I don't give mine yearly boosters. I do give them the initlal puppy vaccinations and a further one at a year, then I did research into whether it was needed and some of the vaccinations can give protection for around 9 years. A consensus of opinion was that yearly vaccinations are a vet money-spinner.

None of my dogs have ever been affected by not having yearly boosters (but my bank balance has!) .

Is it true that it can effect your pet insurance not having your dog have his yearly booster?

Hi Pip only in as much as you will not be insured for any condition for which there is a vaccination your dog did not receive .

I do what the vet advises until they are 8 then stop the annual vacs as by then I truely believe they have as much immunity as they are ever going to get. Two of ours we stopped after initial vacs as they were very ill afterwards, never had any problem but I wouldn't advise that unless your dog reacts as mine did.

I was talking to a friend yesterday whose kelpie x suffered a seizure two weeks after his initial vaccinations (he was a rescue so not a very young puppy when she had him). She was concerned that it was linked to the vacc but the vet said it was doubtful. However, three weeks after his booster, 14 months later, he had another seizure. The vet conceded that it was not coincidence so he will not be vaccinated again.

My elderly cat, 21 years old, was never boosted. Sadly she is now failing but has only ever been to the vet twice in her life!

I do have my dogs boosted though as they mix with hundreds of dogs at agility shows.

I give my dogs the vaccine's whenever necessary going according to manufacture's suggested routine only because I live in the woods and it's easy for wild animals to come into my yard. I do not give the lepto vaccine as chihuahua's often react badly, sometimes dying, from it.Rabies vaccine is especially important due to where I live. My dogs and cats get that every 3 years.

Re reactions - its possibly not well known but you can get boosters split up so that not too much is flooding the system at one time. One of our cats gets her yearly booster split into four separate visits x

That must be relatively new then, because 3 years ago my vet tried and tried and tried to get me a vaccine for parvo and something else (can't remember) at the time, but she couldn't get one anywhere, the only one with the fewest vaccs in it was the Nobivac DHPP which is what I had as an annual booster. This was an RCVS Hospital too! I would be very interested to know the manufacturers of such a vaccine (one with a single or a two part dose) please VB since I now have a new vet here and he might be able to get it for me?

Well perhaps it's only cat boosters they can do it with?

Little Misty had the booster split in four because of the awful reactions she takes. Following the awful reaction Misty took, the Vets changed their supplier for vaccines. Our eldest also takes reactions although not quite so bad and he just had his booster split in two.

The Vet did say that it used to be they couldnt split the final two however now they can. I paid for each visit so perhaps it works out more expensive.? I didn't count the cost as I always buy other things when I go. I will ask though certainly next time I see him. I was there yesterday, to buy food.