bortadella?

Discussion dedicated to promoting the well-being of your dog through diet, exercise and general health tips.

Moderators: emmabeth, BoardHost

Post Reply
MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

bortadella?

Post by MPbandmom »

How important is this vaccine? I know that dogs who are boarded or in day care or around groups of dogs on a regular basis and might be sharing water dishes and such need to have it, but what about the dog that just goes on walks by itself?

I am asking because it is time for the dogs to get this again as it has been 6 months since their last one. I have recently been taking them to shot clinics at a local pet store because it is much less expensive than getting the same vaccination at the vet's office. Nothing against the vet, just a very tight budget right now.

For Sky this is all very exciting as she gets to see so many other dogs and people and thinks the vet is her new best friend too.

For Sirius it is very stressful as there are lots of strange dogs and lots of strange people, and that vet person is getting way too close for comfort. I have to muzzle her and then somebody has to hold her very tightly and one of the vets even gave her the bortadella as an injection in her rear because he didn't want to get that close to her angry muzzled face. She has to be muzzled to go to our regular vet office as well.

I'm trying to build up her confidence that I will take care of her and protect her, but then I am the one who has to take her to the vet. I feel like if I can skip the bortadella for now, that gives me a little more time to gain her confidence before she has to go for the annual vaccinations again.

I know bortadella is highly contageous in close quarters, but what about sniffing another dog through a fence, or sniffing poop left by the many irresponsible owners around here that seem oblivious to the clean up laws? What about sharing a home with another dog who is vaccinated, but is also exposed more to other dogs?
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
Desiree
Posts: 143
Joined: Mon Sep 06, 2010 7:57 pm

Re: bortadella?

Post by Desiree »

Mine never get it. My vet says since they are very rarely around strange dogs that they don't really need it. Like you I can't afford those extras because lately vet care has been expensive enough for other things. I think my dogs probably got it as puppies, but not since then. I never have them boarded tho and don't take them to dog parks since there aren't any where I live. The one dog that has had it recently, got kennel cough from the vaccine since its a live virus vaccine. :x
User avatar
Mercurykitty
Posts: 30
Joined: Sun Aug 29, 2010 8:59 am
Location: Newark, DE

Re: bortadella?

Post by Mercurykitty »

My vet recommended that I get my puppy vaccinated when I mentioned that I wanted to take her for walks with me at the local park (a large area with a walking track where people jog, skate, bike, walk their dogs, etc).
Fundog
Posts: 3874
Joined: Wed Dec 03, 2008 8:31 am
Location: A little gambling town in the high desert

Re: bortadella?

Post by Fundog »

I've always gotten it for my girls for two reasons: 1) Annie got kennel cough during her very brief stay in the shelter, as a puppy, right before I found her and adopted her. So of course, I never want her to have it again. 2) That way they have it, in the off chance I might need to board them on short notice, or if they need to stay with someone else who has dogs, or heaven forbid, I should lose them, and they have a stay in the shelter before I find them again.
If an opportunity comes to you in life, say yes first, even if you don't know how to do it.
User avatar
Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: bortadella?

Post by Nettle »

It would be conpletely wrong for me to advise you what to do with your dogs - but I can tell you what I do with my dogs.

They have never had KC vaccine.

We live in a well-populated area, and quite a smart one (don't know how I sneaked in) where people go on holiday, board their dogs, the dogs come back with KC and the stupid owners walk them, letting them cough infectious sputum all over our walks.

Now and then (maybe twice in a lifetime) my dogs get kennel cough. Mostly they don't, because they have strong immune systems. If there is a biiig outbreak of KC in my area, I sometimes use a homeopathic remedy as a precaution. It certainly seems to work.

In a healthy dog, KC is no big deal - like a heavy cold for us. In dogs with weak immune systems, the very young and the very old, it can weaken them to the extent that they develop other infections eg pneumonia which of course is serious.

There are as many subtypes of KC as there are of the human cold virus - you can't vaccinate against all of them, and the vaccine hasn't been made that covers all of them.

It is one of those situations where the right answer doesn't exist. I have made an informed choice. Your decision might well be different - but only you can make it.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: bortadella?

Post by MPbandmom »

hmmm good points made for and against.

I may see if my son can go and deal with her. He was supposed to go along to help out last time but then was unable to do so at the last minute. He generally doesn't take her anywhere scary (other than the front yard :lol: ) and he can certaintly hold onto her better than I would be able to do. She spends a fair amount of time with him and often sleeps with him since he has been back home. I figure maybe he could stay in the van with her while I waited in line inside with Sky. I'm thinking being in the van could be less stressful. It also serves as my camper and thus has curtains that could be closed if necessary. Thus if he can't go along, I would not take her. Does this sound like a good way to make a visit to the shot clinic as stress free as possible and reduce my association with taking her to the scary people?

Would something like rescue remedy or pet eze tablets be a good thing to give her before hand too?
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
MPbandmom
Posts: 1637
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2010 7:18 pm

Re: bortadella?

Post by MPbandmom »

My son did go along and kept Sirius in the van while I waited in line with Sky. He said she did do some whining when she saw other dogs, but that was about it. He did give her a dose of rescue remedy while waiting. We did still put the muzzle on her to visit the vet just to be on the safe side. He held her and her dosing seemed to go more smoothly than Sky's. (They lifted Sky up on the table which I think kind of freaked her out. She was obviously a load for the assistant who lifted her and then one leg missed the table. They left Sirius on the floor.)

I have decided that I will likely leave both dogs in the van next time. (Assuming I have someone to sit with them and make certain it doesn't get too hot.) Sky wore me out waiting in line. After it was all over, I wondered how I had managed this process with two dogs at the same time twice in the past. The lady standing behind me had 2 terrier type dogs. One was on a flexi leash and one was obviously not comfortable with larger dogs getting in his face. Yet she stood very closely behind me putting her dog almost constantly in range of Sky's greeting/sniffing/in your face/over your head/overwhelming methods of interacting with other dogs. I eventually started blocking her dogs from getting close to Sky and started holding Sky by the loop on her seatbelt harness instead of her lead. After that I shortened the 4' lead length we had started out with her on to a 2' length as it is a convertable double end clip lead. Then there was the poor puppy next in line on a prong collar pulling and wheezing. There was also the chow mix dog who came in and started a stare down with Sky who was more than willing to accept the challenge. So I spent some time dancing around trying to block Sky's view while the other dog's owner just stood at the same spot rather than going on back and getting into line.

I thank this forum and it's posters for educating me as to how to better read dog body language and manage situations that may turn ugly if not managed properly. I had to keep reminding myself though that I used to be just as ignorant and oblivious as most of those around me were.
Grammy to Sky and Sirius, who came to live with me, stole my heart, and changed my life forever as I took over their care and learned how to be a dog owner.
User avatar
Nettle
Posts: 10753
Joined: Sun Apr 13, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: bortadella?

Post by Nettle »

That was a good job done, MP, and even better work done in the waiting room.

I use two vet. practices, as my favoured vet. does not do surgery, so I need a relationship with a practice that does. "My" vet. usually only has one patient waiting at a time, as the consult time is half an hour except first consultation with new patient, for which he allows an hour. So that's only one dog to dodge (hard enough at times). The other is the usual full waiting-room style of practice but with a big notice up telling people basically not to let their dogs challenge, terrorise, sniff or get in the face of other animals.

Nobody takes any notice :roll: of course. I will remind myself of your last two sentences I thank this forum and it's posters for educating me as to how to better read dog body language and manage situations that may turn ugly if not managed properly. I had to keep reminding myself though that I used to be just as ignorant and oblivious as most of those around me were. next time I feel narky about that - thank you.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Post Reply