Vaccines your dog never needs

Clients are far better educated and savvy with respect to the care that we as veterinarians provide to their pets. However the “white coat effect” still has considerable influence when you are standing in the vet’s office discussing the health of your pets. Despite this influence, these two vaccines are immunizations that your dog NEVER needs to have under any circumstance (just check the AAHA Vaccine guidelines for dogs!).

1. Giardia: This protozoa gets a lot of unnecessary press as a frequent cause of diarrhea in dogs. Many strains of giardia exist, but most are not going to be pathogenic or problematic for your pets. The fact is the existing vaccine does not reduce the severity of the disease in the few patients that are truly affected, or decrease fecal shedding of the spores. Simply put you and your pet don’t get any protective immunity from the vaccine. The American Animal Hospital Association does not recommend that dogs get this vaccine, and neither do I.

2. Corona: This organism which we used to vaccinate against frequently is no longer considered a pathogen of concern. Most dogs usually recover with minimal intervention on the part of the veterinarian. The few dogs who get sick from this virus usually have a self-limiting bout of “GI distress” for a few days. Immunity derived from exposure to the virus in the environment probably provides many dogs with all the protection they need. Pushing this vaccine on clients is a sure way to make money and make your clients feel taken advantage of. Furthermore, it is not a recommended vaccine by the AAHA, even though many practitioners feel that it is necessary.

Remember this: Veterinarians are people too! Despite the white coat and perceived respectability that comes with the title “Dr.”, unscrupulous veterinarians are an ever present and growing threat to the profession. Clients be aware!

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