Chemotherapy and my dog

Get the booster early or late ? Ask your vets advice re if he has it early

Get a second opinion from another vet re live or not

4paws I know how much my dog means to me so I know this is a big deal for you, I had to be in hossi away from mine for three days,so depressing ❤️

Hi 4paws, 

I took my dog for her vaccinations today, the vet said about the vaccines and anyone on chemo (I finished my chemo last Aug) the normal vaccine is NOT live but a lot of vets are also giving kennel cough vaccine as part of annual jabs, the kennel cough vaccine IS live and that's the one you need to avoid. This is the third and last time my dog gets the kennel cough done, its squirted up her nose and she gets very stressed by it, she never goes into kennels as my brother moves in and looks after when we go away so I will not be putting her through kennel cough vaccine again. Hope this helps.

Unless you are planning to put the dog into kennels during your time in Chemo, I would just wait until you have finished.

There is a school of thought that we over vaccinate for dogs and although your vet won't agree, I am pretty sure that a few months won't make a massive difference.  My vet said that horse vaccines have certainly been tested after a year and two years and are effective at both stages.  

Well you learn something new everyday my dog had standard booster and kennel cough when was having chemo and noone mentioned anythinh :,

I'm hoping the Encologist was just being over cautious , I contacted another vet today and they contacted the drug company who produce the vaccines, and yes they are "Live", and the vaccines are more active for the first two weeks. The vet thought that there was very little risk to me , but I'll check it out at the hospital next time I go in for another appointment.

I don't know much about dogs but they are vaccinated for several things aren't they? Why don't you get all the non-live ones and leave live ones till you finish. In addition, there might be alternative vaccines for some diseases.

Best

Lynn xx

I took Molly in for her boosters about a month into my chemo : nobody mentioned that I shouldn't and I must admit that I didn't think to ask. I was fine by the way. 

Good luck with your chemo. You can get through it. Nicky X

helsbels18 said:

Well you learn something new everyday my dog had standard booster and kennel cough when was having chemo and noone mentioned anythinh :,

Hi I was just reading through these and

thinking that maybe we should have a leaflet advising us all.

about things like live vaccines for our pets etc. and possible risk to us during various treatments.

maybe we could get the official version from the royal college of vet as delaying vaccinations too long.

also causes extra expense  It has to be started all over again.

After many different responses on whether the vaccine is "Live" or not, finally I have an answer which is yes the vaccines are live, the drug company who produces the vaccine sent my vet a data sheet which states that is is a live vaccine, so I need to ask at the hospital again on what are the possible risks of getting the dog vaccinated while I am on chemo. My Encologist advised to wait till chemo was over, and said that I should be very careful of coming into contact with any animal whilst my chemo was taking place. My vet told me that the vaccine was at its most active for two weeks after it was given. I also work with Koi Carp and the majority of Koi that our company imports from Israel and vaccinated against a Herpes virus, so I'm guessing I need to be very careful on coming into contact with these as well.

I'm hoping my Encologist was just being super careful, but I will be investigating more on the possible risks, and will post an update when I know anything else.

Took the dog to the vet today who advised me that whilst my dog can have it's normal vaccines they would not propose to carry out the kennel cough prevention as this is a live vaccine because, I am undertaking Chemotherapy. (Total fluke how the conversation arose)

They say it could compromise the well being of any potentially immunocompromised individual including young children, pregnant women, those on Chemotherapy etc.

The issue has been explained as exhalation of vaccine from the pet's nose and can last for up to 6 weeks after treatment, therefore creating an airborne virus, if I recall the vet mentioned whooping cough and pneumonia as potential risks to humans.

Will be asking the oncologist tomorrow on routine visit what is his view. 

Vet also says that 'annual' vaccine will last for 15 months!