Are yearly vaccines neccesary?

it costs more, but it's worth it to keep them healthy. the cost is why more people don't do it, unfortunately. but dogs deserve the best we can give them in life, even if that means going without luxuries when they need us to go the extra mile

I agree. I remember, years ago, I used to get a cheeseburger at McDonalds once a week so I could have meat in my diet, but my dog ate premium dog food. She didn't ask to be my dog! It was my first priority to make sure she was taken care of.

Yup she was too cute, feel so sad sometimes when things make me remember her.

Poms are adorable! Little living cotton balls! It's hilarious how small they get when they get a bath, they are all hair! :)

My cat WAS an indoor cat... until we moved here (out in the country)... once he got a wiff of the fresh country air he used his 20 pounds of kitty muscle and almost flattened me getting out the door. Now I can't keep him inside unless I wanted to use body armor. (Much to the dismay of the local chippies and flying squirrels!)

Hi Cutie! If you live in the US you really have to get your dogs vaccinated against rabies... just in case they nip someone by mistake... If they aren't vaccinated they will either have to be in a 6 month quarantine or be euthanized for testing. Unfortunately, the only way to test for rabies is to test a section of their brain. As for the other common diseases that dogs are vaccinated against, they can be exposed to those by wildlife. Foxes and coyotes (among other canids) carry distempter and are common in many rural and urban areas. It is a very contagious and awful disease. If a fox wanders into your yard it can leave distemper cells there that your pets can pick up. Lyme is another one (depending on your location). It is carried by deer ticks. You can also bring infectious disease home on your shoes or clothing if you come in contact with either infected dogs or their "scat"... So even though your dogs are confined to their yard, the diseases could come to them. Nothing like home delivery! Heartworm and intestinal worms are another good reason to visit the vet. Monthly heartworm pills are really important, especially in the warmer months when the mosquitoes are out and about. Treatment for an a dog infected with heartworm is expensive and if they aren't treated the dog will die. Intestinal worms can happen if your dog eats a flea in the grass (tape worms) or comes in contact with wild animals or their "leavings". Thankfully, like I said in my question, a lot of vets are saying that the initial puppy vaccinations might be enough to keep them protected for life! As it was mentioned in another comment, you could ask your vet about running blood titers on your dogs to check their immunity... But it is probably cheaper to just get them their shots. I can tell you care about your pups, otherwise you wouldn't feel guilty at all... Sometimes it's hard to see the point of taking a healthy animal to the doctor... but if they did end up catching something you wish you had... :) Thanks for your comment!!

Hi Jamed! If your pup doesn't have contact with other animals and is generally healthy you can probably get away with not vaccinating at all (though I don't really recommend it). But good job on having a dog for 15 years! You must take great care of your pets :) The one comment that I do have is about bathing your dog so often... It can really dry out their skin and give them dermatitis and dandruff. It is generally recommended that dogs not be bathed more than once a week because it strips all of the natural oil from the coat. You should probably use a moisturizing shampoo if you aren't already... Just so he doesn't get dried out. :) Thanks for the comment!! :)