[JoAsha3]

Hi everyone,

I’d like to know what people’s thoughts are about the “Lyme” vaccine...
I’m located in Canada, and recently ticks have been on the rise. My vet of course mentioned getting it, but my breeder said the vaccine is mostly just a money grab.

Thoughts?

 

[reraven123]

From what I understand it's not all that effective, maybe about 60%, and has some serious side effects. I have never given it, don't intend to. If you are vigilant about checking for ticks and removing them, I don't think the vaccine is called for.

 

[twyla]

If you live where Lyme disease is prevalent, the vaccine is a game changer. Dogs, cats and People do die here from Lyme Disease. I know people in my condo complex who have lost more than one dog. Two of my coworkers have contracted Lyme disease within the last year.

My dogs do get the Lyme Disease vaccine every year since it became available, only had one dog still contract Lyme's after the vaccine but she didn't get sick nor did she die.

So do your homework on Lyme's disease in your area.

I live in the lower Hudson Valley in New York.

 

[lily cd re]

Just because ticks have crossed the border doesn't guarantee that Lyme has also done so. That being said I live on Long Island which is the same as twyla's part of NYS in terms of rates for Lyme. I have known people and people whose dogs have seriously suffered from Lyme disease. It has driven almost all of our local area agility trials indoors and made nearly everyone I know afraid of doing tracking. I do give the poodles Lyme vaxx since we travel a lot and I am a tracking dabbler.


You should be able to check about whether Lyme is present in your area by checking with your local public health agency.

 

[mary2e]

My vet gave Gilligan his shots one at a time last year (it was many trips). After the lyme shot he got sick, so I only gave him that one and haven't given another since. We now have our property treated for ticks and look at him closely when we take him for a walk. I did find one on his hair, but it hadn't made it down to his skin.

 

[MustLoveDogs]

We live in a place where many people get sick from Lyme, and our vet recommended the vaccine. We got the first one, but haven't done the booster yet. Contrary to what I'd heard before, the vet said it's extremely effective. I was convinced when she told me that the manufacturer guarantees it to the extent that if a pet has the shots but comes down with clinical lyme, they will pay for the treatment (which can cost 5k or more). The vet said in all the thousands of dogs she's worked with, only two had to call in that guarantee--and the company paid. Having known lots of people and some pets who've developed lifelong debilitating problems from Lyme, that was compelling.

Also, the vet didn't recommend every vaccine, and that made me feel better about it. She didn't think we should get the dog flu vaccine unless we do a lot of competing, didn't need the lepto vaccine unless the dog is going to be swimming, and she didn't think bordatella was that helpful if we're not going to board the dog, but she did say we might have to do it at some point b/c it is required by some puppy classes, sports, and groomers. Cleo had a reaction to the parvo/distemper shot, so I'm inclined to be minimalist.

 

[twyla]

I also have them give Benedryl along with the vaccines, Bea gets sick from vaccines and Leonard's breeder recommended that I have dose of Benedryl along with any vaccines.

 

[mary2e]

Hmmmm... Rod never mentioned that to me. This year he seems to do better with shots. He got rabies and distemper in March with no ill effects. Perhaps it's because he's older now.

 

[Michigan Gal]

My vet does not vaccinate for Lyme disease as she does not think it works well and can have negative side effects.. That being said, it is rare for someone to have it where I live, human or dog.

 

[Dogs4Life]

I don't understand how a vet can refuse to provide this vaccine. What if a dog in a low-incidence state travels to a high-incidence state with their owner for a trip? Lyme is nothing to mess with. My dogs currently are not vaccinated, but I have considered it and will vaccinate them if I start taking them to state parks or similar areas. Right now they don't spend much time outside.

 

[Moni]

Just like Twyla I am also in the Lower Hudson Valley - otherwise known as tick central. My vet does not push the Lyme vaccine for several years now - by which I mean they will offer it if you ask for it, but I haven't been asked several years now. This concurs with what we had decided in the tracking club that it doesn't seem to offer the protection we were after and on top of it can trigger serious side effects. We had concluded that it was not worth the risk in the end for the serious tracking competitors. So while we had a phase about 10 years ago of getting everybody vaccinated for Lyme - I think all of us have decided against it in recent years This is purely observational. I have had great results with the Seresto collar and recommend it highly. (I know some had had side effects - just saying what has worked for us).

 

[kvitto]

Hi everyone,

I’d like to know what people’s thoughts are about the “Lyme” vaccine...
I’m located in Canada, and recently ticks have been on the rise. My vet of course mentioned getting it, but my breeder said the vaccine is mostly just a money grab.

Thoughts?

I was in with my toy poodle at the vet for annual check up when I mentioned we were leaving for Michigan upper peninsula in a few weeks. Without missing a beat he said “oh glad you mentioned this. We’ll get her vaccinated against Lyme disease. It’s very bad you know and the ticks up there are plentiful “. So I didn’t have a chance to think. I allowed her to get it because I wanted to protect her. She hid under the bed, didn’t eat and stayed away from us for several days. I’d go get her to cuddle and comfort her, tried to feed her, potty her, etc. I told him about the reaction. He denied it was related. He tried to tell me it was a fluke that it wasn’t due to the vaccine. Unfortunately I allowed him to do it again before we left for the U.P. Since it was a 2 shot series. She had the same reaction. Again he denied it was the vaccine. We don’t go there anymore! All I can say is trust your gut and research any vaccine!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mary2e]

We also tried Advantix II when we were taking him to Florida. He was going nuts itching. The vet told me to wash it off with Dawn, which I did and he was fine afterwards.

I did buy a natural product called Wondercide which I spray on him if we're going for a long walk. It smells nice and doesn't bother him.

 

[Michigan Gal]

Kvitto, I live in Michigan LP, vets still don't want to vaccinate for lyme because they don't trust the vaccination. There are other ways to keep ticks off your dog and yourself for a few days.

 

[Charmed]

I do not regularly vaccinate against Lyme disease, however when I was travelling to Tennessee, I did get the vaccine for Sailor. The game changer for me was the fact that one of my daughter's dogs had already contracted the disease. He wore a Seresto collar, but the other dogs constantly yanked it off of him. My vet was very much in agreement that Sailor should get the shot.

 

[twyla]

I realize it was ages ago, but I lost my 4 1/2 yr old cat PK to a single tick, she was indoor kitty she accidentally got out she died within a week of me removing a single deer tick from her.

 

[JoAsha3]

Thank you everyone so much for the opinions.
I love this forum! I wish I’d found it sooner. Getting different opinions from experienced dog owners is invaluable.

 

[JoAsha3]

My vet gave Gilligan his shots one at a time last year (it was many trips). After the lyme shot he got sick, so I only gave him that one and haven't given another since. We now have our property treated for ticks and look at him closely when we take him for a walk. I did find one on his hair, but it hadn't made it down to his skin.

Interesting you mention that because my pup got his 1st prarvo & distemper shot at 12 weeks old 2 days after I brought him home and after that he gradually stopped wanting breakfast, then it went to not eating much all day altogether, then had 2 peeing accidents in the house (he was SO good about going to the door to ask to go out) then he had an episode where he vomited 6-7 times and actually had diarrhea on my floor! After that, I brought him to the vet where he was on medicine to settle his stomach and antibiotics (which I didn’t think he needed but I listened to my vet). Now he’s much better but I’m almost thinking maybe he had a vaccine reaction..

 

[JoAsha3]

We live in a place where many people get sick from Lyme, and our vet recommended the vaccine. We got the first one, but haven't done the booster yet. Contrary to what I'd heard before, the vet said it's extremely effective. I was convinced when she told me that the manufacturer guarantees it to the extent that if a pet has the shots but comes down with clinical lyme, they will pay for the treatment (which can cost 5k or more). The vet said in all the thousands of dogs she's worked with, only two had to call in that guarantee--and the company paid. Having known lots of people and some pets who've developed lifelong debilitating problems from Lyme, that was compelling.

Also, the vet didn't recommend every vaccine, and that made me feel better about it. She didn't think we should get the dog flu vaccine unless we do a lot of competing, didn't need the lepto vaccine unless the dog is going to be swimming, and she didn't think bordatella was that helpful if we're not going to board the dog, but she did say we might have to do it at some point b/c it is required by some puppy classes, sports, and groomers. Cleo had a reaction to the parvo/distemper shot, so I'm inclined to be minimalist.

I think my boy had a reaction to the distemper parvo shot... What were your symptoms???

 

[JoAsha3]

Just like Twyla I am also in the Lower Hudson Valley - otherwise known as tick central. My vet does not push the Lyme vaccine for several years now - by which I mean they will offer it if you ask for it, but I haven't been asked several years now. This concurs with what we had decided in the tracking club that it doesn't seem to offer the protection we were after and on top of it can trigger serious side effects. We had concluded that it was not worth the risk in the end for the serious tracking competitors. So while we had a phase about 10 years ago of getting everybody vaccinated for Lyme - I think all of us have decided against it in recent years This is purely observational. I have had great results with the Seresto collar and recommend it highly. (I know some had had side effects - just saying what has worked for us).

I’m going to look into that collar. Thanks for the info!!