02/25/14

Vaccinations Last At Least Three Years

ResearchBlogging.orgWhen reading Terrierman he made reference to the work Schultz has done on the duration of vaccines. Intrigued, I decided to read one of his articles. I dug up a review Shultz wrote on the duration of vaccines. It looks at available research on vaccines and their ‘duration of vaccinal immunity’ (i.e. how long they last).

Whether a dog has immunity can be determined either by antibody titres (a ‘titre test’) or a challenge study (e.g. deliberately exposing the dogs to the pathogen).

 

For distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus the published data suggests an immunity period of 3 years or longer minimum.

Using blood products to test immunity, it seems that vaccines last 3 years or longer.  When using challenge studies, dogs that were vaccinated 11 years ago did not contract the virus.

According to this article, if a cat or dog is:

  • Vaccinated with core vaccines at 12 weeks of age or older,
  • Is revaccinated at 1 year old, and
  • Receives a vaccination “not more often than every 3 years”

then this would be as protective to the pet as annual vaccination.

However, non-core vaccinations last a year or less.

Table 1 shows estimated minimum duration of immunity for the 4 core canine vaccines.

How long does a dog vaccination last?

Shultz concludes, “Extending the revaccination intervals for canine and feline core vaccines does not place the animal at increased risk to developing vaccine preventable disease, but it does reduce the potential for adverse reactions”

He also recommends using titre tests to ensure that a puppy’s final vaccine enduces an immune response – and to revaccinate if the titre does not indicate that an immune response was produced.

Oh, and on cats? According to this paper, feline vaccines less researched, but feline parvovirus, calcivirus and herpes seems to last at least 7.5 years. Exception is feline leukemia which provides immunity for 1 year or less.

 

Reference:
Ronald D. Schultz (2006). Duration of immunity for canine and feline vaccines: A review Veterinary Microbiology, 117 (1), 75-79 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2006.04.013

02/22/14

The Week In Tweets – 22nd February 2014

This is our (almost) weekly segment where we review the content posted on our Twitter over the course of the week. It’s a long post! So make sure you grab a coffee and prepare yourself for some serious reading.

 

Tweet of the Week

This excellent commentary by Andre Yeu from ‘When Hounds Fly’ looks at how erroneous owners can be about their dogs and their dogs’ interactions in social settings. Included are some great videos on how to see problematic behaviours. The post “Well socialised? No, well traumatized” is our Tweet of the Week.

 

Animal Sheltering and Rescue

Corrine Alberthesen and Jacqui Rand – What can 191 000 cats tell us about saving lives? (speech).

John Bishop – Social Media in relation to sheltering and adoption (speech).

Salem beagle breeder sues town, police over seizure of 22 of his dogs.

Police respond to vicious dog report – and this happened.

Effects of pre-adoption counselling on the prevention of separation anxiety in newly adopted shelter dogs.

 

Dogs, kids, and biting

Teach your dog to love kids (video on classical conditioning).

Grumble & Growl Zones.

New iPhone App – Dog Decoder!

Delta Dog Safe.

Wishes Granted: Theo and Beau.

 

Behaviour and Training

Animal Behaviour and Welfare Course through Coursera.

Top 10 Food Dispensing Dog Toys.

Edible entertainment for dogs.

Teach your dog to pose for the camera on cue.

Steve White Seminar: Get to or got to?

Letting Dogs Meet: The Three Second Rule.

A Simplified BAT Protocol.

Only if the behavior decreases.

Peace from Separation Anxiety.

 

Fun Dog Stuff

So we caught the dog doing this in the backyard.

Dog dwerking to bubble butt song.

Owner Profile; The Rare Breed Braggart.

 

Other Dog Stuff

But I can’t afford a dental cleaning for my dog!

Heartwarming reunion: Illinois tornado survivor finds his missing dog buried alive under rubble.

Heart-wrenching photos show the moment dog owners say goodbye to dying friend.

The Reality of Veterinary Medicine.

 

Other Animal Stuff

Beasts of Burden – Part 1.

Oldest clam consternation overblown.

Animals that do drugs.

37 Pictures That Prove Cats Have Hearts of Gold.

Can you identify an animal based on its eyes?

Two monkeys were paid unequally: See what happens next.

Midway: This film should be seen by the entire world!

 

Other Stuff

HM – the man with no memory. This was very close to tweet of the week.

Meet the neuroscientist and married father of three who discovered he was a psychopath after accidentally studying his own brain scans.

 

 

Instagram

Not too hot for spooning, says Breaker and Myrtle.

Border terriers enjoying being only dogs.

02/13/14

Two Fictional Dog Books NOT to Read

It’s a bit strange, but my favourite genre for books is ‘animals that talk’. I read a lot of books which involve talking animals. A lot. And I have since I was a little kid.

IMG_0653

I scour the shelves in book and opportunity stores. A few years ago, I chanced upon a book called The Plague Dogs in an opportunity shop.

It was by Richard Adams, the author of Watership Down. You know, the wildly successful book and movie with talking rabbits? But, instead, it was a book with talking dogs! I purchased the book without hesitation. Dogs that talk! My favourite!

This book took me a while to get through. It’s a heavy and slow-going read. I was on the bus to work when I got to the last 50 pages or so. Ecstatic, I knew I’d finish it on the bus ride home.

As I hopped on the bus on the way home, I encountered a problem. My book was not in my bag. Coincidentally, my work had just moved office buildings, and that was my last day at the ‘old building’. I rang the bus company and my book was nowhere to be found.

How could I finish the last pages of a book published well over 30 years ago?

Luckily, one of my dog friends had a copy and I borrowed the book to read the last 50 pages. And I finally finished the book!

Why did I tell you this story?

Because it’s about a million times more interesting than the book.

Okay, so that’s a little harsh… But it’s also a lot true. This book took me about 18 months to read because it was so terribly boring. I am not a slow reader (I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in about 5 hours). It was just so slow that I didn’t want to read it.

In it’s time, The Plague Dogs was probably quite revealing. It queries the ethics of experimentation on animals. However, in 2013, it is less of a mystery when it comes to what happens to animals in research centres, and the ethicalness of such a practice is publicly questioned.

 

Timbuktu book by Paul AusterTimbuktu

I’m not one for writing negative reviews, so I thought I’d condense this one and give you two books not to read at once. All the negativity in one hit. It’s all the efficiency in writing that The Plague Dogs lacks!

I can absolutely say that this book was an engaging and interesting read, and a book I enjoyed reading.

When I was in primary school, during creative writing, we were not allowed to finish our stories with, “I woke up and it was all a dream”. I think this is an important memo that the author missed. No, it doesn’t end quite that way, but it still an incredibly unsatisfactory finish.

While this book was an enjoyable read, I felt like the book was taking me to a far better place. As I got to the last pages, I was thinking to myself, “Wow, this has only this much to go? How is it going to end?”

The answer? Really dumbly.

So it’s cool for you to read this book and it won’t take you long, but it’s probably not going to be a particularly gratifying experience once you get to the end and feel like the author gypped you of a satisfying conclusion.

 

But in the interests of impartiality…

Maybe I’m a grump, because Goodreads and Amazon reviews are much more complimentary for these two books. The Plague Dogs has 4 stars on Amazon and  4 stars on Goodreads (out of 5).Timbuktu has 3.5 stars on Amazon and 4 stars on Goodreads (out of 5).

 

Have you read these books? Did either book tickle your fancy?

 

Further reading: For a book I actually liked, see my reviews on A Dog’s Purpose and A Puppy Called Aero.

02/6/14

The Week In Tweets – 6th February 2014

This is our (almost) weekly segment where we review the content posted on our Twitter over the course of the week. It’s a long post! So make sure you grab a coffee and prepare yourself for some serious reading.

The big news this week is Bandit found a new home! He was with us for 9 months but now has a great home with a young couple. They have taken over his Facebook page and is keeping us all updated on Bandit’s exploits.

Bandit with his new family.

Now, on with the tweets!

 

Tweet of the Week

I enjoyed this post from Patricia McConnell sharing humourous stories of ‘when dog owners stuff up’. It’s not actually called that but it would be suiting. Read: ‘The Laugh’s On Me‘.

 

Dog Training

Clover doing 10m of leg weaves.

Can dogs cooperate with each other and with a human?

What is the best way to greet your dog?

Too slow for your dog? Wag this way; Left or right offers insights.

Promoting positive reinforcement.

Seven separation anxiety myths.

Dog owners – think! Is your small dog a target?.

How to fix pulling on the leash.

 

Dog Bites and Dogs & Kids

Parker and the Baby – a video of warning signs.

Results of the Doggone Safe Childhood Dog Bite Survey.

What’s harder? The dog or the baby?

What causes fatal dog attacks and how can we prevent deaths by dogs?

“Lunging Lucy” & “Growling Gus”.

Immediate threat to all dogs and owners.

 

Dog Health and Wellbeing

Seeing Pain: Hindquarters.

Review: Pet Safety Bag.

How to give your dog a pill using the multiple meatball method.

New reduced cost parvo treatment protocol announced.

 

Rescue and Sheltering

From Maddie’s Institute: SCAN: How to do a good job scanning for a microchip and The shelter pet project by the numbers – and something more.

From YesBiscuit!: The Tuh Files: There is a shortage of dogs in Michigan, Discussion: A new twist on oops-actions at a PA shelter , The Biggest Animal Welfare Myth in the South, and Jasper Co Sheriff’s Office Buys Pet Store Puppy.

Pets as gifts – wrap ‘em up!

Debating if microchipping your pet is worth it? Read Meg’s story.

 

Other Dog Stuff

Stacie Bloomfield’s 52 Weeks of Dogs Illustrations.

Bursting the Big Backyard Myth.

A Puppy’s Loyalty.

18 tear-jerking moments of soldiers reuniting with their dogs.

21 Cute Wedding Attendants. (Hint: they’re puppies).

Just a dog.

Dachshund Tote Bag.

Should I leash my dog? A flowchart.

Fur mom confessions: my car is the dog car, a safer dog car.

 

Other Stuff

Rabbits Illegal in Queensland.

Here are 20 animals you had no idea existed. Some of these will haunt my dreams forever.

Coming out of your closet: Ash Beckham at TEDxBoulder.

 

Instagram

Boof enjoying cold tiles and air con.

You know it’s hot when your agapanthus are browning!

Boof playing with ‘toy’. Winnie existing.

How Myrtle Sleeps.