Gun Dog Forum

I'm thinking of giving my new pup the Lyme vaccine but a lot of articles say there are some bad side effects,who gives it and who says they will not give it.Lots of ticks where I live and my older female came down with Lyme.I use Frontline Plus also the dogs where on Sersesto when she came down with Lyme so I went back to Frontline.

I have started giving the Lyme vaccine. I have noticed no side effects.

My dogs get the Lyme vaccine. I really don't see any side effects. That being said, I've also heard that in can be ineffectual, but I'd rather give it to add an extra safeguard than not give it, especially considering they haven't exhibited any side effects.

My in-laws lab did contract lymes about a year ago and was pretty lame in the back end because of it. Scary stuff. I'm not sure if they vaccinate or not, but that dog is just a companion dog, even when out hunting.

Brantbeagle wrote:I'm thinking of giving my new pup the Lyme vaccine but a lot of articles say there are some bad side effects,who gives it and who says they will not give it.Lots of ticks where I live and my older female came down with Lyme.I use Frontline Plus also the dogs where on Sersesto when she came down with Lyme so I went back to Frontline.

brantbeagle -

Listen sometimes to the "disclaimers" that the pharmaceutical companies include in their ads for some of their biologicals, like Humira. There is a laundry list of nasty adverse reactions including death.

The fact is that the Lyme vaccine, just like all medications that are approved for use in the US, whether they be human or veterinary... are remarkable safe. Or else they would not be on the market.

Does that mean they are completely safe...NO...nothing is completely safe for everyone and everything. There are people that can die if they drink cow's milk. Do medications and vaccines precipitate reactions when administered. Yes...but in the case of serious adverse reactions, the incidence is rare. If adverse reactions were not rare, it is a lead pipe cinch the product would not be allowed on the market in the first place and if an unacceptable number of serious reactions became known after it is already on the market...it would be withdrawn. There is always a risk/benefit equation that must be evaluated. If the benefit is great...a higher level of risk can be accepted.

The principal drawback to things like Lyme vaccine is that they are not 100% effective in preventing the disease. It is my understanding that the older lyme vaccine was somewhere between 50 to 70% effective. Where I used to live(central NJ) it was a virtual 100% certainty that you would get a tick borne disease if you were outdoors for any amount of time. Soooo, a 50-70% level of protection was pretty good odds, IMO. Not perfect, but waaaay better than depending just on bug sprays and inspection, both of which are also very smart preventative measures.

Be aware that Lyme is not the only tick borne disease you need to watch out for.

My former company used to make an anti-fungal injectable drug called Amphotericin B for Injection. It was a drug of last resort for the treatment of fungal Meningitis as I recall....meaning that if it did not work, the patient would die... every time. A common side effect of this drug was deafness, which most of the time would assure that such a drug would never be available on the market. However, it was considered better to be alive and hard of hearing than dead... so the risk/benefit as a last ditch drug was deemed acceptable.

Whether or not you give your dogs the Lyme vaccine depends on the risk/benefit that exists in your particular locale and situation. Your veterinarian would be the best source of information with which to make an informed decision.

RayG

I've had no issues. I work at a resort that caters to Hunters and I have heard nobody else say anything about bad side effects

Thanks guys for the info.Going to give my pup the shot I would have a hard time living with myself if she came down with Lyme and I didn't give her the vaccine

Living, hunting, and training in tick central, I've had mine vaccinated the the past two years, no problems.

Gave the vaccine to my last Setter and she died. Vet didn’t think it was from the vaccine but the more I read on it I’m convinced, she had all the symptoms.