My husband and I just happened to tune in yesterday to the "Dog Whisperer" show, and we were captivated.  We instantly put the Walk techniques into practice and are already seeing results.  My question has to do with the appropriate medical shots for our two dogs.  Apollo is a ten- or eleven-year-old Lab/Stratfordshire mix about 70 lbs, and Duke is a seven- or eight-year-old Lab/Shepherd/Rottweiler mix. Their annual shots run close to $600! I’m not convinced all those expensive shots are necessary. What do you recommend as the necessary annual shots they should get? They’re both in excellent health, walked and exercised daily, and very active. 

Many thanks!

Lar and Lola

Dear Lar and Lola,

The first thing you need to do is separate out the parts of what your vet is calling the “annual shots.” Every vet has slightly different recommendations, but the common components are the exam, lab tests, vaccines, and preventative medications. As a consumer you can choose which parts you want to do financially, but medically they all have value.
     
The Exam: The single most important part of the annual is the physical exam.  Especially as your dogs get older, there are many conditions that a physical can detect so that you can provide early intervention. If you consider that in average dog years, your dog ages seven years for every year between exams. This is actually a long time between exams, and many vets will recommend an exam every six months, especially for dogs over seven.

Lab Testing: The lab tests are the second most important part of an adult dog’s annual evaluation. Most local labs now provide yearly profiles at a very reasonable price. A blood profile will help to detect certain hidden conditions early enough to prevent serious disease and establish “normals” for future comparison. Even if you live in a part of the country not requiring heartworm testing, the blood workup is a very valuable tool for helping your pets age gracefully. The fecal evaluation is also very important as it can reveal parasites that can be dangerous to your children as well as your dog.

Vaccines: There are many vaccines available for dogs that are usually not very expensive by themselves, although often the exam price is merged with the vaccines which makes them appear more expensive. The most important vaccines across the country are the rabies and DHPP (the distemper and parvo combination). Rabies is required by law in most states, so, unless your vet has a specific medical reason not to, you should get this one. If there is a condition preventing your dog from safely getting vaccines, you can run a “titer”. This is a blood test, which evaluates whether your dog is immune to the rabies virus. This test is expensive and has no legal standing, but it can be helpful in dogs that can not be vaccinated.

Distemper and Parvo are viruses that can be carried into your house on your shoes or other items, so all dogs should be protected. There are vaccines that last one or three years. The choice of which to use is between you and your vet. There are many other canine vaccines including leptospirosis, lymes disease, corona, and giardia. These diseases are only prevalent in certain areas or conditions, and the vaccines are not always extremely effective. Your vet should help you evaluate your dog’s risk and the potential benefits of vaccination for these diseases.

Heartworm prevention: Heartworm prevention is very important in the areas where they are endemic. On average, treating a dog for heartworms costs the same as a lifetime of prevention, so, even though it seems expensive, in the long run it has good value.  We talked about fleas in a past column, but, in short, prevention is a lot easier than treatment.

Dr. Weaver

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About Dr. Sherry Weaver
Dr. Weaver graduated with honors from the University of Georgia's School of Veterinary Medicine. She founded a state-of-the-art animal hospital, teaches pet care to children, and donates time and resources to rescue organizations. For her full biography, click here.