Parvo shot?

[Tommysmom]

Hi Guys,

Does anybody know or have documentation on how long a parvo shot is good for? I know they say you need it every year, but is there any documentation on how long it really lasts?

Our regular vet thinks Tommy needs one this year. He had all of his puppy shots, and his one year shots. He's now 2.5 years old. He had a 3 year rabies last year, so that's still fine, and we don't do the lepto or bortadella shots due to his health history.

Our holistic vet thinks he's fine for now and doesn't think he should have it due to his current issues. She feels that he will still be protected.

Tommy doesn't really see other dogs except for my mom's doggies, who are up to date on their shots. He goes for walks but does not go to dog parks.

I'd rather he not have anything unnecessary at the moment but I do want him to be safe, I just can't find any information on how long a parvo shot is actually effective for. Titer testing is going to run us upwards of $400-500 dollars, so I just thought I'd ask if anybody knew anything about it.

Thanks!

[luckypenny]

Our vet recommends every 3 years for regular vaccinations. He also said that he would leave it up to me whether I'd want to vaccinate again in the future for Parvo as he believes adult dogs are extremely low risk. We've had them vaccinated against it only when they first came to live with us, not since.

The oldest pup I've known to suffer form Parvo was approximately 1 year old but her immune system was weak to begin with. I guess it's a personal decision you'll have to make TM. You'll find all sorts of info for and against and at what intervals.

Here's one:

There has also been some thought that annual vaccination is not necessary, especially for a disease where adult dogs are considered low risk. Many university teaching hospitals have switched to an every 3 year schedule for adult dogs. There is still controversy regarding this practice, especially given possible financial impact to most veterinary hospitals. Do not be surprised if your veterinarian has chosen to follow the university and begin recommending a 3 year vaccination protocol for this virus.http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_vaccination_options_prevention.html

And a whole bunch of info: http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=...rvovirus&meta=

[Tommysmom]

Thank you, LuckyPenny!

That's quite a relief... it's so hard to decide sometimes between not wanting to fill him full of stuff he doesn't need and yet still ensuring he's protected. Tommy's immune system is pretty much non-existent, lol, but since he's had his shots all on time up until now it seems like it's really low risk for him at the moment. We'll probably catch him up at some point, but I'm rather happy to let him go for now and just concentrate on gaining his health back.

[luckypenny]

I'll let you know that I never have a pup or dog vaccinated if they are not well. Lucky wasn't vaccinated until he was home with us for at least 3-4 months. It is widely not recommended to vaccinate a dog/cat if their immune systems are compromised. Same goes for humans.

I used to worry too until someone asked if I vaccinated my children every year. Made sense not to fret over it.

We'll have to figure out how to teach a "get better now" command for little Tommy .

[Tommysmom]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

We'll have to figure out how to teach a "get better now" command for little Tommy .

Great thought, eh? But then again, he's a JRT - he'd probably just ignore us until he felt like doing it anyway.