Hello mamas,
Someone just gave us a dog, who is about a year old. She bought him from Craglist and didn't have any vaccination record, and probably didn't have any record of her own either. The dog is healthy, affectionate and has real good manners (he knows sit and wait, etc) and we decided to keep him. We wonder if there is away to know what vaccination he needs. Petco has scheduled a vaccination program that is affordable, but they say we would need to see a vet to determine which shots he needs, instead of overvaccinate him. Money is tight, if we can avoid a trip to the vet ( the dog is really healthy), it would be preferable. Any suggestion?
By the way, we are experienced doggy papa and momma. We have just lost our beloved dog a month ago:(
Thank you very much!
Since you dont know what vaccines the dog has already had you can ask the vet to do a blood test (titers test). This will tell you what antibodies the dog has in its blood.
Some animals get bad reactions to vaccines just like humans and it is better to not over vaccinate.
Get him checked out at a veterinarian and with no prior vaccine records, they will likely vaccinate him for rabies (required by law) and distemper-parvo (DHPP). If he's had them previously and it's a little soon to booster to them, it won't hurt for him to get them, but at least you will know they have been done. Titers are not reliable (and sometimes more money then just vaccinating) and tags mean nothing - a tag could be given for 1 dog but then put on the collar of another dog. They can also talk to you about other vaccines such as kennel cough, etc. depending on what his lifestyle will be like - exposure to other dogs, outdoor activity, etc. They can also check a stool sample for intestinal parasites (which are microscopic so it's not obvious just looking at it if he's okay or not) and have him tested for heartworm. Then they can get him started on some preventative care, such as heartworm prevention and flea/tick protection. They can also schedule him to be neutered, if it has not already been done.
There are low-cost vaccine clinics available sometimes at Petco and other pet supply stores, but they are usually just vaccinating them without an actual vet exam/check-up. Fecal and heartworm testing may not be available either.
The short and brunt of it from my experience of 10 years in the veterinary industry. You can do tests to determine if your dog needs to be vaccinated. The most important ones being Rabies, Distemper/Parvo, and Bordatella. Vaccines like Canine Influenza and Leptospirosis are recommended but a lot of that will depend on what is recommended in your area. But these tests cost money - a lot of money - they are not cheap and often takes several weeks to get the results. So the most cost effective way is to just vaccinate again with what is required by your vet. You will want a vet to examine the dog anyways to check for other problems he may have - check eyes, ears, listen for heart murmur. Things that will potentially cost more if not addressed.
Spend the money and have the dog examined by a vet and get the vaccines. I don't agree with overvaccinating but if you are looking for a cost effective way of doing this without vaccinating - there really isn't. Rabies vaccine titer to check for levels in the blood can cost $100+ and you want to do that for every vaccine that is recommended when most places will charge you $10-15 per vaccine. The math is simple. You can always rotate the vaccines afterwards but for now I would just get all the vaccines and be on the safe side. It is much better than not vaccinating or testing and the dog catch a preventable disease.
The typical schedule for dogs is a series of vaccinations between 7 & 16 weeks, including the 1-yr Rabies, followed by boosters the following year.
Typically, the Rabies given after the first year is a 3-yr vaccination. I have personally not experienced anyone giving a 3-yr Rabies to a puppy, only the 1-yr. So for certain, I would make sure the dog is up to date on the Rabies (required by law in most municipalities).
Additionally, there are vaccinations that are highly recommended & others that are optional.
Recommended: Parvo, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Distemper. There is a combo vaccine (DHLPP, includes Parainfluenza) that many vets give as a 3-yr booster. Since you do not know if this dog has ANY vaccinations, I would recommend that one also.
Optional vaccines: Corona virus, Lyme's & Bordetella (kennel cough). I personally do not give these, nor do I recommend them to my puppy owners. There is some evidence that giving Lyme's vaccines may cause a more severe case of Lyme's if the dog contracts it despite the vaccine. Corona & Kennel Cough are rarely life-threatening. Just like the flu for humans, dogs can still get different strains of Kennel Cough, & the vaccination doesn't cover all strains.
Once you have given the vaccines for this year (Rabies & the DHLPP), you can either repeat them every 3 years, or opt to only give the Rabies & do titers for the others. A titer is a blood culture to check for antibody immunty against those diseases; if it is low, then the vaccine is given, if it is high, the dog still has protection. The plus of doing a titer is the dog is not over-vaccinated (which can cause issues in some breeds & with some conditions) but the negative is that if the titer comes back low, the vaccine must be given, at an additional cost.
Check with your local humane society, animal control & pet stores. Often you can find vaccination clinics or low-cost clinics for such things.
T.
I've been a breeder & breed-enthusiast of Rhodesian Ridgebacks since 2000.This is information I give my puppy owners, through my research & recommendations of my personal vets.
You could have the vet checked to see if he may, by chance, be micro-chipped. That way you could possibly find the original owner and have your questions answered.
Please try and get se up with a vet. He will need so much more than just inexpensive shots.
I would go to the vet and get the dog checked out --and, then go to Petco based on what the vet says !
If your 1 year old dog has never had any vaccines ,he needs Rabies & DHPP. Puppys need a series of vaccines . Just call a Vet 1st to find out what your dog would need to be covered then go to the Vacc. clinic. Do u know if the dog has been checked for worms? He may need worming. What about heart worms or fleas? It's not cheap to own a pet as you probably already know from having a elderly beloved dog & losing it recently . )~,: I'm so sorry.It's hard to say good bye to a loyal 4 legged long time family member! I just lost 1 about a week ago. K.
Take the pup to the vet for a thorough exam. It's in his best interest...and yours. He'll need a blood test prior to receiving heart worm meds, assuming you'll be giving him this. Cheap insurance in my mind vs the cost of treatment if he gets one of these nasty parasites. Heart worm & flea treatment are available in one prescription tablet from your vet (once a month with food).
Owning a dog isn't cheap, which is something we discovered 6 months after rescuing our last Siberian. He developed a soft tissue sarcoma (3 times in 3 years). Surgeries and treatment cost us thousands of dollars and gave us 3 1/2 years with our boy. You never know what will arise healthwise with a pet. The first stop with made with our new rescue dog last year was a trip to the vet for a thorough going over, which included blood work to check for hidden health issues.
I'm sorry for your recent loss. I know all too well the heartbreak of losing a beloved pet. That said, if money is tight and you can't afford the proper care of another dog at this time, perhaps it's best not to have one until you can readily and easily afford everything that pup may need. I'm not trying to be unkind, just realistic. We were pet less for 10+ years for this very reason.
