity, possibly longer.  So, not only are repeated jabs most likely unnecessary, they also carry a health risk.

I was vaccinating for bordetella (kennel cough) annually, however the last time my dogs received the intra-nasal bordetella vaccine, Skyy suffered a reaction.  It turned out to be relatively minor (in hindsight; it did not seem that way when I was making an ER vet trip in the middle of the night), but it has made me nervous.  I’m still on the fence about using this in the future.

In lieu of vaccinations, I utilize titers.  A titer checks for antibodies present in the blood, which signifies the immune response level.  To titer, your vet simply needs to draw a small sample of blood and send it to an appropriate lab, like ANTECH (some vets might handle titers in house).  The results come back within a few weeks.  In the years that I’ve been titering my dogs, the results have always come back strong, showing an appropriate immune response level.

The lab will dilute the sample of blood to determine the titer levels.  The number of times the sample can be diluted before no antibodies can be detected are read as ratio’s.  If the sample can be diluted 100 times, still showing antibodies, the resulting ratio would read 1:100.  So, the higher the number, the stronger the titer.

My results from ANTECH Diagnostics state, for both parvo and distemper: “A titer of 1:5 or greater, with no clinical signs, indicates immunologic response to vaccination.  A titer of less than 1:5 indicates poor immunologic response to vaccination.”

Both of my girls results, for both parvo and distemper, were listed >1:5, showing appropriate immune response levels.

If titer results are weak, it doesn’t necessarily mean the dog needs a booster shot.  Read more about weak titer results.

The titers are used for “proof of vaccination”, for when my dogs attend training classes, are boarded, etc.  This is actually the primary reason I titer, as there isn’t concern on my end regarding lack of immunity.  Just need proof that the lack of vaccinations isn’t done out of neglect and my dogs carry an appropriate immune response level so they are not at risk.

Just had titers ran on my two dogs.  It was $57/dog for a set of parvo/distemper titers, so I walked out of the vet’s office paying $114 total.  This is more than shots, but this way my dogs are not subjected to something potentially harmful.

Got the official certificates in the mail last week and OFA’s database is updated now as well.  Kizzy’s elbows & patellas looked great and she was rated “Good” for her hips.  Here is the link to her results – http://www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=1419704#animal .  YAY!  Next we’ll be looking for a cardiac clinic as well has do her thyroid testing. 

Skyy also recently passed an updated CERF (eyes) exam with great results…at SIX!  Another YAY!

As many people know, Great Danes are the number one breed at risk of Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, (GDV) commonly known as bloat and torsion.

Bloat is when the stomach fills with gas, then the stomach flips (torsion/volvulus), cutting off blood supply to the stomach, which causes the stomach to start to die.  Often, the spleen and major blood vessels in the area twist as well.  This causes the dog to go into shock.  Bloat episodes can often be fatal and progress quickly.  Immediate veterinary assistance is imperative.

It should be noted that the cause of bloat is unknown.  I’ve heard of some Dane owners that restrict exercise for an hour before and an hour after eating.  Personally, I find that excessive.  Considering the fact I work during the day and feed my dogs twice daily, if their exercise was restricted for four hours each day, they wouldn’t ever have time to play!  If they’ve been on a run before a meal, I make sure they’ve had the chance to cool down before I feed them.  I also would not take them on a big run right after eating.

There have been claims that feeding from a raised dish either prevent or cause bloat, I don’t subscribe to either belief.

There are various other theories, but when it comes down to it, there is not a way to prevent bloat.  The best course of action is to become familiar with the symptoms of bloat and know your vet’s emergency procedures.  Check out Ginnie Saunders’ Bloat Links for more information on bloat.  The Great Dane Club of America has a helpful Bloat Chart available, too.

There is a preventative surgery, called a gastropexy, that will hopefully help prevent torsion, the fatal part of a bloat episode.  This will not stop a dog from bloating, but it should buy the owner time in getting the dog to the vet and might even save the dog’s life.

This past Monday, I took Kizzy in for a Prophylactic Gastropexy.  Prophylactic  means preventative.  (Gastropexies are also done during emergency bloat surgeries.)  A gastropexy (gastro = digestive system; pexy = surgical fixation) adheres the stomach to the body cavity.  Even if your dog has had a “pexy”, if you suspect your dog is bloating, seek emergency vet care.

We recommend gastropexies on Great Danes after 18 months of age.  We avoid doing the pexy on immature Danes as their bodies grow and change so much before maturity.

There are various gastropexies methods.  We opt to do a Laparoscopic-Assisted Gastropexy (LAG).  The advantages to doing this laparoscopically are the small incisions and quick recovery time.

I’m trying something new this year for heart worm prevention and giving liquid Ivomec to the dogs.  It’s substantially cheaper than Heartguard or Interceptor, while offering the same protection.

After having my vet perform a heart worm check on both dogs, and having it come back negative, I purchased Ivermectin from Jeffers Pet Supply (1% Iovmec).  Ivermectin is the active ingredient in Heartguard. I also purchased needles & syringes from Jeffers to be able to draw out the correct dose.

I made the mistake off purchasing the 200 ml bottle, hoping it would last me several years.  However, the expiration date on the bottle that I received is in 2010.  Next time I’ll be purchasing the 50 ml bottle, which will be able to treat both of my Danes for the entire HW season.

The Ivermectin is stored in my refrigerator and the dogs are dosed every 30-45 days.  To dose the dogs, I’m calculating 1/10 cc per 10 lbs. of dog weight.  This is given to the dogs orally. I draw the solution out of the bottle with the needle & syringe and then either take the needle off and squirt it down the dogs’ throats or add it to a treat and then give it to them.

Please note: Ivermectin can not be given to certain breeds because of a genetic defect in the mechanism that prevents drugs from building up in the brain.  This mutation is recessive and is called mdr1-1Δ.  The normal gene that protects the brain is called MDR1.  There is now a commercially available test you can do on your dog if you’re unsure if they have this sensitivity – Multidrug Sensitivity in Dogs.  They list the most commonly affected breeds as:
Australian Shepherd
Australian Shepherd (Mini)
Collie
Long-haired Whippet
McNab
Silken Windhound

Additional information on this prevention method:
www.beaglesunlimited.com/beaglehealth_canineheartworms.htm
forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/farmlife/msg0713514016840.html

Update on my leg – healing well!  No surgery and I can stay in a boot as opposed to a cast (luck of it being a non-weight bearing bone).

Had a bit of a scare with Skyy this past weekend.

Saturday night, she became increasingly uncomfortable. She acted as if maybe she was nauseous, swallowing repeatedly.  She kept swallowing these big gulps of air and was obviously distressed.  I couldn’t determine what was wrong, so squeezed some Phazyme (gas relief) capsules down her throat, out of concern about bloat.

Over the course of the night, she wasn’t improving and seemed to be getting worse.  My concern grew.  Loaded up and headed to the ER vet around 4:00 AM.  Upon initial evaluation, the vet was quick to blame our raw feeding method, even hinting at the chance of salmonella. (ha)

We did x-rays of her stomach & trachea and a blood panel.  After several hours at the ER clinic, nothing could be determined, so an anti-nausea injection was given and I took her home, with instruction to give a Pepcid-AC once a day for the next couple of days and continue to monitor her.

Skyy was still uncomfortable and continued the swallowing air, along with some gagging and retching.  I took her into my regular vet on Tuesday for observation, concerned that we might be dealing with some sort of impaction.  I had been feeding way too much bone lately and became concerned that might be the problem.  Raw bone is digestible, but too much bone (in relation to meat) in the dog’s diet can cause constipation.  Thankfully, my vet was able to rule that out, although we were all still stumped on what could be wrong.

Tuesday evening, Kizzy started doing the odd swallowing, as well as some gagging.  She wasn’t in distressed state and her symptoms were more subtle.  In fact, her symptoms were so minor, I wouldn’t have paid them a lot of attention if they weren’t mimicking Skyy’s more severe symptoms.

After Kizzy started with her symptoms, I started looking at other ideas of the problem.  Both dogs had been given an intra-nasal kennel cough vaccine the previous Monday.  Upon some research and follow up discussion with both my mentor and my vet, it was determined that we were dealing with a reaction to the vaccination, also known as vaccinosis.  Any adverse reaction to any vaccine can be classified as vaccinosis.  It seems to be a rather broad term, encompassing minor reactions all the way to serious reactions, including death. 

In this case, my dogs weren’t infected with kennel cough, rather their reaction was due to something being sprayed up their nose.  The allergic reaction in the trachea and bronchial tree caused inflammation and subsequent irritation of the throat. 

To give a little more detail about kennel cough vaccines, there are two ways to administer – an injectable or intra-nasal.  The intra-nasal is preferred for both a faster  and better immunity response.  Because of the nature of kennel cough, being picked up through the nasal passages, there is also a believed benefit in the location specific antibodies.

When reporting the adverse reaction to the vaccine manufacturer, I spoke with a staff veterinarian.  Less than 5% of dogs have a reaction to this vaccine (what luck!).  Treating the dogs’ reaction with Benadryl would have likely taken care of it.  To have known that $300 (and lots of worry) ago!

To report adverse vaccine reactions in dogs, you (or  your vet) can go directly to the USDA website or contact the vaccine manufacturer.  I went through the vaccine manufacturer and then they will report it to the USDA. 

I’ve been a long time believer in a limited vaccination protocol, due to problems like vaccinosis and the fact that repeated vaccinations do not improve immune response.

For those unfamiliar with a limited vaccination protocol, this is the vaccination schedule we use:

AGE OF PUP	VACCINE TYPE
8 – 9 weeks	Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (Modified Live Virus) No 5- or 7-way combos
12-13 weeks (4 weeks after 1st)	Same as above
6 months or older	Rabies
1 year	Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV
1 year	Rabies, killed 3-year product (give 2-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster)

 

Instead of annually repeating parvo/distemper vaccinations, I titer my dogs.  A titer checks for antibodies in the blood, to get a picture of the dog’s immunity to specific viruses.  I strongly recommend titering, as opposed to blindly vaccinating.  A titer is noninvasive and only requires a simple blood draw, so any vet can perform a titer.  The blood sample is sent away to a lab and then the results come back within a few weeks.  In the years that I’ve been titering my dogs, the results always come back showing an appropriate immunity level.

I have also recommended the kennel cough vaccination every 6-12 months for dogs routinely exposed to other dogs.  At this point, I’m unsure if I’ll continue to give kennel cough.  The vet believes that Skyy’s reaction was a one-time deal (it was the first time she had the intra-nasal), but I’m still hesitant.

Thankfully, Skyy is almost back to normal.