An article written by our very own Dr. Wayne Loertscher for Pet Friendly Magazine.

Q: Do you stop vaccinating your dog and at what age? I have an elderly dog. She is strictly indoor dog with the exception of sitting on the back patio in the sun during the summer months. She has very minimal and sporadic contact with other animals. Does she still need vaccines? Could you please tell me the pros and cons?

A: I often wish that I lived in the future. For those of you that watch Star Trek, you may understand why. I have watched a few episodes (not a Trekie by a long shot) and find the medical personnel fascinating. They use a device the size of a smart phone (a tricorder) that measures virtually everything in the body. When those come out I want the first one.

I am, however, glad that the past has passed. We live in a grand time when medical advances are being made all around us. Through genetic engineering we may be able to completely become immune to all disease and therefore eliminate the need for vaccines completely. We are not there yet! In the 80’s a new disease emerged that we now know as Canine Parvovirus. Many dogs (puppies and adults alike) became fatally infected with this virus. Veterinarians initially did not know what the disease was or how to treat it. Now we know how to treat it and prevent it alike. Comparatively we see few cases of parvovirus. Almost all cases we see could have been prevented with proper vaccination. The same could be said for Distemper, Panleukopenia, Adeno virus, Feline Leukemia virus, and others.

So are we living in the past, present, or future? And what does that mean? Here is where the controversy begins. No one wants to return to the days when Canine Parvovirus emerged. However, no one wants to do much either. We are beginning to recognize side effects from vaccinations. So what is the bes vaccination protocol?

First off, we must remember that our pets are individuals and therefore any statement we make for the whole group will be wrong for some individuals, whether we are vaccinating or not. It is true that on the whole Senior Pets need fewer and less frequent vaccinations. However we must remember that these pets also need more frequent veterinary visits and blood work. Blood work is one way that we can eliminate the need for vaccination as we are now able to measure immunity to some degree. This, however, is more expensive and still will not cover all pets.

So until we all have Tricorders there is no perfectly scientific rule. We must judge each patient on a case by case basis and do the best we can.