I remember 1978 when we breeders thought vaccinating our dogs every year was a must do item because that was the current veterinary protocol. I had several Gordon Setters living with me back then and would buy the vaccines online or through my local vet and administer myself. Paying $40 – $50 for each dog to visit the vet every year as opposed to $3 or so for the vaccine was a “no brainer” that allowed me to pocket those dollars for vet visits related to injuries and sickness as opposed to well-doggie exams.

By the time statements like this “Dr. Schultz concludes:  “Vaccines for diseases like distemper and canine parvovirus, once administered to adult animals, provide lifetime immunity.”  “Are we vaccinating too much?” JAVMA, No. 4, August 15, 1995, pg. 421” went public it was apparent to me that what we had been practicing in order to keep our Gordon Setters safe, was instead perhaps harmful, and I dropped those re-vaccination practices.  Of course changing my behavior so radically wasn’t easy, this was a radical change, however using antibody titers to monitor immunity on my Gordons over the past decade has a addressed the anxiety, no adult has required a booster.

If you’re thinking that more is better, that you must continue to provide booster shots for the life of your Gordon, reading this article Lifelong Immunity – Why Vets Are Pushing Back | Dogs Naturally Magazine  may give you food for thought.

Sally Gift

Photo by Amy Baitinger

(This article contains photos that are not intended nor do they relate to the content of the article.)