Pets may be getting vaccinated too often and unnecessarily by vets at a cost to both their owners’ wallets and the animals’ possible health and wellbeing.
The consumer group Choice reports despite international advice and professional guidelines, many adult cats and dogs are still receiving injections annually instead of the now recommended cycle of not more than every three years.
According to Choice, pet owners are not being told about new guidelines on so called core vaccines — which can not only save them money but also prevent adverse reactions and even the death of some animals.
“In 2010 the Australian Veterinary Association changed its guidelines to say adult cats and dogs should be given these vaccines no more frequently than every three years,” said Choice spokesman Christopher Zinn.
“But despite international advice too many vets here appear to recommending annual core C3 vaccination which protect against more serious dog and cat diseases.”
An industry survey suggests there might be a conflict of interest with about 90% of vets saying dog and cat vaccinations are the most important contributor to their turnover.
In another barrier to change, many of the labels on vaccines still state they can be used annually although the Australian regulator, the APVMA, is working with manufacturers to update this information.
In addition, while the Australian Veterinary Association says in most cases the core vaccines should only be administered no more than once every three years, the umbrella body only represents 60% of the profession and its members are required to abide by guidelines anyway.
Some pet owners who have lost their pets have joined forces to raise awareness and lobby for changes to the system.
Slowly changing
In 2016 it appears more vet clinics are now coming onboard and adopting the triennial vaccination regimen. If your vet is still sending you an annual booster reminder for your dog’s C3 vaccination, perhaps send it back along with some Google references concerning the dangers. Or better still, change vets to one who is keeping up to date with what’s best for your pet.
One of our Siamese cats became seriously ill after her annaul vaccination and almost died. She spent a couple of weeks with a cat specialist and came home still requiring tube feeding (our choice we wanted her home for Christmas). She eventually recovered (after a significant vet bill) and has been vaccinated with another weaker version of the annual vaccinations for the last few years, but after reading this article we skipped this year’s vaccinations. Our animals are usually cared for at home by live in friends/relatives when we go away. I did check with a pet motel we have used regularly in the past and they still require proof of annual vaccination. Another article linked a number of diseases, including kidney failure, which killed another of our otherwise healthy burmese cats at a younger than expected age. http://www.housepetmagazine.com/02/Vaccination.htm