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jennifer_hogan285

Irritated Over Dog Vaccines

Jennifer Hogan
last year
last modified: last year

I owned a low cost pet vaccination service that I started in the 1980s.

In the early 1990s there was a lot of noise about dogs not really needing the core vaccines (distemper/parvo combo) annually. Evidence showed that the vaccines lasted at least 3 years and may provide lifelong protection. I knew this was going to be a game changer for my business and my income was going to be negatively impacted by this change.

I prepared for this change - went back to school and studied computer science/network engineering/database management so that I could do something else to supplement my income. I abandoned my business in 2010.


Vaccine manufacturers and veterinarians fought attempts to change the guidelines, but as evidence grew there was no denying that the distemper/parvo shot was not needed every year.

It is more than 20 years since the AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) officially changed their recommendation for the core vaccines, changing the recommended booster period be extended to once every 3 years. They have also changed the recommendation for dogs who are overdue. They used to recommend that dogs who were more than 6 months past the vaccination due date get two doses 2-4 weeks apart, but changed that to "Administer a single dose. Revaccinate every 3 years thereafter."

My dog had her vaccination series as a puppy.

She got vaccines again one year after her puppy series. She has gone to the vet and had boosters on her non-core bordetella and Lyme vaccines, but didn't need to distemper and parvo at age 2 or 3.

She is now 4 years old and I took her to a PetVet low cost pet vaccination service at the local Tractor Supply Company store.

They gave my dog her shots and then told me that my dog should come back in 4 weeks for boosters.

I explained that my dog was not overdue for vaccinations and even if she was, she would not need boosters in 4 weeks.

The veterinarian and staff member who was helping me both told me they can't change the companies policy and that if I wanted her vaccination record updated I needed to call customer service.

I called customer service and the girl on the phone told me she doesn't have the authority to change my dogs vaccination record. I asked her to have someone call me back who has authority to fix my pet's record. When I didn't get a call back I called their vet hotline and got the same song and dance. I don't have the authority to change the companies policy or your pets vaccination record.

I then sent an e-mail to the company with the current recommendations by the AAHA attached.

Still no response.

I know that my dog does not need additional vaccines, but I also know that if her records are not updated that the boarding kennel will not accept her for boarding and I have health issues and have been hospitalized 4 times in the past 5 years, so I need her records to show that she is fully vaccinated and not overdue for her distemper and parvo vaccines.

The law allows veterinarians and human physicians to determine the appropriate vaccination schedule for your dog because your dog may have some other risk factor that makes them more susceptible or at higher exposure risk and may need additional protection. (Your pet is immune compromised or you are traveling to a country with high prevalence of disease or you foster stray dogs for the local shelter). The AAHA recommendations are based on normal risk factors and should be followed unless there is some additional risk factor.

At this point I am stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can revaccinate, but my dog has had a vaccine reaction in the past and is at greater risk for an adverse reaction than other dogs and really does not need the vaccines, but if I don't have her revaccinated and I get hospitalized or have to travel for some reason she can't be boarded.

There is no reason that this company is following protocols that are more than 20 years outdated except higher profit margins. They are putting our animals at higher risk for adverse reactions where there is zero benefit to the animal getting the additional vaccines.

This company is one of many vaccine services and many individual veterinarians who are still using the antiquated guidelines to help their bottom line. This is legal, but unethical. These doctors take an oath that they will do no harm, but they are putting our pets lives at risk for the love of the dollar.

I hope that others read this and understand what is happening and start being more assertive when veterinarians or vaccine act unethically and recommend that we over vaccinate our animals so they can drive nicer cars.

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"The 2022 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines are available at aaha.org/canine-vaccinations. These guidelines were prepared by a Task Force of experts convened by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and were subjected to a formal peer-review process. This document is intended as a guideline only, not an AAHA standard of care. These guidelines and recommendations should not be construed as dictating an exclusive protocol, course of treatment, or procedure. Variations in practice may be warranted based on the needs of the individual patient, resources, and limitations unique to each individual practice setting. ©2022 AAHA"





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