Taking Sammy to the vet *many questions - opinions needed*...

[Lover_Of_Lopz]

The shots the vet gave our lab killed her we are 99.99% percent shore that it was the shots. she was fine than we took her to get her shots and 1-2 week after that she had lost 20-30 pounds and went blind then she got worse until she could not walk than we had to put her down:cry2 If you don't need the shots don't get them!! their is a book about it its called:What The Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines, By: Catherine O'Drisol. Hope this helps.

--Nicky

 

[undergunfire]

See...it is stories like that that make me think twice. I am very sorry about the loss of your dog .

Maybe I should call the rescue group and see if they can get me in touch with Sammy's foster mom, so I can ask her if Sammy had any complications to shots when the rescue had them done. I really had no back information on Sammy, just that he was turned into the rescue because the lady who had him and his sister had to give up one of her dogs and she chose to give up Sammy.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

If he has had his shots recently, you probably don't need to get them done. You probably got some sort of record of his vet care while he was with the rescue. As you said he has gotten shots with the rescue, he should be OK.
I would get any shots he doesn't currently have that are part of the vets regular vaccines.

I don't use any flea or heart worm preventatives, but I am not in a high risk area. You could try the Shootag for fleas. I don't know if it works, but it may be worth a try. I would discuss this sort of thing with your vet.

He does need some sort of protection for disease. A dog really should go out everyday for a walk to meet other dogs, people and to go to new places. Imagine if you had to spend all day every day in the same place and only got out once or twice a month? Not to sound rude, but dogs need more than to run around the yard.

I would not rely on a vacinaton-a-thon. I would rather pay more and go to a vet I know than risk a bad batch and no one to take responsibility. Knowing you vet when your dog is healthy is better when your pet gets sick. A free visit is fine, but get a good relationship with a vet before you need it.

I don't know a lot about the low dose vaccines or only doing what is necessary. I am looking into it for my dogs, and might switch vets to get a different schedule. I would suggest that you talk with a vet and do your own research about it.

 

[undergunfire]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

If he has had his shots recently, you probably don't need to get them done. You probably got some sort of record of his vet care while he was with the rescue. As you said he has gotten shots with the rescue, he should be OK.
I would get any shots he doesn't currently have that are part of the vets regular vaccines.

The rescue didn't give us his past vet records, just said he had all his shots and they are due in February of 2009. We just adopted Sammy last fall.


He does need some sort of protection for disease. A dog really should go out everyday for a walk to meet other dogs, people and to go to new places. Imagine if you had to spend all day every day in the same place and only got out once or twice a month? Not to sound rude, but dogs need more than to run around the yard.

Sammy goes to my parents house a few times a month for a run around their fenced in backyard and to hang out with them. Sammy also meets people who come to our house and he sometimes gets to go to work for a little bit to meet people. He is a very people/kid friendly dog...so not meeting new people every day will not hurt him.

As for a walk, I think he does fine not going for walks every day. He gets plenty of exercise running through our house with the kitties. It's winter here right now, so he doesn't even like stepping foot outside to go potty...it is too cold for him. My cats don't go outside at all and I wouldn't take them outside on a harness and leash...so I don't see why my dog has too, too. He does fine and he's a happy guy....beats sitting at the rescue waiting for a home...he is lucky he found us .

I would not rely on a vacinaton-a-thon. I would rather pay more and go to a vet I know than risk a bad batch and no one to take responsibility. Knowing you vet when your dog is healthy is better when your pet gets sick. A free visit is fine, but get a good relationship with a vet before you need it.

I'd rather not pay $75 for the same exact shots at the vet, when I can pay $30 for those same exact shots at the mobile shot clinic. It's the same shots and many people rely on low cost shot clinics.

I have a relationship with Dr. Batt because I was taking Benson (my old foster) to her regularly.

 

[JadeIcing]

Korr_and_Sophie wrote:

A dog really should go out everyday for a walk to meet other dogs, people and to go to new places. Imagine if you had to spend all day every day in the same place and only got out once or twice a month? Not to sound rude, but dogs need more than to run around the yard.

:expressionlessEveryday? Not everyone lives somewhere that they can do that. My mom could never go for a walk with her dogs. To many big dogs with bad owners. Also hawks are all over where she lives also where I live. We have smalldogs that a hawk could snatch up before wecouldreact. :nerves1I couldneverforgivemyself if that happened. Where I live Kashi would get to walk a parking lot which she does in good weather. There is no where else shecould go. What do Ido? Drive several hours toget her out and about with otherdogs? We do the best wecan for them. To the bestof our abilities.:biggrin2:

My family has always kept the dogs in the house or in our yards. The only other places they see are vets offices and family houses. All our dogs have lived long healthy happy lives.

 

[undergunfire]

I took Sammy to get his shots today at the shot clinic. I left work early to run home and get him, then get to the mobile clinic early before the line started. Only....there was no line and I was suuuper early, so we shopped around Petco. Sammy made girlfriend with a Shih Tzu :?. He also crapped in the middle of the store and peed twice...embarrassing little bugger!


Anyway.... The lady at the table outside the mobile bus talked me into getting him the 4-way shot. I know it included Parvo, but I forgot what else. I decided to do the shot becuase she told me that Parvo is really big around here. I was dead set on just the rabies shot, but decided to get all of his shots this time, as they were his last puppy-type shots. I'll decide what I want to do in 3 years...as the paper work said his next 4-way shot is due in 3 years...not in 1 year....is that odd? Sam got his rabies shot, as well.

I felt dumb because I should have thought about how there wasn't any way possible for them to swipe debit cards out in the parking lot and of course, I had no cash on me. I had to leave Sammy with them while they did his shots...and I ran into Target real quick (in the next parking lot) to get cash back so I could pay.


Oh! I also got Sammy a microchip for only $15.....cheap! I just have to pay $18.50 to register it online, which I will be doing pretty soon here.

 

[Mrs. PBJ]

Yeah thats the new vac protical.

I am glad everything worked out for youwatch him for the night and the next few days to make sure he is ok.

 

[undergunfire]

PBJ wrote:

Yeah thats the new vac protical.

I am glad everything worked out for youwatch him for the night and the next few days to make sure he is ok.

Thank you!

At least Sammy is set for 3 years as far as shots go. I actually felt okay today getting him his last set of "puppy shots". When it comes time to get his shots again in 3 years, I will have to decide to do them again or not. Maybe it is a good thing that I got him his shots because Ryan and I definitely plan to get another dog sometime, so it is nice to know Sammy is protected from an illness if it has one...as I am sure we will be getting one from the shelter or a rescue and Sammy will need to pick out his own dog if we do not get a puppy (Ryan wants a long haired dapple Doxie :rollseyes). We are definitely getting another Doxie or Doxie mix, though .

 

[Boz]

undergunfire wrote:

(Ryan wants a long haired dapple Doxie :rollseyes).

OMG so do I! haha!

I'm glad you posted this. Lots of good information! I know my dog is due for shots soon.

 

[undergunfire]

Boz wrote:

undergunfire wrote:

(Ryan wants a long haired dapple Doxie :rollseyes).

OMG so do I! haha!

I don't see spending hundreds of dollars for a purebred dog from a breeder when there are tons of Doxie's and Doxie mixes being put to sleep daily in shelters (IMO)....so I told Ryan we will be searching in shelters for years, lol ! He really wants that certain type of Doxie, but I know one day when we get another dog it will just happen to fall upon us and every thing will play out well...like it did with getting Sammy.

I also told him that if HE was to buy from a reputable breeder...we would have to donate a few hundred dollars to a shelter/rescue because I would feel guilty :twitch:.

 

[missyscove]

Glad to hear you got the shot & chip.
I volunteered at the shot clinic we did at the animal shelter I volunteered at. We had at least a hundred animals go through and I had to help them fill out the forms with what shots they wanted, whether or not they wanted a microchip, whether or not they'd brought paperwork about a prior rabies shot (if you've had a prior rabies shot, the rabies is good for 3 years instead of just 1), whether or not they wanted a license, if the dog was speutered or not (changes the price of the license).
And some of this I had to attempt to do in Spanish!
I'm glad you didn't have a problem with a line.