Jun 10
18

Does My Puppy Really Need His 4th Shot?

7 Comments

my puppy had 3 shots so far. he got his 3rd one yesterday and the vet said he needs a 4th one at 16 weeks. hes 14 weeks right now. does he really need a 4th one. btw hes a 6lb bichon frise.
also im planning to change vets. the vet im taking him at right now only cares about money. they wont even let you go to the back with them while they give him the shot. they told me neutering for my dog would be 200 bucks! and now by law in order to be at the vet he needs to be examed by the doctor. and every shot is 23 bucks. should i change right now and get his 4th one at a different vet. btw the vet i was having in mind was really nice and cheap. neutering:$35 vaccinations:$12 and rabies:8
thank you:)

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Posted in Puppy Care by Puppy Mom 7 Comments

7 Responses to "Does My Puppy Really Need His 4th Shot?"

  • beebler says:
    June 18, 2010 at 10:12 am
    Reply

    Yes ALL puppy shots are needed. If you are unhappy with your current vet, go to a new one and give them your dog’s shot records so they can finish up the vaccines.

  • Gabbie LOVES raw meat! says:
    June 18, 2010 at 4:41 pm
    Reply

    Remember, you get what you pay for. Cheap isn’t always good. I’d rather pay extra and get more TLC and so on, versus go cheap and have a vet that doesn’t care. I find that’s generally how that works.
    $200 really isn’t bad. That’s pretty normal for most spays/neuters. $23 for each shot is normal, too.

  • Annie says:
    June 18, 2010 at 10:23 pm
    Reply

    Yes your puppy needs his 4th shot. Changing vets sounds like a good idea. My vet always lets me be the one to hold my dog when she gets shots. That is strange that they take your dog to the back to give him shots.

  • drewski0 says:
    June 19, 2010 at 3:31 am
    Reply

    this is bad… I know but I got my dog the “puppy package” shots when she was a little pup .. like 6 months and that cost an arm and a leg.. jeez a lovable sweet dog costs a fortune.. WORTH IT hahahah but neway .. I couldn’t cost it again so I’m like **** this.. got her rabie shot and I thought it’s alll good till a couple months and then i will do it… well three yrs later no shots, no sick, she’s completely fine but I don’t know if it’s just my temp luck… I don’t know what’s the deal with these toher vaccines… i was told they were crap a couple times but then told by others you gota get em btu I’m thinking they are just saying that cause they were suckered into paying a **** load for no reason and jus pet business booming from it.. I duno. I do recommend you getting her the rabie shot though because that is very real and if you’re dog gets bit.. 1/1000 chance … lol but still if it happens and it can you’ll be protected for sure :]] but so far with jus some flea meds, vitamin for 10 bucks.. healthy food and a rabie shot took her to healthy yr 4 :]]
    Just from my experience so far.. good luck!

  • Brittni says:
    June 19, 2010 at 4:30 am
    Reply

    I don’t know where you are from so I don’t know how much things cost there, but I have never paid $23 for any one vaccination. I have three dogs currently and I have had many in the past. Shots can vary in price depending on the weight of the dog. I currently have a small, medium, and large size dog. I usually pay $16 for rabies including the tag. I pay about $10 for Bordatella. I pay anywhere from $12-$20 for the 7 n 1. My vet gives every vaccinatination to my dogs in front of me while she tells me what they are for and any side effects to expect. Any responsible vet will administer a thorough exam when administering vacs. Your puppy definitely should get her complete series of puppy shots, but you have the right to feel comfortable with your vet and to pay reasonable fees. Good luck and I hope this help!

  • ScottieD says:
    June 19, 2010 at 6:33 am
    Reply

    Rabies is the only vaccination required by law. You need to be the one to judge if the 4th shot is worth the cost. Vaccination cost of $23 or the potential of several thousand dollars to treat parvo–which your dog may not survive. Now it is personal opinion, but I would definitely do the puppy shots as directed. There is some controversy over vaccinations, and you can draw titer tests. Cost of the titer test is typically more than the cost of the vaccination. Know your options. Even if the risks are low for the pup to get a disease, I would still rather get the shot than risk puppy’s health. You haven’t indicated that this is a health-related fear (vaccination reaction) but monetary concern.
    As for changing vets, I feel that having a good relationship with the vet and having trust in his/her abilities is very important. If you don’t feel you have this, seek out another vet. You want what is best for your dog.
    As for the neutering, check with both vets and see what the cost includes. The cheap vet may be quoting the surgery only and charge for pain medications, fluids (if needed), bloodwork, etc. The more expensive vet may have these items included in the cost. Make sure you are comparing the same things.

  • Puppy Mom says:
    June 23, 2010 at 7:28 pm
    Reply

    NO WAY!!!

    I am an exclusive BICHON Breeder. My protocol for shots is 5 way combination at 8 weeks and again at 10-12 weeks.(2 shots total) Never vaccinate your small breeds with the 7-way shot (EVER) unless you have some major problem in your area. After the first 2 vaccinations have a titers test on the pup. It is a simple test done by your vet to determine if your puppy needs more shots. It does cost more than a shot to have the titers done, but in my experience as a Bichon breeder you will be farther ahead because you will know whether the puppy actually needs it. I live by the Bichon Frise Club of America vaccinations for my pups and dogs. If you over do their shots you can end up with lots of auto-immune problems. Do make sure you wait at least 1 month to 6 weeks before you do a rabies vaccination.

    I do not know where you live, but neutering a 6 lb Bichon for $200 sounds like your vet is trying to screw you. I just had a male adult Bichon neutered for $92 and that included the blood work. He weighed 16 lbs and they basically charge you for the anesthetic. Do have the blood work done for that to make sure they are strong enough to survive. Dogs are just like humans and they need the pre-op stuff done too. Hope this helps some.

    http://www.bichonfrise.ws

    I do not have $200 Bichons, just healthy ones…

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