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Vaccinations - are they necessary?

aerofine

aerofine

Warren Scout
I have two dutch buns, wo are just over a year old. They have had their vaccines this year, but I am wondering if it is really necessary to continue? I have never vaccinated any previous buns when I was younger, and in all honesty I'm not a big fan of vaccines. I don't get my dog vaccinated, or our cats.

What are others opinions?
 
Yes, Yes and more Yes.

Unless bun is compromised for any reason, vaccinations shuold be performed.

Example: A myxi vaccinated bun who contracts Myxi has a much higher chance of winning its fight, an un-vaccinated bun would likely need to be PTS :(

May i ask, why are you not a fan of vaccines?
 
Yes, yes, yes. Myxi is spread by biting insects such as fleas and mosquitos. VHD is a fast killer so and unvaccinated buns have no chance.

You should also be vaccinting your dogs and cats. Do your cats have contact with other cats? If so you are taking a very big risk.
 
Our dog hasn't been vaccinated for around 4 years now. Oldest cat hasn't been done for 2 years, whereas the other two haven't been done for around a year.
 
Yes, for buns you have to.

And kittens/puppies should be given all their shots. But for cats and dogs who have had all their shots, I wouldn't get them vaccinated more than every 3 years, but this is a personal choice not everyone believes in. I believe that annually is too often and actually lowers their immune system because the vaccinations should last at least 3 years, if not more. Some vet practices do recommend every 3 years, some recommend every year because they want more money. The same reason they recommend awful cat/dog foods, because they're being paid to advertise them.

Good link on vaccs: http://www.2ndchance.info/vaccat.htm
 
Yes they are very necessary!

Would you put yourself at risk? When you need a vaccination? So why put your pets at risk?

They are Vaccinated against horrible diseases, why risk their lives because YOU dont like vaccinations? :(

I hope you choose to vaccinate your pets.
 
I think William has just said what I was going to. I think a lot of it is scaremongering by vets, and profit making. The last time I got my dog vaccinated, a month later he developed kennel cough. So vaccines don't always work. I'm just concerned with injecting my animals every 12 months, or less in some cases, with something that I'm not 100% sure they really need so often.
 
LilVicky said:
Yes they are very necessary!

Would you put yourself at risk? When you need a vaccination? So why put your pets at risk?

They are Vaccinated against horrible diseases, why risk their lives because YOU dont like vaccinations? :(

I hope you choose to vaccinate your pets.
Click to expand...

Isn't that the point? Everything that we do for our pets is OUR choice, not our pets. The brand of food, the housing they have, the exercise they get. So why should vaccines be any different? Of course it is my decision, as they are my pets. I'm sure none of my animals would actually WANT to go to the vets! ;)
 
aerofine said:
Isn't that the point? Everything that we do for our pets is OUR choice, not our pets. The brand of food, the housing they have, the exercise they get. So why should vaccines be any different? Of course it is my decision, as they are my pets. I'm sure none of my animals would actually WANT to go to the vets! ;)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure i quite understand why you ask for peoples opinions/advice and then get defensive about them having it.

Are you trying to justify this to yourself?
 
Is there anything anyone can say that could change your mind? Just wondering if its worth posting TBH. You ask a question and I get the feeling anything anyone will say will be ignored.

I had a rabbit die of myxi before vacs were routine. Dogs vacs too. And children. The nurses who does my kids told me she used to work on the wards were children die because parents chose not to vaccinate.

What more do you want anyone to say?
 
I'm not getting defensive, I was just pointing out the hypocriscy in that comment.

I genuinely just wanted people's opinions. It doesn't mean I am necessarily going to change mine, but I'm not saying that I won't either.
 
I'm sure your animals would rather go to the vets to be vaccinated rather than to go to be put to sleep because they have caught one of the diseases they could have had protection from :roll:
 
hancy 14 said:
Is there anything anyone can say that could change your mind? Just wondering if its worth posting TBH. You ask a question and I get the feeling anything anyone will say will be ignored.

I had a rabbit die of myxi before vacs were routine. Dogs vacs too. And children. The nurses who does my kids told me she used to work on the wards were children die because parents chose not to vaccinate.

What more do you want anyone to say?
Click to expand...

That's what I want. I want someone to give me a real reason as to why the buns should be vaccinated apart from scaremongering stories. Like I said, I;m not closed up to not getting them done. However, I will admit that I have no plans to get the dog done again.
 
aerofine said:
Isn't that the point? Everything that we do for our pets is OUR choice, not our pets. The brand of food, the housing they have, the exercise they get. So why should vaccines be any different? Of course it is my decision, as they are my pets. I'm sure none of my animals would actually WANT to go to the vets! ;)
Click to expand...
I would like to think we choose the brand of food based on what is best that we can afford, chose the type of housing on what meets their needs as a species and suits the individual animals best, give them as much exercise as they need etc. It may be our choice, but our choice is based on what is best for our pets.

I think you should do some in-depth research in to jabs for rabbits, as it's not the same as dogs where there is a lot of conflicting information on how often is beneficial etc.

I personally think myxo jabs are 100% necessary as it's such an unpleasant and drawn out death if they aren't vaccinated. VHD kills quickly so it's not as bad if they are unvaccinated and contract it but I personally would still have it done.
I think for diseases which kill, and which can kill slowly and painfully, it's wise to take any precaution you can. I'm sure if myxo was a human disease you'd have yourself vaccinated.
 
While I agree with you on cats/dogs, it is 100% necessary for rabbits. Those aren't scaremongering stories, people here have had rabbits die of myxi/VHD...

If you don't want to vaccinate your rabbits maybe you should move to a country that doesn't have VHD/myxi? Well, for any future rabbits, your current rabbits would have to be quarantined for about 6 months, which isn't fair to them.
 
aerofine said:
That's what I want. I want someone to give me a real reason as to why the buns should be vaccinated apart from scaremongering stories. Like I said, I;m not closed up to not getting them done. However, I will admit that I have no plans to get the dog done again.
Click to expand...

It's difficult to decide what is seen as real and what is scaremongering as it's all subjective. I've seen real stories of preventable deaths, I see them as real reasons rather than scaremongering. I'm not willing to take any chances with my bunnies.

I agree with what you say about vaccinations, I don't like them either - but I like them a damn site better than the alternative.

I know for a fact that my vet recommends vaccinations because she believes in them not for profit. She has had one of her own rabbits die of myxi and does everything she can to prevent other rabbits from contracting it.
 
You are your buns advocate, they can't rationalise for themselves. So, as a human I would suggest you weigh it up and to be honest the benefit of getting immunity against two life threatening disease is much greater than any side effects in two normal healthy bunnies.

In your opinion, what are the disadvantages of having the jabs?
 
I work at a vets and having seen just how many animals suffer from not being vaccinated (dogs, cats and rabbits) I would never, ever see an argument for not doing it unless the animals were not well enough to be given it.

Dogs dying from Parvo virus, cats from cat flu, and rabbits that have to be PTS from Myxo.
 
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