vaccination frequency

[bern]

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I've been reading that many vets have been administering certain vaccines less frequently these days as the efficacy is thought to extend well beyond a year. What are your thoughts on the matter?

I recently moved from New York, which requires rabies vaccinations every three years, to Louisiana, which requires yearly boosters. My dog received his upon our arrival here, as he was overdue by Louisiana law. Unfortunately, he developed an abscess at the injection site. It drained and healed without further complication, but he's nearly due for another round of all yearly vaccinations and it's got me thinking about it.

Obviously, rabies vaccination must be given in accordance with state law. But what about the DA2PP? Like most pet owners, I want him to be protected but don't want to overvaccinate. We'll likely just stick to the current yearly schedule, but I thought it would be a good topic for discussion. With so many different types of vaccines on the market, it's pretty interesting.

My indoor cat is also due, but I think we'll wait another two years for another FVRCP booster and go with the PureVax rabies. I hate to have to vaccinate my indoor cat for rabies, especially since it is so rare in this area, but it's the law.

 

[mammalmama]

Out here in California the DHLPP is a yearly vaccine and rabies is given every three years. Recent studies have shown that giving the DHLPP every year is starting to cause some diseases in dogs that our state veterinarian has never seen before. The vets at the hospital I work for are going to change the vaccination policy very soon so that the DHLPP is given every 3 years instead of every year. As for cats here in the state of California, vets will give the rabies every three years if one asks for it; otherwise it is every year. The FVRCP and FeLV is also yearly. I personally think that vaccine titers should be taken and if the dog or cat antibody levels are well within normal for that vaccine then I don't think a vaccine should be administered. Many vets out here feel the same way and are going to be giving the vaccines every three years instead of every year.

 

[CoffeeCrazy]

I can't really comment on the vaccinations, but I wanted to say that Louisiana does have a high prevalence of rabies. The wildlife center at LSU's vet school won't treat wild caninids because of the probability of rabies. Here at IL, we don't see bats or skunks because of the liklihood those animals have rabies, but LSU won't see any of them... skunks, raccoons, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, etc.

 

[bern]

Well, it's a relative thing. Rabies is far less common in Louisiana than in the Northeast, for example, because of the raccoon epizootic up there. In Louisiana it's usually just skunks and bats. As far as I know, rabies cases in the city of New Orleans really are quite rare.

I just looked up the stats - Louisiana had 10 cases of rabies in 2001; New York had 783.

Can't say I blame LSU for playing it safe, though.