Are "feed store" dog vaccinations safe. What are your thoughts?

Question

Our rural town sells vaccinations for pets. I am wondering about the ramifications of giving your dog vaccines like this.

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

People, they may be from the same drug companies as vaccines used by many vets but they do NOT come from the same place as the vaccines from the vet...vets get their vaccines directly from the drug companies..farm supply and other such places do not..drug companies only sell to licensed vets. Also the drug companies will not guarnatee vaccines bought from nonlicensed vets or administered by nonlicensed vets. When buying from outside places there is no way of knowing how it has been stored or handled..also they need to be correctly mixed and administered.
Another thing is vaccinations should not be given to a dog that is not 100% healthy..without an exam by a vet there is no way of knowing for sure a dog is healthy enough for a vaccination..just because a dog appears healthy to the owner does not mean it is. Another issue is taht most vaccines that are sold at feed stores and such are combo vaccines, many of which are no longer recommended, thus an owner could potentially be over vaccinating and/or vaccianting for things that their dog doesn't need.

Source(s):

vet tech for 35 years

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Thank you for your insight. I believe they should be administered professionally too.

Answer 2

They are the same quality and come from the same places that your vet gets his vaccinations.
The danger is in giving shots to your dog. It takes training to know how to do that properly.

Answer 3

Not as good as the vet. The storage conditions are a lot more variable so you may get product that has not been stored properly. Also you can't do rabies yourself - it must be administered by a vet.

Answer 4

You need to be very careful. Are you aware that they need to be kept refrigerated 100% of the time? What about if you need proof of vaccination? What are you going to do if your dog has a reaction to the vaccine? For the average pet owner, it's just not worth it.

Then there's also the huge controversy of how often to vaccinate. Are you aware that most vets are now on board with the protocols of only giving boosters every 3 years - after the initial series of shots, that is? Responsible vets are now discussing this protocol with their clients and giving them the option of boosters every 3 years or giving their dogs titers rather than risk the dangers of over-vaccinating.

Answer 5

They are the same shots you get at the vet. The only difference is some cities do not reconize them. Check with you local council and find out.

Answer 6

As long as you get the dosage right then you shouldn't have any problems. Vaccinations are available to farmers so they can vaccinate their livestock and working dogs. You only need to have a vet give rabies to dogs for proof of shot and any livestock that you show. Other than that, it's fine.

Answer 7

You will never know if the vaccine has been properly stored in the refridgerator, you can look up omaha vaccine company and they can deliver them to your door in cold packs. If your dog has never been vaccinated before then you should take her to the vet.
Always check the dogs body temp before adminestering a vac.

Answer 8

They are the exact same vaccines delivered from the same companies on the same UPS trucks that go to your vet's office. As long as they are kept cold, there is not a difference. Those are live vaccines, so if they are not refrigerated correctly, they don't work.