[Dreammom]

Or anyone to weigh in on this situation...

Cally our yellow lab pup was due for her "last set" of puppy vaccines last week. Because of the situation with caring for mom and dad I was not available to take her...and now things with dad have become worse (hospitalization and looking for a nursing home) and I can't take her at all. My regular Vet does not take appt's., so I have been taking Cally to a different Vet for her vaccines. My regular Vet recognized Laylas first shots, this Vet will not recognize Callys first shots. Cally has had 3 already...I am in favor of less vaccination of course because of our vaccine reaction history here. Unfortunately I don't have the time to take her to any Vet right now, let alone our regular Vet that will require a 3-5 hour wait to see. I really want to get her into our regular Vet because of some other concerns I have. Is 3 vaccines enough?

My other concern is she is due for her heartworm pill today, she was switched to medium last month, but they only gave me one. I can't get there to pick up another one...I do have plenty of Large. Cally weighs about 35-40 lbs...Can I give her one of the large or 3/4 of one?

Thanks in advance

 

[k9mom]

if it were me I would just call the vet and let him know that right now it's just impossiable for me to get to the office for the last shot and see what they say.

I would think cutting the pill down would be ok but you could call and ask the vet .

 

[Karen519]

Reply

I also would just call the vet and explain what is going on and ask their advice.
I would also ask them about the Heartworm Pill when you call.

 

[Maggies mom]

You can cut the pill in half and give it to her.

 

[Angelina]

Are there any Pet Food Express type stores that give weekly clinics for shots in your area? Sorry to hear of your troubles.

 

[Tahnee GR]

It's not the number of shots that matters, it's when they are given. Typically, the first shot could be given around 8 weeks, then 12 weeks and finally at 16 weeks (as an example). Multiple shots are given because we have no way of knowing when the immunity will wear off. It's not a cumulative effect of the shots. I like the last puppy shot to be after 14 weeks and, with the schedule I follow, it is typically around 16 weeks. Before then, chances are much less that the puppy is protected.

Can someone else take her into the vet for you? I would be worried about her not being protected, especially against parvo.

My concern on cutting the pill in half is you have no way of knowing if the active ingredients are mixed evenly throughout the pill. If not, she could be unprotected.

I would normally not recommend this, but under the circumstances, you could give her the last vaccination yourself. It is not without risk, especially if the shot has lepto in it. I just gave my older dogs their every 3 year booster, and Bug got her booster as well (1 year after her last puppy shot). Because winter is coming on and the risk is low, I did not get the vaccine with lepto in it.

My vets know I do this, and they recognize the shots I give. I also save the label and put it in the dog's file, for my records.

 

[Maggies mom]

My concern on cutting the pill in half is you have no way of knowing if the active ingredients are mixed evenly throughout the pill. If not, she could be unprotected.
.

A rep from the company that makes interceptor and my vet said this would be ok..... we were waiting on a shipment of Hw pills to come in for a certain weight. I would think a half a pill would be better than None, since the op cant get to the vets.

 

[Claire's Friend]

How old is she now? How old was she when she had the third shot?

 

[mylissyk]

Do you have any idea how much she weighs? If she is close the weight of the large HW pill you can give it to her without cutting it, it won't hurt her.

It sounds like you have other reasons for seeing your regular vet though, I think you may just have to work it out so you can take her to them. Or, find another vet that will accept all the shots she's already had.

 

[IowaGold]

It's not the number of shots that matters, it's when they are given. Typically, the first shot could be given around 8 weeks, then 12 weeks and finally at 16 weeks (as an example). Multiple shots are given because we have no way of knowing when the immunity will wear off. It's not a cumulative effect of the shots. I like the last puppy shot to be after 14 weeks and, with the schedule I follow, it is typically around 16 weeks. Before then, chances are much less that the puppy is protected.

Can someone else take her into the vet for you? I would be worried about her not being protected, especially against parvo.

My concern on cutting the pill in half is you have no way of knowing if the active ingredients are mixed evenly throughout the pill. If not, she could be unprotected.

I would normally not recommend this, but under the circumstances, you could give her the last vaccination yourself. It is not without risk, especially if the shot has lepto in it. I just gave my older dogs their every 3 year booster, and Bug got her booster as well (1 year after her last puppy shot). Because winter is coming on and the risk is low, I did not get the vaccine with lepto in it.

My vets know I do this, and they recognize the shots I give. I also save the label and put it in the dog's file, for my records.

(Almost) everything she said! My clinic wouldn't recognize the last shot if you gave it yourself (would probably be different for a breeder that we have talked with, but not someone who gets a vaccine OTC), but I was going to say everything else exactly. I would try to find a vaccination clinic (PetCo's often have them) if you can't get in for a regular appointment. Hopefully a friend could take Cally in for her last shot.

As to the heartworm pill question-my reps have told us NOT to split pills. Unless a pill is marked for breaking (has a score line), it is NOT guaranteed to have equal amount of meds throughout the pill so you could be underdosing her. I would rather see you give a whole large pill as the meds are extremely safe.

 

[Dreammom]

Thank you all! I spoke to the one Vet they told me give her a whole large pill, but that she may get sick...just not what I need right now LOL. Then they pressured me about getting her in for the other vaccines. I managed to speak to my regular Vet, he told me not to worry about the other vaccines yet - take care of mom and dad. I was able to stop by there on the way home from checking out a nursing home and picked up a medium HW pill. I thought they wouldn't do it, since she got her other two from that different clinic...but it was no problem.

One worry off my head for a bit at least!

 

[hotel4dogs]

I don't have any advice, just sending prayers and good thoughts to you, you are going thru so much right now.

 

[Deb_Bayne]

My regular Vet does not take appt's..........................our regular Vet that will require a 3-5 hour wait to see.

I've never heard of this, a vet not taking appointments and expect their clients and pets to wait in the waiting room for hours. Bayne and the cats would go stir crazy if they had to do that.

 

[Sally's Mom]

I agree with Tahnee and Iowa Gold. In fact, I was reading about heartworm meds last night and in some Southern parts of this country, they are seeing resistance to heartworm meds. In fact, they are recommending dosing higher... when we treat sarcoptic and demodectic mange with ivermectin, it is at much higher doses than the monthly prevention.

 

[harrym]

My vet gave me a single medium Heartgard pill, but the next month Amber weighed 44 pounds and he said it would be OK to use the 50+ pound pills I had on hand. The next month she weighed over 50 pounds.

 

[Karen519]

DreamMom

DreamMom

So glad that your vet set your mind at ease about the vaccinations and gave you the medium pill. Glad you didn't give her the large-I would NOT HAVE EITHER.

Recently, Ken and I were short one Heartworm Pill, we order them online and I called our vet Arboretum View Animal Hospital in Downers Grove, IL, and they let me pick up one.

 

[Looni2ns]

So glad your vet is willing to work with you, and knows how to priortize events in our lives.

 

[Shalva]

Let me just say one thing .... I am interested in this "my vet won't recognize the vaccinations"... the reality is that as far as i know the only vaccine that is ever mandated by law is rabies...

while vets may want you to have the others and you should have the others it is not their issue to recognize or not recognize the shots.

many breeders and people with large numbers of dogs do their own vaccines... and regardless of whether my vet likes it or not that is how it goes and they honestly have no say in the matter.

I don't even vaccinate t all anymore I run titers and see the values and go from there...

 

[Megora]

the reality is that as far as i know the only vaccine that is ever mandated by law is rabies...

It's the only one mandated by law, but society kinda mandates the others to a certain extent.

If you are boarding your dog or trying to get your dog into dog training somewhere or you want to take your dog to certain dog events (not dog shows necessarily, but "pet expos" that are run by shelters or pet dog groups) they want something from the vet that shows your dog is up to date on all vaccinations and clear of all worms (yearly fecal check).

My one question or confusion is that I always thought that the series of shots need to be done on a certain schedule. Otherwise the vet needs to redo the shots.

 

[Shalva]

If you are boarding your dog or trying to get your dog into dog training somewhere or you want to take your dog to certain dog events (not dog shows necessarily, but "pet expos" that are run by shelters or pet dog groups) they want something from the vet that shows your dog is up to date on all vaccinations and clear of all worms (yearly fecal check).

but that is a completely different issue than this "my vet won't accept the shots" and honestly as soon as a vet tells me they won't accept what I have chosen to do with my dog I find another vet.... the fact is that yes if you want to board or do whatever you might need proof of vaccination and htat is something that you have to work out with the kennel or whatever.... and honestly I have never had a kennel refuse to board my dogs... or class refuse to take my dogs based on my doing my own vaccines or run titers instead of doing shots....

but for a vet to imply that they won't accept them... well its not their business to accept anything....

perhaps it is playing semantics a bit... but people really do think that vets have more power and control than they actually do... and this kind of thing just bugs me...

and honestly at this point it doesn't sound like this dog is going anywhere....