Vaccinations

My bichon is 2. Had all vaccinations as a pup. Should she be vaccinated again?

Yearly boosters for Rabies as far as I know!!

That's not correct for the UK LilliRay. UK is Rabies Free and you do not need to get the Rabies jabs if you are not travelling to a country that demands it (or bringing your dog into the UK) and boosters for it are usually given every 2 or 3 years not every year.

For the more usual vaccinations - yearly boosters are recommended but not compulsory. However if you want to put your dog in kennels you need them and some people have them done every year anyway.

Bellasmum you should really talk to your vet but here's a link to information about canine vaccinations:

http://www.vetstream.co.uk/yourvets/.../24_265528.pdf

That is true should have probably thought further than my nose which is in South Africa hahaha I'll high five myself for being so clever

They're currently running LOTS of free vaccination clinics here for rabies as there has been a major out break.

That is good to hear they are making the vaccs FREE - it is a horrible disease and it's no wonder that the countries that are 'Rabies Free' go to draconian lengths to try to make sure they stay that way.

Cyprus is rabies free too but I still have to get the jabs. I believe Ireland is the only rabies free country that the UK allows dogs to come in from without the requirement for the jab.

*and I did spot that you are not in UK, but in SA, so realised that's why you answered as you did. I'm not in the UK (any more) but am up to date on what the UK rules regs and requirements are as I travel there often and anyway like to keep myself up to date!

I personally only vaccinate as puppies IF(& only if)their titre tests indicate that they require vaccination, this has been my regime for over 30 years now

I do minimal vaccines. They get the required boosters at 8, 12 and 16 months, then rabies. Other than rabies every 3 years because of the by-laws here, I don't give anymore. My dogs are very rarely boarded, they have only been twice and needed the bortadella shot because of it. I do not give the bortadella vaccine otherwise.

Ella hadn't been vaccinated since she was a puppy but I caught up on it now, and soon will be doing rabies too as I intend to travel abroad with her.

If your dog hasn't got much contact with other dogs it's probably fine to go without boosters. But in my opinion it's better to do them if you do go dog clubs, sports and shows where your dog comes into a lot of contact with other dogs.

In Switzerland you have to have certain vaccinations to participate in agility competitions, and that just stuck with me and when I decided to get Ella into it I got her vacc'd

My dogs for the past 30 + years have gone to dog shows(including Crufts), dog clubs etc etc etc with no ill effects. I can see no reason to compromise my dogs immune systems. My late father followed the vets directions for many years, until one of his dogs, a previously healthy 8 tear old, had a lepto booster(against serovars not in this country)& within 3 hours was dead from the reaction to the vaccine

Did she have boosters at a year old or did you skip those? If you skipped the first booster most vets would insist on starting from scratch anyway and no personally I wouldn't bother unless of course you're going to use kennels at some point, in which case she would need to be vaccinated.