Canine Annual

I recently read an article on areas of the country that have serious Lyme issues and was confused that it stated that the south has much less Lyme incident than we do in the Northeast. I always assumed that the warmer the climate, the more potential problem. So I asked our vet about this and he said it was true...very few ticks in the south carry Lyme because the most important host animal for Lyme is the white footed field mouse and that species of mouse doesn't inhabit the deep south.

Check with your vet, but I suspect he/she may tell you the vaccine is not typically needed in your area...but best to check to be on the safe side.

Also some people, even in high Lyme areas, don't want to give the Lyme vaccine since in a very small percentage of the dogs that get it there can be a serious reaction. Our Pixie cannot have the vaccine...she had a grand mal seizure after her first Lyme shot and our vet agreed she should never get another Lyme shot. So I check her carefully every night and if I find an attached tick on her our vet puts her on 7 days of antibiotic to combat any possible Lyme transmission. Pixie is 8 now and this routine has kept her Lyme free in an area that is currently listed as one of the worst areas in the entire US for Lyme.

Trini
 
trini gilmore said:
I recently read an article on areas of the country that have serious Lyme issues and was confused that it stated that the south has much less Lyme incident than we do in the Northeast. I always assumed that the warmer the climate, the more potential problem. So I asked our vet about this and he said it was true...very few ticks in the south carry Lyme because the most important host animal for Lyme is the white footed field mouse and that species of mouse doesn't inhabit the deep south.

Check with your vet, but I suspect he/she may tell you the vaccine is not typically needed in your area...but best to check to be on the safe side.

Also some people, even in high Lyme areas, don't want to give the Lyme vaccine since in a very small percentage of the dogs that get it there can be a serious reaction. Our Pixie cannot have the vaccine...she had a grand mal seizure after her first Lyme shot and our vet agreed she should never get another Lyme shot. So I check her carefully every night and if I find an attached tick on her our vet puts her on 7 days of antibiotic to combat any possible Lyme transmission. Pixie is 8 now and this routine has kept her Lyme free in an area that is currently listed as one of the worst areas in the entire US for Lyme.

Trini
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Oh goodness. He had always told me that I probably don't need it! But id hate the get it "just in case" and someone have a reaction!
 
Cooper'sMama said:
Oh goodness. He had always told me that I probably don't need it! But id hate the get it "just in case" and someone have a reaction!
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In all honesty if your vet doesn't feel you need to have it done, I wouldn't do it. He would tell you to do it if he felt it was necessary. The south just doesn't have the Lyme problem that we do in the northeast.

Trini
 
trini gilmore said:
Our vets charge $62.00 per vet visit.
I have a vaccine titer done yearly on my dogs since they often don't need distemper/parvo every year.
*Titer from Cornell costs $109 ...if bloodwork indicates that vaccine is still needed that is another $32.00 for distemper/parvo.
*Heartworm/Lyme screening costs $42.00
*Rabies, 3 year, costs $32.00
*Lyme vaccine costs $32.00
*Yearly stool floatation costs $28.00

Our vets only administer one vaccine at a time with a two week interval between vaccines.
*Initial yearly checkup is $62.00 and follow up visits for any other needed vaccines are $38.00 for the visit plus $32.00 for the vaccine.
*Year round heartworm prevention and tick/flea preventative (the tick/flea we need for about 6 months of the year) comes to another $200+ per dog.
*Senior panels and Mich State Thyroid, if needed, add another $275.

To be on the safe side I allot $800 per year for standard vet costs per dog...this does NOT include the costs of dentals or any surgery or illness/hospital stay if needed. Standard dental cleaning with no extractions cost $400.

Trini
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Goodness!! a lot more expensive than South Georgia! Our dental cleaning is $130 plus extractions and bloodwork.

Cooper goes to work with me for his annual tomorrow. All I am going to do is the exam, heartworm check, rabies, and MAYBE a dhlpp. Should I do a fecal although we use heartgard plus monthly?
 
My breeder cautioned against Lepto, says it can be really hard on Shelties. My vet does not give it though.

He also suggested waiting until close to a year before rabies, and to give 1/2 a Benadryl half an hour before the appointment to minimize any reactions. My Pomeranian was really sensitive to all vaccines when he was young and had to have them spaced out to avoid any reactions.
 
Judyg951 said:
My breeder cautioned against Lepto, says it can be really hard on Shelties. My vet does not give it though.

He also suggested waiting until close to a year before rabies, and to give 1/2 a Benadryl half an hour before the appointment to minimize any reactions. My Pomeranian was really sensitive to all vaccines when he was young and had to have them spaced out to avoid any reactions.
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I do lepto because of where we live. Neither of my three have ever had a reaction to any vaccine.
 
We did Lepto too -- I read water reports from our local mountains/national parks and found it has indeed been found in the parks we go to all the time. Giardia is there too.

Cubby took to the multi + Lepto and the oral bordatella just fine, barely a slow down. But he is a horse!
 
I don't think I'm going to do bordetella anymore. I can't quite explain my reason in words... I'm just not. But lepto is a must! Even when I discontinue dhlpp, I will still get a lepto booster every year or so
 
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