At home shots?

Does anyone give their dogs shots at home? Is this something easy to do and/or does it save money over taking them to the vet? I have heard of people doing it themselves, but I know when my dogs go for their shots, they also get a "check-up" while they're at the vet, too. Opinions?

Take them to the vet. :gj:

The only people I know that give their own dogs shots are people that run kennels, and I personally wouldn't buy a puppy from someone that did it. My granny ran a kennel many years ago and she gave the dogs shots herself, but since the kennel closed she takes her personal dogs to the vet. It's just a way to save a buck when you have a bunch of dogs. The yearly check ups are important IMO.

I'm not even sure if a vet would give you the shots. I'm in a rural area with lots of farming so MAYBE I would be able to get it from a shady farm vet. The only shots we do ourselves are the horses. Horses are simple and have a huge area to put the shot and not mess up. You can give horses shots with one person, but a dog would be hard to stick in the right spot and not hurt them while they squirm around. It would be too scary for me.

Thanks Stephanie.. I have taken them to the vet so far, but I was just curious because I've heard of people doing it themselves. I really don't know if I could, simply because like you said, it would be hard to get them in the right spot. I'm sure especially hard with mine because they're small dogs. We have 2 dauschands.

I used to work at the Humane Society. We had to give all of the dogs and cats shots when they came in. It's really easy to do. Cheaper to. I used to pick the vaccines up at our local tractor supply for my dogs.

I work at a vets office & it is really important to take them in for an exam & vaccs every year. I don't know how many parvo puppies come in every year who had "all their shots from the breeder" It's simply not enough. The vaccines need to be kept at a specific temp (in shipping, at the store & at your home) to be effective & be given a certain way to be effective so if you do it at home you may be wasting your time & money. Also here in MO a vet has to be the one to give a rabies vaccine in order for it to be considered legal so just another reason for us to just go to the vet. Also your vet will check your pet for any lumps or bumps, eye issues, skin issues, ear infections or dental disease. All of which have smal signs starting out that your vet can catch by seeing them each year and talking with you. If caught early you can prevent a problem from snowballing into a bigger problem that costs more to treat. Hope this helps :)

We sell the 6 in 1 and 8 in 1 vaccines at the pet store I work at..I plan on taking my pup to the vet for all her vaccines even though I could get those shots on the cheap

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Originally Posted by ShortStack

Thanks Stephanie.. I have taken them to the vet so far, but I was just curious because I've heard of people doing it themselves. I really don't know if I could, simply because like you said, it would be hard to get them in the right spot. I'm sure especially hard with mine because they're small dogs. We have 2 dauschands.

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Yeah those small dogs would be really scary. With the horses you have an area almost the size of your torso to give the shot in, and you actually just put the needle in first (not attached to the shot) to make sure you didn't hit a vein. I'm not sure how the vet gives shots to dogs, but it takes much more talent than with horses I'm sure! Too much could go wrong for my taste! At least with the horses you have a chance to correct yourself and they just stand there like nothing happened!

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Originally Posted by serenewaves

I work at a vets office & it is really important to take them in for an exam & vaccs every year. I don't know how many parvo puppies come in every year who had "all their shots from the breeder" It's simply not enough. The vaccines need to be kept at a specific temp (in shipping, at the store & at your home) to be effective & be given a certain way to be effective so if you do it at home you may be wasting your time & money. Also here in MO a vet has to be the one to give a rabies vaccine in order for it to be considered legal so just another reason for us to just go to the vet. Also your vet will check your pet for any lumps or bumps, eye issues, skin issues, ear infections or dental disease. All of which have smal signs starting out that your vet can catch by seeing them each year and talking with you. If caught early you can prevent a problem from snowballing into a bigger problem that costs more to treat. Hope this helps :)

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i agree 100% with this.

if those vaccines aren't stored properly, it can cause serious issues. best to have the vet do it.

Wayyyy back when I had a lot of animals, I did my own vaccines, my animals did go to the vet for well checks yearly though.

The answer to your question is yes you CAN, however should you?

Here are the facts, a vaccine that is not given by a licensed veterinarian will not be considered legally given i.e.: if you want to license your pet, home vaccines are not recognized. The same goes for travel, boarding and grooming. So if you plan do any of these things you have to have the vet give the shots.

A lot of breeders who produce mass quantities of puppies often give their own vaccines to save some money; most of those puppies never see a vet until their new owner takes them to one. How many horror stories have you heard about this type of situation?

Bottom line vaccines are very easy to give however a vet really should do it and also the rabies vaccine can only be given by a licensed vet.

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Originally Posted by ed4281

The answer to your question is yes you CAN, however should you?

Here are the facts, a vaccine that is not given by a licensed veterinarian will not be considered legally given i.e.: if you want to license your pet, home vaccines are not recognized. The same goes for travel, boarding and grooming. So if you plan do any of these things you have to have the vet give the shots.

A lot of breeders who produce mass quantities of puppies often give their own vaccines to save some money; most of those puppies never see a vet until their new owner takes them to one. How many horror stories have you heard about this type of situation?

Bottom line vaccines are very easy to give however a vet really should do it and also the rabies vaccine can only be given by a licensed vet.

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Really? I gave my own rabies vaccine

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Originally Posted by llovelace

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Really? I gave my own rabies vaccine

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It may be the state you are in, in MO only a rabies done by a licensed vet is considered legal. But you can go down to the feed store & buy rabies vaccs, they just aren't considered legal. I know the laws are different in each state so where you are it may be just fine for you to do it. I would check with your local health department or animal control office to see what your options are.

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Originally Posted by serenewaves

It may be the state you are in, in MO only a rabies done by a licensed vet is considered legal. But you can go down to the feed store & buy rabies vaccs, they just aren't considered legal. I know the laws are different in each state so where you are it may be just fine for you to do it. I would check with your local health department or animal control office to see what your options are.

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Yeah because if your dog bites someone you cannot prove that you actually gave the shot to your dog. I believe Iowa has a similar law because there have been many situations that have required me to give the rabies vaccination number and the vet's number in order for me to take Athena certain places.

I've never done any vaccines at home, nor do I know anyone that has, but I have given shots to a dog I was watching for a week. One of my fiance's mom's dogs has diabetes and Cushing's disease so she requires twice daily shots of a slow release insulin and a couple pills for the Cushing's. The insulin shots had to be given in a specific place and wasn't terribly difficult. I was super worried I wouldn't be able to do it [I'm a wuss...] or do it properly. But after my fiance's mom showed me how to do it a couple times and let me do it with her watching, I was more confident and it all worked well in the end.

That said, I would never do a vaccine by myself on a dog I own. Doing the insulin shots was difficult enough getting it in the right spot and without hurting the dog, I couldn't imagine trying to do it on my own without training.

I love my wiener dog too much, and I don't have enough experience in the vet field. I think it is very much worth it to take him to a professional

I do all vaccinations at home except for Rabies, and that's because Rabies is required by Iowa law to be administered by a vet. And that is the only vaccination required by law. My vet doesn't mind that I do everything else at home, and neither does the rescue I foster for or the obedience club where I train.

#1 - my dogs don't get "shots" every year - they are on a 3 year schedule and we only get distemper and rabies vaccs. They each receive one IN dose of the bordatella vaccine but - you guessed it - I do it myself.

#2 - my dogs see the vet more than annually - they don't need shots to be seen by the vet.

#3 - I used to work for the state veterinary teaching hospital, have assisted my dobe breeder for ten years in vaccinating dogs and work for rescue - I'd venture to say my knowledge and expertise when it comes to giving injections rivals that of any vet tech that's going to be poking my dog. ;)

So if you have experience doing it and are a responsible pet owner, I don't see a problem with it. If you're just doing it to save a buck, leave it to the vet. But not all people who do at-home vaccinations are bad. :)

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Originally Posted by sekaiNdobes

I do all vaccinations at home except for Rabies, and that's because Rabies is required by Iowa law to be administered by a vet. And that is the only vaccination required by law. My vet doesn't mind that I do everything else at home, and neither does the rescue I foster for or the obedience club where I train.

#1 - my dogs don't get "shots" every year - they are on a 3 year schedule and we only get distemper and rabies vaccs. They each receive one IN dose of the bordatella vaccine but - you guessed it - I do it myself.

#2 - my dogs see the vet more than annually - they don't need shots to be seen by the vet.

#3 - I used to work for the state veterinary teaching hospital, have assisted my dobe breeder for ten years in vaccinating dogs and work for rescue - I'd venture to say my knowledge and expertise when it comes to giving injections rivals that of any vet tech that's going to be poking my dog. ;)

So if you have experience doing it and are a responsible pet owner, I don't see a problem with it. If you're just doing it to save a buck, leave it to the vet. But not all people who do at-home vaccinations are bad. :)

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Well said! I completely agree with the last paragraph

It's really a yes and no answer. :P With experience giving shots and good access to well-cared for vaccines (temps, and such) it could work out nicely, but a vet exam is always good too.

If you're experienced in the vet world, then go for it. I've thought about it for my dogs, since I used to be a vet assistant, but decided in the end to just dish out the dough for the vet. My dogs are middle-aged, and not growing puppies though. Puppies I'd definitely say always go to the vet.

I give my own booster shots. My dogs still go to the vet for their yearly check up. In Ohio Rabies has to be given by a licensed Vet. Giving your own shots does save money if you have a lot of dogs and is very easy to do. I would still recommend a yearly check up.:)