Pet vaccines a waste of money

[Ramrod]

Link

DOG and cat owners are spending millions of pounds on unnecessary and potentially dangerous vaccines for their pets, according to a group of veterinary surgeons.
More than 30 vets have signed an open letter accusing the pharmaceutical industry of encouraging annual vaccinations, although doses last much longer. The advice being given to vets by drug companies, and passed on to pet owners, amounts to “fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by deception�, the group says.Annual vaccination boosters, which cost up to £50, are given to dogs and cats to protect them against potentially life-threatening conditions such as distemper, leptospirosis and several strains of flu.

In the letter to the Veterinary Times, the vets point to American research that links the overuse of boosters to “adverse post-vaccination events�, including auto-immune disorders and transient infections.

“It is our contention that those (vets) who continue to give annual vaccinations in the light of new evidence may well be acting contrary to the welfare of the animals committed to their care,� the letter concludes.

The boosters, which cost from £20 to £50, are central to the annual income of most veterinary clinics, with a large practice likely to see in excess of 5,000 cases a year.

So save yourselves some money......

[Chris W]

can i change the title of the thread to 'looking after pets a waste of money'?!

never been an animal lover myself... had some finish once, but when they died !

[Nugget]

Unfortunately, if we go away and want to put our cats in the Cattery, we have to show the vaccination certificates to prove that their boosters etc are up to date. This means that, if the vaccinations are unnecessary (particularly bearing in mind that our cats don't go out), we still have to fork out so that we can go away at all

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Unfortunately, if we go away and want to put our cats in the Cattery, we have to show the vaccination certificates to prove that their boosters etc are up to date. This means that, if the vaccinations are unnecessary (particularly bearing in mind that our cats don't go out), we still have to fork out so that we can go away at all

They've got you by the short and curlies then....

[SMHarman]

The Rabies one is even better.

If you take your dog to spain or the NL or US, they only require a booster every 2 years, France require it anually unless it is a specific vaccine when it is 18 monthly. If you step one day outside the 2 years, then you have to do a new antibody test to prove the vaccine has taken.

My dogs been to France once and now the vaccine has lapsed I don't think we will be doing it again. She is microchipped though.

You think getting a human passport is a nightmare, try a Pet passport

A few years ago we put our 2 dogs in the kennels for a week, we had them injected for kennel cough etc etc. When we came back off holiday they both had kennel cough. We phoned the kennels up and asked them if they had a outbreak? They said no, how does 2 dogs get kennel cough when they have been vacinated for it? You are right it is a waste of money.

[Martin]

I have always thought it was a waste of money myself but like has been said it's one of those thing's you have to do. I don't put the dog in Kennels when on holiday, luckily got family willing to look after the doggy.

[orangebird]

I'd rather spend £50 once a year than take even the smallest chance that my cat would get flu... And I pay £5 a month in pet insurance too.

Originally Posted by orangebird

I'd rather spend £50 once a year than take even the smallest chance that my cat would get flu... And I pay £5 a month in pet insurance too.

I agree OB - No cost is to high when it comes to my pets. They are after all members of my family !

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Stuartbe

I agree OB - No cost is to high when it comes to my pets. They are after all members of my family !

Mine is my baby. I adore her to bits!...

[Peach]

I adore mine to bits, they're my boys afterall. But.... my mother keeps cats, my sister keeps cats, my uncle keeps cats, my grandparents keep cats... All of them un-vaccined and so far in my lifetime - I hope never in my lifetime - not one of them has caught any of the diseases that these injections claim to prevent.

I think unless you are going to put them in a cattery, where they are going to be around lots of other cats it's a pretty pointless excercise. Afterall we don't feel it necessary to vaccinate ourselves every year, do we?

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by Peach

I adore mine to bits, they're my boys afterall. But.... my mother keeps cats, my sister keeps cats, my uncle keeps cats, my grandparents keep cats... All of them un-vaccined and so far in my lifetime - I hope never in my lifetime - not one of them has caught any of the diseases that these injections claim to prevent.

I think unless you are going to put them in a cattery, where they are going to be around lots of other cats it's a pretty pointless excercise. Afterall we don't feel it necessary to vaccinate ourselves every year, do we?

My cat plays out most of the day, with other cats that I don't know about, and I will not take a chance for the sake of £50. I couldn't live with myself if she died as a result of not being vaccinated.

[Peach]

I guess that where we differ is I don't think the 'chance' of infection really exists, outside the marketing department of pet vaccine companies. Like I said, I know a fair few people who keep cats none of whom pay the annual £50 subscription that have never had a cat fall ill.

Vaccinations perhaps some are a little un-necessary, but it is better to be safe than sorry. We have a great vet, local practice in Middlesbrough and they talk to you ask you what you think etc BEFORE they carry out any treatment (unless its an emergency and we have had a few of those).

What I find to be a big con is pet insurance. We had insurance on our Jack Russel Benji (he's 7 years old). One day I wa sout walking him and he was attacked by a dalmation, puncture wounds all over, he was bleeding heavily. Took him to vets, cost us over £100 on that one night to have him treated (emergency call out etc) plus another couple of hundred because the wounds became infected, the insurance company told us to get stuffed cos it wasnt life threatening and he wouldnt be on medication for life. So we told the insurance company to get stuffed. I went round to see the owner of the dalmation and she denied everything, I pointed out she had a standing fight with me cos I kicked the dalmation more than once in the ribs (it did have hold of my little jack russel and it was shaking him about trying to kill him) So I went and reported her and the dog to the police. Police wouldnt even do anything!!!!


So beware Not only can Vets con you so can the insurance people and the polive in event of an "incident"