A dog breeders medical advice right or wrong?

First, it's spelled Bordetella...

Second, it has been known for years that the Bordetella vaccine is ineffective against many of the strains of virus that cause the disease.

Third, for the vast majority of dogs, kennel cough is no different than an ordinary cold is to us. A complication that can occur *rarely* is pneumonia, but few dogs require any type of medication.

Fourth, yes the vaccine can cause problems. Any vaccine can. But don't take my word for it:

1. "There are at least forty agents capable of initiating Bordetella so vaccination might appear to be prudent if it weren’t for the fact that only two of these agents are contained in the intranasal vaccine. This poor percentage truly makes the Bordetella vaccine a shot in the dark. The lack of efficacy is well summarized by noted immunologist Dr. Ronald Schultz: “Kennel Cough is not a vaccinatable disease”. "

https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/bordatella-v...

2. "News from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccine Guideline’s Group: Vaccine Guidelines, page 11: “Canine respiratory disease complex (kennel cough) is not a vaccine-preventable disease and the vaccine should only be used to help manage the disease.” http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2012/03/21/bordetell...

I do not give and have never given the Lepto vaccine to my dogs. If we lived in a high-risk area, that would be different. But it is well-known that the Lepto vaccine has the highest incidence of side effects:

"Schultz notes, “I find there’s still a fairly high percentage of dogs that do not respond to the 4-way vaccine. In addition, of all the bacterin vaccines, leptospirosis causes the most adverse reactions.”

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/pos...

As to your specific questions:

"Have you ever heard this before from breeders?" - yes."

"Do you take medical advice from breeders?" - I *consider* medical advice from breeders. I do further research (and that could include consulting my vet) before deciding.

"could you possibly say to an owner that doesn't want to vaccinate their dog/puppy for fears of allergic reactions?"

Give them a *balanced* information sheet discussing the pros AND the cons of vaccination for your particular area. For example, all my dogs are vaccinated for parvo and distemper, both of which are deadly. None of them are vaccinated for Bordetella (if they do get it, not a big deal--and I haven't had a case of kennel cough in over 20 years) or Lepto (not a risk in my area).

"Would you even try to convince them?" - Convince? No. Educate? Yes. But once they have all the pertinent information, in the end it is up to each owner to decide what to do. And especially in your case, if you start arguing you'll just lose a client.

And I hope your clinic doesn't insist on annual vaccines....

Yes I have heard it.

Some breeders are ill-informed..others are not.

Some breeds ARE more sensitive to certain vaccines or medications. I know that certain heart worm medications should not be give to collies as it can kill them. This is fact and not from a breeder.

IF a dog has an allergic reaction, most vets wont vaccinate for THAT vaccine again.

I had a lady say she didn't need HW meds....because her breeder said so as she does "not allow them to drink from the lake"....HW is from mosquito. Needless to say, she signed a waiver. So does ANYONE who refuses stuff for silly reasons, such as breeders. Legally though, they have to get the rabies vaccine, other than that its there choice. All I can say is Parvo is a horrible disease and it is to late to vaccinate once they get it (notice how so many questions on here are about parvo? I noticed an increase in the last two weeks...sad and usually because the breeder does not get the pet vaccinated at 8 weeks, or tell the owners to get it vaccinated).

We still try to get basic core vaccines done, even if they are worried. Vaccine reactions are RARE (I have seen 2 in six years) and while scary, easily treated. Also, vaccine companies PAY for the treatment (not that it changes anything, but it helps).

1

I never vaccinate for Bordetalla (kennel cough). That person's breeder is correct. The vaccine only protects against certain strains of kennel cough, not all strains of kennel cough. Unless the dog is being boarded or goes to a doggy daycare, there is absolutely no reason for the vaccine.

Same goes for lepto. If lepto is a problem in your neighborhood, then you vaccinate for it. However, if lepto is NOT a problem in your nabe, then you don't. The local vet would know if there is problem with dogs coming down in lepto in the neighborhood.

I happen to vaccinate for lepto simply because I hunt with my dogs. If I didn't hunt, I wouldn't give this vaccine to them. My dogs **never** get the bordetalla vaccine and I've been going to dog shows for close to 20 years and never had a dog come down with kennel cough.

I also don't vaccinate yearly. I do the appropriate (core) vaccines, following the new protocols that Dr. Jean Dodds established. I then vaccinate every 3 years and rabies as required by law (every 3 years). When the dog turns 7, I then run titers. I no longer vaccinate except for rabies.

Over vaccination can cause all kinds of problems.

BTW, I do take the recommendations of my breeder. She's been in the breed for close to 30 years. Needles to say, I also do my own research.

As for trying to "convince" an owner to vaccinate. If there is a problem with allergic reactions to vaccine, then they have a right to be concerned and not do it.

BTW, I know of a miniature dachshund that died from a allergic reaction to a vaccine.

All this says to me is that these "breeders" are breeding unhealthy stock, and making more unhealthy babies. If you have a line with a medical problem that makes them susceptible to illness, WHY would you breed those genetics on??

Allergies are not usually genetic. Personally, I took medical advice from my breeder, because she was a very well known show breeder and her husband is a vet. However, many people who call themselves breeders have NO idea what they are doing. My guess is these were cases of one bad reaction, and they decided to do what they thought was the right thing and avoid all vaccinations.

However, if the dogs are allergic to the vaccination, there is a good chance the actual disease will be much more harmful to them than another dog.

Owning a Bull Terrier, second one, I do not do unnecessary shots. But I consult a breeder if I have a question. You have to do what is right for your dog. I went threw hell with my first girl do to over

vaccinations. She developed allergies, lumps right after she got a set of shots. Rabies is a must.

People don't learn from advice, unfortunately. They learn from the consequences of their mistakes. Only when their pet falls ill will they realize that their pet needs vaccinations.