Vaccination

Question
Is de-worming and other vaccination really important for japanese spitz? Or can they live without those vaccines? What are the alternative for those vaccines?

Answer

Hi Clifton,

De-worming isn't the same as vaccination. If your dog has internal parasites, they must be killed. The won't go away on their own!

Dogs of all breeds benefit from vaccines, the current debate is which vaccines, and how often to give them.  Your dog's age, if he or she has ever been vaccinated before, risk of exposure, and where you live are all factors to help you decide which vaccines are needed.

Rabies  vaccine is mandated by government just about everywhere you might live. The American Veterinary Medical Association has recommended new  vaccine protocols, which are to vaccine every 3 years for the "core" vaccines, as opposed to vaccinating yearly as it used to be done.

The core vaccines are: rabies, canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus, and canine adenovirus-2. Other "non-core" vaccines are optional, but should be given if your dog has a risk of exposure. These vaccines are for Kennel Cough ("Bordatella"), Lyme Disease,  distemper-measles virus, canine coronavirus, canine parainfluenza virus, Leptospira, to name a few.

The alternative to many vaccines is a blood test, called a Titer test. This is a blood test that can be run to confirm whether or not your dog is already protected from disease with antibodies. Keep in mind, it's possible to pay for the Titer test, and find out your dog is in need of the vaccines, which means you'd end up paying for both the Titer, and also the vaccines. So it's helpful, but not a cheaper method.

You can read more about dog vaccinating your dog here:

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/vacci01.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Canine-Vaccines---A-Discussion-on-Viruses-and-Vaccinat...

http://www.akcchf.org/pdfs/whitepapers/vacissues.pdf

The fact is, vaccines have undoubtedly prevented countless millions of disease related deaths over the years.  Like anything else in life, there is a middle ground that must be struck, an educated and informed judgment that needs to be made when considering the risks versus the benefits of vaccinating our pet dogs.  If you have concerns that need addressing, tell your veterinarian that you would like to consider all the options prior to vaccinating your dog. A good vet will spend the time to help explain the benefits and risks of any vaccine you're considering.

Best of luck,

Patti