Kathryn/Anyone?

[janiejoey]

Do you take your animals in for yearly check ups and shots?

I'm afraid to get too many shots for my animals, yet I don't want any harm to come to them either.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey

 

[hiitdogs]

RE: Kathryn

Hi Janie,

Obviously I am not Kathryn, but I thought I chime in here. I was just reading this article when I checked on the Cathe forum again and saw your question.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07121/782290-338.stm

I give all my pets the initial series of vaccinations when they are puppies/kittens and NO booster shots. The dogs do get their rabies vaccine, but only because I am required by law.

I don't give any heartworm medication, however, I do get yearly heartworm testing done.


Take care,

Carola

 

[janiejoey]

RE: Kathryn

Thank you Carola,

Just what I was wondering. My little ones do have awful side effects from these shots. I'll now wait for three years from now on. Except maybe rabies, we live out in the country, although, they are pinned up and wild animals can't get to them. Unless they can think of a way to get at them. I'll have to think about that one.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey

 

[cecil]

RE: Kathryn

Janie,

I do just the first series like Carola, and I dont do boosters at all. I have all cats and birds and I discussed this with my vet and she agrees with me. Good Luck!!

Lisa

 

[lederr]

RE: Kathryn

Not Kathryn, but I used to be a vet tech, if that counts and I work in animal rescue. I don't give my pets vaccinations yearly (except for rabies because it is required by law). I don't have the references available, but I have read that if you get them vaccinations as puppies and boosters, they should have enough and their titers should be high enough to protect them. We don't get yearly vaccinations, so I don't know why our pets have to get them year after year. I gave them to my pups until they were about 5 years old, then stopped all but rabies.

I also don't like giving Frontline (Advantage, etc.) unless I absolutely have to. When it says to wear gloves when administering and call poison control if you come in contact with it, I can't think that putting it on my dogs (to be absorbed into their bloodstream) is a good thing.

I do give them their Heartguard every month. I have seen too many with heartworms and it is so easily preventable.

I got all my babies a three year rabies so I don't have to get it for them every year. Don't know if that makes a difference.

Lorie

 

[RunnerGirl]

RE: Kathryn

I get the rabies for mine. OT, but my Italian Greyhound just had to have 22 teeth pulled last week. I felt so sorry for him! Although he's atough little guy! It hasn't seemed to even faze him. I am not sure how his teeth got so bad, we trie to brush them although it's next to impossible and he gets dentals when needed. The vet said it's a hereditary thing with his breed.
LD

 

[janiejoey]

RE: Kathryn

LD,

That is so sad. I give my little girl bones to chew on, after every meal.(only two meals per day) cause she is so little. I also make her meals so I know she will be just fine. I sometimes brush her teeth as well. Aren't our pets wonderful? I will have at least a dog and a cat, always.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey

 

[kathryn]

Hi, Janie!
I do take my cats in for yearly check-ups, but I've reduced the amount of shots they are getting. I have them on a protocol that, after their first round of shots, they get boosters only every 2-3 years (depending on the vaccine), and they have one type of shot one year, and another the following year, so they don't have to deal with multiple vaccines at one time.

I know there are varying opinions on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and how long they really do work (some say that the initial shots alone should provide lifelong immunity, others say that immunity lasts at least 3-5 years). I came to my cats' protocol in consultation with my vet.

And when Scooter (my dearly departed diabetic kitty) got to a certain age and illness, he didn't get any more shots at all (because neither the vet nor I thought it was necessary to put his body through any more stress).

 

[kathryn]

RE: Kathryn

>I also don't like giving Frontline (Advantage, etc.) unless I
>absolutely have to. When it says to wear gloves when
>administering and call poison control if you come in contact
>with it, I can't think that putting it on my dogs (to be
>absorbed into their bloodstream) is a good thing.

I agree.

I find it odd that it is supposedly 'safe' for animals, but is toxic to humans.

When I have to deal with fleas (I haven't for several years), I use a combo of combing and drowning the fleas in soapy water, using light traps (with a sticky pad: the fleas are attracted to the light at night, jumps towards it, and get stuck on the sticky pads), using diatomaceous earth on surfaces, etc.

I tried to get 'just first round of shots and boosters' for my cats, but the vet wanted them to get more than that. And if the cats ever have to stay at the vets, they have to be up-to-date on all their shots. Bummer.

 

[janiejoey]

RE: Kathryn

What is a sticky pad and where do I find one? It must have a lite of it's own? Is there a place on a site I could look at? Does it work on cats without the water? This is new to me.

I guess every other year or so for boosters is better than every year.

Thank you for the info.

I've received good advice here from everyone, and I appreciate it.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey

 

[kathryn]

RE: Kathryn

>What is a sticky pad and where do I find one? It must have a
>lite of it's own? Is there a place on a site I could look at?

The flea trap has a built-in light (yellow) and a sticky pad on the bottom that traps the fleas. I think there are several types available, here are a few (some are the same, but you might prefer to buy them from one place vs. another):
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/flea-trap.html
(Planet Natural has other natural, non-toxic flea control products as well. Often, with 'natural' methods, I find that using several methods at once works best.)

http://www.bugsaway.com/catalog/flea-trap-p-148.html
http://www.biconet.com/pets/fleaTrap.html
http://www.springstar.net/products/fleapage.html
You can find more by searching 'flea trap' or 'flea light trap'

Here's some info on natural flea control: http://www.fleascontrol.com/natural-flea-control.htm
That same site also shows the two main flea traps (the ones I linked to above).


> Does it work on cats without the water?
I don't understand? There is no water involved with the flea trap: just the light and sticky pad.

The water is when I use a flea comb, and after combing the cat and trapping a flea, dunk it in a bowl of water with some soap in (the soap is necessary to cut the surface tension of the water, otherwise, the fleas can stay on the surface of the water and jump away).

Luckily, I haven't had to deal with fleas for several years, as my cats stay inside most of the time, and they haven't picked up any fleas on their rare outings (under my supervision) into the front yard, which has no grass, just plantings).

 

[janiejoey]

RE: Kathryn

Kathryn,

You are a wealth of information girl! I don't have fleas yet, but every so often I do, and don't want to use advantage anymore. I love prevention of all sorts. With your info I am able to get a few products on hand, so when they (fleas, ticks...) come visiting, it will be their last time.

Thanks once again, you are so helpful.

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible

www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey