Should you vaccinate senior pets?  This is a question that sparks lively debate.

Some people believe that you should absolutely not vaccinate senior pets.  They contend that a senior dog or cat has built up enough immunity from the vaccines they have received over their lifetime that they do not need them.  People on that side of the argument are very passionate.  There are any number of articles on the internet from vets who have never treated your pet and do not know anything of their lifestyle or health but are more than willing to set a one size fits all policy against vaccinations.

I prefer a different approach and thank goodness we use a veterinary practice that does not see veterinary medicine as something rigid, but rather they consider what it best for our pets based on their health and lifestyles.

Thunder turned 12 this year so at his annual exam, we reviewed his vaccinations and whether he needed any boosters.  First we reviewed his rabies.  This is the only vaccine that is required by state law where we live.  Our state requires the rabies vaccine be given every three years.  Thunder was current on this vaccine so it was not necessary.

We moved on to optional vaccines.  Our vet does not stack vaccines.  This means that we generally decide on the vaccines and then the vet schedules which to administer in roughly two week intervals. They will give some vaccines together, it just depends on what they are.  Our vet examines the animal before giving any vaccine, but does not charge for an office visit each time a vaccine is given.

We reviewed Thunder’s general health and lifestyle.  Health is important to the decision of whether to give any vaccines.  We do annual blood work and Thunder receives regular vet care so our vet has a good idea of his overall health.  Last fall Thunder was suffering from  Osteomyelitis (an infection) in his jaw,  Vaccines would not have been given at that time.  However, Thunder has recovered completely from that infection so if we elected to give some of the optional vaccines, his health would allow it.

We like to vaccinate annually against Bordetella because we travel a lot with our dogs and they can be exposed to the virus/bacteria which causes kennel cough.  Sure it is not full proof protection, but it is something.  This vaccine requires annual boosters to be effective.   We have not vaccinated against canine influenza.  Our vet feels that the vaccine is not that effective due to the multiple strains.  We have been instructed that if our dogs show any type of respiratory infection, to contact them immediately.  They tend to treat respiratory infections aggressively, especially in a senior dog because those can turn life threatening quickly.

Next we considered the vaccine for Leptospirosis.  Leptospirosis is a bacteria that can be transmitted to a dog through urine of an infected animal.  This vaccine is one that some dogs have a reaction to, however Thunder has never had one.  Since Thunder is a hunting dog and spends time in the woods, he gets the Leptospirosis vaccine.  That is a no brainer.  This is another vaccine that requires annual boosters.  See our post Let’s Talk Leptospirosis for more about this.

Finally we considered the DHPP vaccine.  This is a three year vaccine for distemper, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus.  Thunder has has these vaccines throughout his life.  By 12 years of age, he probably has plenty of immunity to these diseases.  Our vet was fine with not vaccinating.  However when discussing lifestyle our vet brought up something we had not thought about.  What if we had to board Thunder?  That was something we had not considered.  We have elderly family out of state and you just never know when we might have to board the dogs and go.  Sure we have people who will help with the dogs, but we have to consider what if our helpers are not available.  Most of the places we would board our dogs require current vaccines (not titers test results).  Since Thunder is in good health we elected to vaccinate, but for sure this is the last time for him.

Nestle the cat is another story.  Although she is doing better than last year ( a new update on her coming in my next post), she still has health issues.  The vet has advised against vaccines for her.  Her rabies is still current, so for the time being we do not have to worry about that.  Given that she is a small indoor cat, we may avoid that vaccine going forward.  I believe that our state law is silent on the need to vaccinate cats against rabies.

I like our vet’s approach to vaccinations.  They have treated our pets for their entire lives and know their health and lifestyles.  They are willing to discuss options and costs with us so we can make informed choices.

How does your vet approach vaccinations?  Do you vaccinate senior pets?

Reference:  Do senior dogs and cats need vaccines?