In this Part 7, the last in our series we will discuss how you can be an advocate for your Chihuahua’s health. In the previous series, we discussed what core and non-core vaccines are. As well as what each vaccine was supposed to protect your Chihuahua from and a little about each of these diseases. In our last, part 6 of this series, we discussed the risks and side effects of the vaccines.

Part six also told about some of the research that has been done and why you might want to questions the current vaccine protocols.

My goal with this series of articles is to inform you of everything you should know about vaccines and to help you to be a well-informed advocate for your Chihuahua’s health.

How To Advocate For Your Chihuahua’s Health Regarding Vaccines

What does it mean to be an advocate for your Chihuahua? We hear that term a lot but in fact, it means different things to different people. What it means is to be your Chihuahua’s voice. There are many ways you can advocate for your Chihuahua, however, in this article we are discussing advocating for your Chihuahua’s health.

Your Chihuahua doesn’t know what is good medicine and what may actually be harmful. So it is up to you to do the research regarding your Chihuahua’s health. In this instance, it means to do your own research on canine vaccines so you can make well-informed choices for him.

What Can You Do? Do The Research

In part six I discussed all the research that Dr. Ronald Schultz, a world-renowned veterinary immunologist has done. There is so much more than what has been discussed in this series of canine vaccines and why nothing has changed regarding the frequency of vaccines that you can do yourself online. When you do your research, be sure that all articles are from trusted sources.

Keep in mind that this is a very controversial subject and is still being debated by experts and among veterinarians. That is one very important reason for you to educate yourself. Research both sides of this controversy, keeping in mind who is benefiting and what their motivation might be for their particular view on the subject. Then make the decision that is right for your Chihuahua.

TIP: The last part of a URL or the extension is key when doing research. Make sure that they are one of the following three. Do not trust .com, .net, or any other extension (well, except ChiChisAndMe.com :): These could be legitimate and trustworthy websites, but the fact is any Tom, Dick, or Henry can get a website with .com, .net, or other extensions not listed here.

• .org (organization)
• .edu (educational)
• .gov (government)

Titer Tests

Another way to be your Chihuahua’s advocate is to request your veterinarian to do a titer test. What is a titer test?

A titer test will check the levels of certain antibodies in the blood. These are known as antibody titers. A titer test can tell you and your veterinarian if there are still enough antibodies to fight the disease without having to get another vaccine.

When your Chihuahua gets a vaccination the immune system responds by producing antibodies. These are used by the body to fight off any future infections to the disease they were given the vaccine for.

So your Chihuahua can be given a titer test after one or more years after the last vaccine was given to determine how many antibodies remain in your Chihuahua’s body and whether your Chi is still protected from that disease.

According to some research, a low presence of antibodies still doesn’t necessarily mean that your Chihuahua is vulnerable to that disease, but it seems to be a fairly accurate measure according to most experts.

Warning:

It is very important to make sure your Chihuahua has all his puppy vaccines and his round of first-year adult vaccines. The diseases that vaccinations protect your Chihuahua from are very serious and life-threatening, such as rabies, distemper, and parvovirus, and may be easily spread to other dogs, animals, and even humans.

However, as seen in this series of canine vaccines, over-vaccinating your Chihuahua can also be detrimental to their health. So to protect your Chihuahua from being over-vaccinated a titer test can be performed.

When a Titer Test Is Not Appropriate

The vaccine for leptospirosis, bordetella (kennel cough), or Lyme disease only provides short-term protection, so there would be no need for a titer test after the recommended time for getting another vaccine.

These are also non-core vaccines. We discussed what non-core vaccines are in parts four and five of this series, but these are known as lifestyle vaccines because whether your Chihuahua really needs them in the first place depends much on your lifestyle and where you live.

Conclusion:

It’s up to us to protect our Chihuahuas. So, be your Chihuahua’s health advocate. Educate yourself and make informed decisions regarding your Chihuahua’s vaccines. Question every vaccine that goes into your Chihuahua.

I know that it can be difficult to talk to your veterinarian about vaccines. Some of us are just less assertive than others and we don’t want to make our veterinarians think that we are questioning their knowledge and expertise about veterinary medicine.

When you talk to your vet, avoid sounding accusatory or give the impression you think you are an expert. Instead, ask questions and find out exactly how he or she feels about the frequency of vaccinating your Chihuahua. Tell them your concerns. Most of all, be kind and tactful.

This is the last of our series, I hope you found it very informative. If you did, please share this post with such important information with your friends, family, and on your social media.

There is so much more to learn about canine vaccines and possibly over-vaccinating our Chihuahuas it could be a whole book. Well, that’s an idea, perhaps it will be my next book.

Did you miss any of the preceding parts of this series?

Don’t miss any of our informative articles and tips! Subscribe to our Weekly Tips (get a free e-book as a bonus) and to our Monthly Newsletter to get notified of new posts, Chihuahua information, and tips!