# Ten Vaccine Myths and a couple other good vaccine reads



## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Ten Vaccine Myths | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Myth No. 1
Vaccines protect our dogs against disease, helping to ensure they live long, healthy, happy lives.

Wrong!

Vaccines only sometimes protect our dogs against disease (if at all). Scientific studies into human vaccines have shown that just as many vaccinated people, and sometimes more vaccinated people, contract diseases as do unvaccinated people.

A study conducted by Canine Health Concern during 1997, involving 2,700 dogs, showed that 68.2% of dogs in the survey with parvovirus contracted it within three months of being vaccinated. Similarly, 55.6% of dogs with distemper contracted it within three months of vaccination; 63.6% contracted hepatitis within three months of vaccination; 50% contracted parainfluenza within three months of vaccination; and every single dog with leptospirosis contracted it within that three month timeframe.

So vaccines represent – at best – only a 50/50 chance of protection. But if you doubt the validity of the CHC survey, ask around. It won’t take long to find people whose dogs contracted these diseases shortly after being vaccinated. In a parvo vaccine trial conducted by Dr Ronald D Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University, three out of six parvo vaccine brands totally failed to give protection; two gave only partial protection; and only one was shown to be effective.

Myth No. 2
Vaccines have eradicated epidemics.

Wrong!

Vaccine manufacturers like to claim this. But research shows that vaccines are generally introduced after the disease has died out: diseases die out after 67% of a population has been exposed to it. The smallpox vaccine is often quoted as having eradicated smallpox. In fact, scientists stopped using it when they finally admitted that it was causing too many side-effects.

Only then did the disease die out.

There are strong arguments to suggest that vaccines keep diseases in the eco-system. For example, the only cause of polio in the USA today is the vaccine itself. (You can get polio if you change the nappy of a baby who has recently been vaccinated against polio.) Vaccines also shed into the environment, so a vaccinated or unvaccinated dog or cat can contract a disease from the urine and faeces of a vaccinated dog or cat.

Myth No. 3
Vaccines are extremely safe.

Wrong!

No-one can legitimately claim that vaccines are safe – because no-one has conducted the necessary research to make that claim. There are no long-term studies to show the long-term effects of vaccines on humans, let alone dogs.

Myth No. 4
Only a tiny minority of genetically-susceptible dogs will suffer adverse reactions to vaccines.

Wrong!

Whilst some dogs will have genetic weaknesses that make vaccines more dangerous to them, there are many other factors which can put your dog at risk.

Vaccine manufacturers warn, in their data sheets, that the following factors can render vaccines harmful (they use the phrase, “immunocompetence may be compromised” ):

1. if the dog is genetically defective
2. if there is something wrong with the dog’s diet
3. if the dog was unhealthy when vaccinated
4. if the dog is stressed at time of injection
5. if the dog’s immune system is incompetent
6. if the dog is exposed to a virus shortly after vaccination
7. if the dog is taking immune suppressant drugs such as steroids
8. if the vet stores and handles the vaccine inappropriately
9. if the dog is incubating disease at the time of vaccination

And if no-one is recording the adverse effects of vaccines effectively, then how can anyone say only a ‘tiny minority’ have adverse reactions? In the UK, vets are asked (not compelled) to report adverse reactions if they suspect an adverse vaccine reaction. If a dog falls down having an epileptic fit within half an hour, ten days, or a month of vaccination, the vet very often fails to suspect a link – even though vaccines are known to cause epilepsy, and the human Vaccine Damage Compensation Unit has paid up to £30,000 to parents whose children were made epileptic by vaccines. Even if the vet does suspect a link, there is no law to make him report the suspected reaction. Many vets are too busy to complete the necessary paperwork. The same applies to other diseases which many scientists contend are vaccine-related – such as skin disease, arthritis, cancer, encephalitis, etc.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Myth No. 5
“I am a vet, and I have only seen one vaccine reaction in 20 years’ of practice.”

Wrong!

You only think you have seen one vaccine reaction in twenty years of practice! Vets have been trained to look for an immediate reaction – where the dog is allergic to the vaccine (this allergy is the basis for the genetic link claim). In the event of an allergic reaction – sometimes called anaphylaxis or a hypersensitivity reaction – the vet is advised to inject adrenalin into the animal to save his life.

Because vaccine components can remain in the system for long periods of time, and because most of these disease take time to show themselves, causal link is rarely established. Unless, that is, scientists take the time (despite fears that their funding might be withdrawn by the pharmaceutical industry) to study the facts.

Research papers published by eminent scientists show that the following diseases can be caused by vaccines:

Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia

A dreadful disease that usually kills a dog within days. Progress of the disease closely resembles the last stages of AIDS. Cancer – Dr Denis W Macey was reported in an American veterinary paper as saying that up to 22,000 cats develop cancer at the site of vaccination every year in the USA.

The Salk Polio Vaccine

Administered to thousands of people in the 1950s and ’60s was contaminated with a Simian (monkey) retrovirus (called SV40) that has been found at human cancer sites. An Avian (bird) retrovirus has also been found at human cancer sites, suspected to have come from the MMR vaccine. Monkey kidneys, chick embryos, dog brains and kidney, and cat brains and kidneys are all commonly used as vaccine culture media. If the animal used as a culture medium for vaccines carries a retrovirus and this is undetected and left in the vaccine, the vaccine can permanently alter the genes of the animal or human receiving the vaccine.

Genetic defects

The significance of vaccines’ gene altering potential is alarming. For example, SV40 has been found at cancer sites belonging to the children of people who received the SV40-contaminated Salk Polio vaccine. SV40 switches off the part of the DNA that protects from cancer, and this defect can be inherited.

Although the British government was informed that the polio vaccine was contaminated at the time, they took the decision to use it anyway. Records have now been destroyed (to protect the guilty?). Once it was decided it was too risky to continue using the contaminated vaccine on the UK population, it was sold overseas to unsuspecting ‘foreigners’.

So God help your dog. Thyroid disease is inheritable; and this can be caused by vaccines. Once a dog has underlying thyroid disease, he or she only needs a trigger – from a vaccine, an environmental pollutant, from stress, or from dietary inadequacies – to develop full-blown autoimmune diseases. Thyroid disease can often be undetected. For example, behavioural problems, hormonal imbalances, nymphomania, and coat loss can by symptoms of thyroid disease, but are often treated at face value without establishing the underlying cause.

Leukaemia

Dr Jean Dodds, one of the world’s foremost experts in canine vaccine reactions, says: “Recent vaccinations with single or combination modified live virus (MLV) vaccines are increasingly recognised contributors to immune-mediated blood diseases, bone marrow failure, and organ dysfunction.”

Dr Dodds lists leukaemia, thyroid disease, Addison’s disease, diabetes, and lymphoma as diseases that can be triggered by vaccines.

Parvovirus

Yes, parvovirus was created by vaccines. This disease didn’t exist prior to the 1970s. In fact, scientists tell us it was created by vaccine manufacturers who cultured the distemper vaccine on cat kidneys that were infected with feline enteritis. This cat-enteritis-diseased distemper vaccine was then injected into dogs around the world, and parvovirus reared its ugly head around the world at the same time. Similarly, human AIDS is thought by some scientists to be a vaccine-induced plague. HIV (humans), FIV (cats), and SIV (monkeys) are closely related viruses. Two separate scientific papers link the emergence of HIV in humans with the use of SIV-infected polio vaccines (cultured on monkey kidneys) on male homosexuals in New York, and innocent citizens of the Belgian Congo.

Arthritis

If there is a history of arthritis, epilepsy or allergies in a human family, doctors will often refrain from vaccinating a child. Arthritis is an inflammatory (hypersensitivity/allergy) disease. Vaccines contain various components, including serum (often bovine serum posing a BSE type threat), formaldehyde, aluminium, and mercury. Is it any wonder that an animal might become hypersensitive or inflamed after having these poisons injected into hm? According to one vaccine manufacturer, vaccines that are cultured on animal tissue can contain ‘extraneous proteins’ that can cause autoimmune diseases. Arthritis is an autoimmune disease, and it was found in the CHC survey to manifest in clusters nine months after vaccination. Animals with a genetic pre-disposition to allergies (ie ‘people’ from families with a history of irritable bowel syndrome/Crohns disease/enteritis, asthma, hay fever, eczema, and so on), can become more allergic, or become highly sensitised, when you inject foreign proteins (serums and organ tissue) into them. Veterinary manuals talk openly about serum reactions.

Allergies

There are many, many research papers showing a link between allergies and vaccines.
In 1983, for example, Frick and Brooks published a paper to show that inhalant allergies (such as atopic dermatitis) have developed in dogs when vaccinated with distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis vaccines just prior to, but not after, exposure to pollen extracts. ‘Atopic’ means an inherited pre-disposition to produce excess amounts of IgE antibodies in response to antigens (the things the animal is allergic to such as pollen, flea bites, dust mites, etc.). As a result the allergic individuals suffer chronically irritating skin inflammations. Other organs may exhibit signs of hypersensitivity causing, for example, conjunctivitis or rhinitis. Homoeopathic vets treat a large proportion of skin problems as ‘vaccinosis’ (a morbid reaction to vaccines).

Epilepsy

As stated earlier, it is scientifically recognised that vaccines can cause epilepsy in humans. Dr Hans Selye published a famous paper in ‘Nature’ in 1936 which explained how an organism will react to a massive challenge (such as a vaccine). Every system of the body springs into action, and a hormone called DOC can be released. This hormone can cause brain lesions and destruction of large parts of the brain. Epilepsy is a neurological (brain) condition. In addition, this brain damage can lead to behavioural problems. Harris L Coulter has published a very convincing argument to suggest that unprovoked aggression in humans has its base in encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) caused by vaccines.

Myth No. 6
Vaccine manufacturers have to undergo stringent procedures and tests to ensure safety.

Wrong!

OK, partly true . . . vaccine manufacturers have to go through safety procedures and tests, but to claim that these tests are stringent is highly subjective. How, then, did SV40 get through; how did the avian virus get into the MMR vaccine; how did parvovirus slip through the net; and how did AIDS suddenly arrive from nowhere? In actual fact, no-one is permitted (in the UK at least) to test the viral component of a veterinary vaccine except a vaccine manufacturer. They are the only ones with a license to do it. This means that if you suspect a vaccine killed your puppy, you have to take the vaccine company’s word for it if they say it didn’t.

There’s no-one to go to if you want an independent check.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Myth No. 7
It’s better to risk a vaccine reaction than subject my dog to these deadly killer diseases.

Wrong!

Firstly, very few of the classic canine diseases are deadly.

Parvovirus is only generally deadly to puppies and, as maternal antibody can be present for as many as 22 weeks, and as maternal antibody cancels out the vaccine, vaccinated puppies are unlikely to be protected from parvovirus. Adult dogs rarely die from parvovirus.
Distemper kills only half of affected dogs. Indeed, dogs most susceptible to disease are those who are fed poor quality processed foods (and don’t imagine that price equals quality). A dog fed a natural diet, containing ‘real’ food, is most able to combat any viral challenges. Also, please be aware that there is an alternative to a highly risky vaccine – this is discussed later. Clinical signs of hepatitis and parainfluenza range from mild and invisible to death (the flu rarely kills; hepatitis can be caused by a range of factors, including poor diet, and the vaccine doesn’t protect against all of the other dangers). Secondly, no-one knows how common these diseases are. No-one records their existence.

Leptospirosis, for example, is extremely rare (apart from which, leptospirosis is a range of over a hundred bacterins; the chances of the strain in the needle matching the strain in the field are remote; and the vaccine only confers protection for between three and six months, leaving vaccinated dogs ‘unprotected’ for up to nine months anyway). Vaccines have also been known to cause the diseases they were designed to prevent. This happens when a vaccine is injected into an animal with a suppressed immune system (caused by genetic factors, poor diet, stress, existing illness, etc.); or when the vaccine manufacturer fails to render the viral component of the vaccine harmless in the lab. In the latter instance, the vaccine is withdrawn after it has killed ‘more dogs than normally expected’ (in the words of one vaccine manufacturer as it withdrew its vaccine).

Canine Health Concern’s vaccine survey indicated that at least one in every hundred dogs is damaged by vaccines. As no-one has any statistics to suggest otherwise, it should be up to vets and vaccine manufacturers to prove vaccines are safe – and not the other way round. We whose dogs have died or suffered chronic debilitating diseases shouldn’t have to take their word for it when the vaccine manufacturers deny responsibility. Our concerns should be taken seriously, and not strenuously denied in the face of overwhelming evidence.

Myth No. 8
The homoeopathic vaccine alternative is unproven.

Wrong!

Existing research and experience shows that the homoeopathic nosode is as protective – but probably more protective – than vaccines. Whereas the medical and veterinary ‘professions’ receive huge sums of money from international multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical conglomerates, please note that homoeopaths do not. Rather, vets who trust the less expensive homoeopathic alternative suffer serious financial loss by refusing to sell highly lucrative annual boosters. A growing number of dog lovers are beginning to choose the homoeopathic alternative to vaccines. Some have been using the nosode for up to twenty years, and claim that they have never had a problem.

Myth No. 9
You should vaccinate your dog every year.

Wrong!

If you hear nothing else, if you can accept nothing else, please know that annual vaccination is not necessary. Please do not subject your dogs to the vaccine risk year after year until they drop.

Once immunity to a virus exists, it persists for the lifetime of the host. In the case of leptospirosis (a bacterial disease), I have already explained that the vaccine is virtually useless and therefore not worth the risk.

One American veterinary vaccine manufacturer has made a public announcement, saying that it no longer recommends annual vaccination. Several American veterinary colleges have announced the same, in reaction to consumer pressure and fears over adverse reactions.

One veterinary college said that annual vaccination has no scientific basis, and we might as well have chosen ‘every full moon’ to stick the needle in. And please be aware that a vaccine administered to a puppy, when his immune system is immature, is probably the most harmful jab of all, capable of wreaking havoc – havoc that you might not be able to detect immediately.

Myth No. 10
My doctor/vet knows best.

Wrong!

Doctors and vets are trained in a very specific healing discipline. They know a little about pharmaceuticals, and some of them know about surgery.

But they rely upon the pharmaceutical industry to tell them which drugs to use in which circumstances. When a conventionally trained scientist tells you that homeopathy doesn’t work, you may as well ask your butcher whether electricity works – the fact is, conventional vets rarely have any knowledge of homeopathy to base their opinions on. Homeopaths do not claim to be able to reverse all vaccine damage, and conventional vets – not even recognizing vaccine damage – have little success.

Once you’ve administered the needle, you can never change your mind. Please STUDY THE FACTS, don’t live to regret it.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Why I don’t Vaccinate My Dogs At All | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Why I don’t Vaccinate My Dogs At All
February 24, 2012 - Vaccine Articles and News - 148 comments 
Our dogs are in the midst of an epidemic. It’s not an epidemic of viral disease, but of chronic ill health. They’re besieged with itchy, pus-laden, scabby skin; vomit and diarrhoea are the norm. One in every hundred dogs suffers from epilepsy, and an even higher number lives with painful arthritis. Allergies are also reaching epidemic proportions: dogs are becoming allergic to life.

According to Dr Jean W Dodds, an eminent vet and researcher, both allergic and autoimmune diseases have been rising since the introduction of modified live virus vaccines. Autoimmune diseases are where the body attacks self; they include cancer, leukaemia, thyroid disease, Addisons, Grave’s disease, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, lupus, thrombocytopenia, organ failure, skin inflammations, and more.

We also seem to have a tremendous number of dogs with behavioural problems, largely due to over-vaccination and processed pet food. Vaccines are known to cause inflammation of the brain, as well as lesions throughout the brain and central nervous system. The medical term for this is ‘encephalitis’, and vaccine’s role is acknowledged in the Merck Manual. Merck is a vaccine manufacturer.

Years ago, I was the typical ‘responsible’ dog owner. My four Golden Retrievers were vaccinated every year, and they were fed a ‘complete and balanced’ pet food, recommended by my vet. The red carpet was metaphorically rolled out once a fortnight, each time I visited with a dog suffering from chronic disease. Eventually the problems became more serious: my dogs started to die years before their time.

Over the years, I’ve collected research documents to help me make decisions about my dogs’ husbandry, and to share what I’ve learnt with other dog lovers. I also hoped that vets would take notice of the research, and stop over-vaccinating. All medical interventions come with a risk – even the humble aspirin can be deadly. So you have to do a risk/benefit analysis whenever you consider medications. What, then, are the risks of vaccines?

Research by Frick and Brookes shows us that vaccines can trigger atopy (skin allergies). (Am J Vet Res. 1983 Mar;44(3):440-5). Dr Jean W Dodds tells us that retroviral and parvoviral diseases, and MLV vaccines, are associated with lymphoma, leukaemia, organ failure, thyroid disease, adrenal disease, pancreatic disease, and bone marrow failure.


Vaccines cause cancer in cats at their injection site and, according to the Journal of Veterinary Medicine, August 2003, vaccines cause cancer in dogs at their injection sites. Vaccines cause autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (JVM, Vol 10, No. 5, September/ October 1996; Merck Veterinary Manual), and arthritis (BVJ, May 1995 and Am Coll Vet Intern Med, 2000; 14:381). Epilepsy is a symptom of encephalitis, which, as we already know, can be caused by vaccines.

According to Dr Larry Glickman and his team at Purdue University, serum and foreign proteins in vaccines can cause autoimmunity (i.e. cancer, leukaemia, organ failure, etc.). This research also indicates that genetic damage is possible, since vaccinated dogs developed autoantibodies to attack their own DNA. Research from the University of Geneva echoes this finding.

Over the years, many vets, particularly in America, have been saying that they think vaccines cause a diverse range of problems in animals. For example, Christine Chambreau DVM said, ‘Routine vaccinations are probably the worst thing we do for our animals. They cause all types of illnesses but not directly to where we would relate them definitely to be caused by the vaccine.’ She is not alone in this view.

So imagine my dilemma ten years ago, when Edward and Daniel came into my home. Having already seen my vaccinated dogs suffer with chronic illnesses, and dying from cancer and leukaemia – knowing that vaccines may have caused these illnesses – what was I to do?

I concluded that I would rather risk viral disease with my dogs, than have them suffer from the epidemic of chronic and fatal illness that is gripping the canine population. I appreciate that some will consider me irresponsible. But what actually are we running from when we vaccinate?

OK, so distemper is so rare that most vets haven’t seen it in at least ten years. Also, according to the top researchers, and stated by the American Veterinary Medical Association, once immune to viral disease, dogs are immune for years or life. So why are vets and vaccine manufacturers still trying to get us to vaccinate against viral disease every year, or even three-yearly – especially when you consider the risk?

According to the Intervet data sheet, dogs will develop permanent immunity to hepatitis over the age of 12 weeks. So why keep vaccinating against that? Kennel cough is easily treated in most cases, and the vaccine isn’t very effective. So what’s the point? Leptospirosis is rare (my vet tells me he hasn’t seen it in ten years, either), and the vaccine is associated with some of the worst adverse reactions. Isn’t this vaccine an unacceptable risk, then? And parvovirus is – according to the Concise Oxford Veterinary Dictionary – rarely a problem for the normal healthy adult dog.

The next question, of course, is how do you get yourself a normal healthy adult dog? Aha – catch 22. In my view, you get a healthy adult dog by not vaccinating at all! Vaccines destabilise the immune system, leading to all sorts of chronic illness. From all I’ve seen and read, vaccines do not set your dog up for good health. They have the potential to make your dogs itchy, scratchy, vomiting, diarrhoea-filled, sickly, sub-normal shadows of their former selves – ready and waiting for the more serious killers like cancer to arrive. Vaccines represent the perfect recipe for the chronic illness epidemic I’ve been describing.

Does this mean I’ve left Edward and Daniel open and unprotected against viral disease? No. When they were puppies they were given the homoeopathic nosode, a safer vaccine alternative. They have also been fed naturally all their lives, providing vital nutrients to boost their immune systems, and they are exercised well (which also boosts the immune system). Have they ever they suffered from recurrent hot spots, allergies, digestive upsets, eye and ear infections, or any other chronic illnesses? No. Did they die of cancer at the age of five, or leukaemia at the age of six, or paralysis at the age of four – as my vaccinated dogs did? No. In fact, they’re probably very well equipped, and healthy enough, to withstand the diseases I might otherwise have vaccinated against.

Is probably good enough? Well – it’s the best anyone is going to get. Because even vaccines cannot guarantee immunity.

So am I taking the high risk option? I don’t think so. It seems to me that good health is a God-given natural right. It’s only man who messes it up. The natural order is wiser than any of us, and those of us who don’t vaccinate our dogs are proving natural law to be right.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Rabies Vaccine Labeling | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Rabies Vaccine Labeling
May 26, 2011 - Vaccine Articles and News - 3 comments 
You might have noticed that rabies vaccines are labeled for either one year or three years. What is the difference between the two vaccines? The answer is that there is no difference. It is the exact same vaccine.

Veterinary immunologist Dr. Ronald Schultz states: “There is no benefit from annual rabies vaccination and most one year rabies products are similar or identical to the 3-year products with regard to duration of immunity and effectiveness. However, if they are 1 year rabies vaccines, they must be legally given annually! Rabies vaccine is the only canine vaccine requiring a minimum duration of immunity study. However, revaccination annually does not necessarily improve immunity. However, annual vaccination does significantly increase the risk for an adverse reaction in the dog.”

“I tell practitioners that vaccines are drugs, albeit biological drugs. I remind them that they would not consider it good medicine to give an unnecessary pharmaceutical drug on a recurring basis. I think it is even worse to give a vaccine, or biological drug, that isn’t necessary. The possible adverse consequences of a vaccine generally far outweigh the adverse consequences of a pharmaceutical drug. A pharmaceutical drug is usually much more restricted
in its action. However, each time we stimulate an immune response, we have to look at the effect on all body systems—not only on antibody responses or cell-mediated immunity, but also on interactions with the endocrine system and the nervous system.”

The annual revaccination recommendation on the vaccine label is just that: a recommendation without the backing of long term duration of immunity studies, and, surprisingly,. it is not a legal requirement. Rabies vaccine is the only commonly used vaccine that requires that duration of immunity studies be carried out before licensing in the United States. Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.

In 2009, Alabama became the last state to allow dog owners to vaccinate their dogs every three years instead of annually. Dr. Dee Jones, Alabama Public Health Veterinarian states that veterinarians may use rabies vaccine “in accordance to its label” in a letter written to state vets. “The state is now recognizing and accepting the use of a three-year vaccine that is labeled for such,” he wrote. “However, it is worth belaboring that the state is not mandating the use of three-year vaccine. The decision to use a one-year or a three-year rabies vaccine lies entirely with the veterinarian and the animal owner.”

Despite Dr. Schultz’s efforts at educating veterinarians, your veterinarian is allowed to inject your dog annually with what is essentially a three year vaccine. This means he gets all of the risk and none of the benefit. Before you give your vet the benefit of the doubt when he urges you to vaccinate annually, consider what Dr. Schultz has to say about how well most veterinarians understand immunity.

Dr. Schultz states: “many practitioners really don’t understand the principles of vaccinal immunity. A significant number of practitioners believe:

1.the annual revaccination recommendation on the vaccine label is evidence the product provides immunity for (only) one year. – Not True
2.that they are legally required to vaccinate annually and if they don’t they will not be covered by A VMA liability insurance if the animal develops a vaccine preventable disease – Not True. Furthermore, certain companies will not provide assistance if practitioners don’t vaccinate annually with core vaccines. Not True – In fact most of the companies have now demonstrated their core products provide at least 3 years of immunity.
3.that not revaccinating will cause the animal to become susceptible soon (days or a few weeks) after the one vear. – Not True
4.if the animal is not revaccinated at or before one year the “whole vaccination program needs to be started again”. – Not True
5.if they don’t continue to revaccinate annually, diseases like canine distemper, canine parvovirus and infectious canine hepatitis (CA V-I) will “reappear and cause widespread disease similar to what was seen prior to the development of vaccines for these diseases.” – Not True
6.that if the revaccination “doesn’t help, it won’t hurt.” – Not True
7.that giving a vaccine annually that has a duration of immunity of 3 or more years provides much better immunity than if the product is given only once during the three years. – Not True
8.there are regional/state rabies programs that suggest annual rabies vaccination programs provide better protection than revaccination once every three years regardless of whether a 1 year or 3 year rabies product is used. – Not True
9.that parvovirus vaccines only provide six months of immunity, thus they must give them semi- annually and the CPV -2 vaccines need to be given with coronavirus vaccine to prevent enteritis. – Not True
10.“It’s much cheaper to revaccinate the pet annually than it is to treat the disease the animal will develop because it didn’t get revaccinated annually.” The “better safe than sorry” philosophy – If a vaccine is given that is not needed and it causes an adverse reaction that is unacceptable and very expensive.
11.they need to revaccinate all new dogs/cats coming to their clinic irrespective of vaccination history even when vaccination records are available from another clinic. Presumably the “other clinic” used the wrong vaccine or didn’t know how to vaccinate. – Not True
12.“Dogs need to be revaccinated annually up to 5 to 7 years of age, then and only then would vaccination every three years be okay..” – Not True
13.“Surgical procedures, including anesthesia, are immunosuppressive thus dogs should be vaccinated prior to or shortly after surgery.” – Not True
14.“Because boarding kennels require annual or more often (kennel cough every 3 to 6 months) vaccination, practitioners must continue vaccinating annually with all vaccines.” – Not True- help change the kennel rules through education and just use the vaccines that need to be given (eg Kennel Cough.)”
Clearly, your vet may or may not be up-do-date on vaccines and immunology. Never completely entrust your dog’s care to somebody else. Make certain that you educate yourself on the dangers of vaccination and share this information with your vet. Be an active participant in your dog’s health care decisions. Never feel pressured to rush into a vaccine decision: you can always leave your vet’s practice without vaccinating and, after some more research, decide at a later date whether you will vaccinate or not.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Rabies Vaccination: 13 Ways to Vaccinate More Safely | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Rabies Vaccination: 13 Ways to Vaccinate More Safely
January 4, 2012 - Vaccine Articles and News - 8 comments 
Note: this is an expanded version of the article by Jan Rasmusen previously published in the September/October 2010 issue of Dogs Naturally Magazine.


Animal Control sends a notice stating that your dog’s rabies vaccination is due. Some of us will vaccinate readily. Because it’s legally mandated, it must be safe, right? Besides, what choice do we have?

Others of us panic, desperate to avoid the shot at any cost. We remember what happened the last time our dog had a rabies vaccination. We wonder, will our dog survive another?

World-renowned pet vaccination scientist, Dr. Jean Dodds, wrote recently: “Rabies vaccines are the most common group of biological products identified in adverse event reports received by the USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB).”

An adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine may exact a high price – to your dog’s health and your wallet. Here’s what you need to know to make vaccinating your dog safer:

1. Learn to recognize adverse reactions. Short-term reactions include vomiting, facial swelling, fever, lethargy, circulatory shock, loss of consciousness and even death. (If your pet appears distressed, contact your vet immediately.) Reactions occurring days or months after vaccination can be difficult to recognize. They include:

• Fibrocarcinomas (cancer) at the injection site
• Seizures and epilepsy
• Autoimmune disease
• Chronic digestive problems
• Allergies
• Skin diseases
• Muscle weakness or atrophy
• Pica (eating inappropriate materials, including feces)
• Behavioral changes (aggression, separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors and more)

If you suspect a health or behavior problem may be connected to a vaccine, you may have to convince your vet. It’s common to hear “it couldn’t be the shot” or “a reaction like that is impossible.” Even the drug’s manufacturer (to whom you should immediately report the reaction — giving them the brand and lot# — may deny the connection. Insist on seeing the product’s package insert, viewable on-line or from your vet. Also know that long-term reactions aren’t usually documented or even studied. Note: a vaccine reaction, especially one supported by your vet, may entitle you to compensation for medical expenses from the drug manufacturer.

2. Vaccinate healthy dogs only. Vaccinating an unhealthy animal can exacerbate illness and do irreparable harm. Also, immunity may not develop after vaccination because of the dog’s compromised immune system. This is especially dangerous as you may presume immunity that does not exist. Pets with autoimmune disease or cancer are obviously “not healthy,” but neither are pets suffering from stress from a move or surgery, a virus or infection, or allergies or skin problems or any other condition compromising health. (Never allow your pet to be vaccinated during surgery.)

3. Ask for a rabies vaccination exemption. If your dog has documented health problems, ask your vet to apply for a rabies vaccination extension or exemption. Many localities permit them even if state law doesn’t specifically allow them. If your vet won’t apply for an exemption, go elsewhere. You may want to contact a holistic vet who may better understand the dangers of vaccinating an unhealthy animal. If local law forbids exemptions, change the law. Numerous states are in the process of adding exemptions to their laws. Click this link to check your state’s rabies law and pending exemptions.

4. Don’t vaccinate against rabies within three weeks of other vaccinations or medication for parasites. Multiple vaccines given at once greatly increase the chance of reactions. Multiple vaccines are especially risky for small dogs.

5. Make sure your dog gets the correct vaccine. If you’re vaccinating a puppy, make sure your vet administers a one-year vaccine initially (as late as legally possible) and a three-year vaccine (or whatever is required in your area) thereafter. The one-year and three-year vaccines are virtually identical medically – but not under the law. A one-year shot must be followed by re-vaccination a year later. Note: the one-year shot is not safer than the three-year (except that it may contain fewer adjuvants).

6. Vaccinate at the safest time. Vaccinate in the morning, early in the week, and don’t leave the area for at least an hour if possible. Watch for reactions for at least the next 48 hours. Reactions occurring when the closest vet’s office is closed can prove disastrous, even fatal.

7. Tell your vet you want a Thimerosol-free vaccine. Thimerosol (mercury) in vaccines has been linked to adverse reactions. Merial, for one, makes one- and three-year thimersol-free rabies vaccines: IMRAB® 1 TF and IMRAB® 3 TF. Make sure you see “TF” on the label. (If your vet doesn’t carry the vaccine, you may have to vet shop to find the vaccine you want. You might also ask why the vet why he/she doesn’t carry it.)

8. Find a vet trained in homeopathy to vaccinate your dog. Certain homeopathic remedies given before, during and after vaccinating can lessen the chance of ill effects from vaccination. Click the link to find vet referral lists.

9. Report all vaccine reactions to your vet and make sure they’re recorded in your pet’s file. Have the vet sign relevant pages, get copies and put them in a safe place. (Vets lose records, retire and move away.) Also report the reaction to the drug’s manufacturer. (You’ll need the vaccine lot number.) Vets are notoriously bad at reporting reactions, but exemptions to rabies vaccination and drug safety require documentation.

10. Don’t vaccinate within a week of travel. Pets experiencing reactions on route can die for lack of immediate medical assistance. (Find a list of emergency clinics by area at LocalVets.com (I cannot guarantee the clinics’ expertise, but at least this is a place to start.)

11. Keep copies of vaccination records and titer tests in your car(s) and license tags on your dog’s collar or harness. Otherwise, you may be forced to re-vaccinate if your pet bites someone, runs away and is taken to a shelter or if you have to board your pet unexpectedly.

12. Do not administer a rabies vaccine yourself. It will not satisfy legal requirements and you’ll have to have a vet vaccinate again. You will also be unprepared to deal with a potentially life-threatening reaction. Similarly, a vet’s office may likely be a safer place to get the vaccine than a mobile clinic.

13. Support the Rabies Challenge Fund. World-renowned scientists, W. Jean Dodds, DVM, and Ronald D. Schultz, PhD, are working as volunteers to increase the interval between rabies boosters by proving that the vaccine gives immunity, first, for five years, and then for seven years. (The study is in year four now.) They’re also working to establish a blood “titer standard” to provide a scientific basis to avoid unnecessary boosters with a simple blood test. This nonprofit group is supported solely by dog lovers and dog groups.

Before the next notice from Animal Control arrives, do your homework. A little time spent learning about the rabies vaccine can mean the difference between your dog’s wellness and serious illness.


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

Are you getting this from "shock to the system" by Catherine o'Driscoll


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

michele said:


> Are you getting this from "shock to the system" by Catherine o'Driscoll


No I get Dogs Naturally Magazine (free to email) and these were some great articles. Makes you think


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## michele (Jan 12, 2009)

oh sounds very like the book i'm reading


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

michele said:


> oh sounds very like the book i'm reading


It is free and all kinds of good info in it. I enjoy reading it and will research further some things and store away some things etc It just makes you think! I try to stay up to date on stuff and I know this has been a big discussion here. 

Sonny is due for a 3 year Rabies but I keep procrastinating as I honestly don't want him to get one. He has never had a reaction and it is state law he has one but I still cringe.


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## PearlyQ (Nov 2, 2012)

Thank you for posting this about vaccines. My Chi, Ren, developed AIHA from a "harmless" vaccine. Without going into great detail about the disease, it causes an immune response that attacks red, healthy blood cells. 
She battled the disease for four years. The most difficult four years of my life. She finally died from complications of the disease. 
She had to have a letter written by our state Vet saying that she was exempt from vaccine. Any vaccination would have killed her. 
Please, PLEASE!, always ask your Vet about the dangers of routine vaccinations. They are NOT always necessary.


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

Thank you Christie for posting this!

I did not know all about vaccines and what was needed and what wasn't when Jaxx was immunized. I also had no clue not to give small dogs several vaccines at once. Our golden retrievers were always had their vaccines in clumps so I thought it was okay for Jaxx too. I feel bad every time I look at Jaxx's should blade where he had a reaction from one of his puppy vaccines and now has a lump and has lost his hair all around the area where he was vaccinated.

I think that anytime informative information is out there it is a great thing!


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Great info Christie! I'm always a stickler for vaccines, I can't stand how messes up the vaccination protocols are and hat vet preach to all their patients!! Drives me insane. Thank for sharing! 


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I did not know any better with Lacy or Lulu, but I did follow Dr. Jean Dodds vaccination protocol with Gidget. My vet also actually highly respects Dr. Dodds and agrees with her. We are past the puppy shots at this point, so it is titers for us. As far as rabies, I would love it if a titer for that would be acceptable and don't understand why it can't be.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

I am stuck between a rock and hard place because my boy is a service dog. I don't want to fry his system with vaccines but to do things like fly I have to have proof of vaccines.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Moonfall said:


> I am stuck between a rock and hard place because my boy is a service dog. I don't want to fry his system with vaccines but to do things like fly I have to have proof of vaccines.


I think if you have proof of titers done that will work. Some places will require annual titers where other will accept them up to 3 years (except rabies). 


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

I may ask my vet about it. That seems like the best option.


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## Zorana1125 (Oct 24, 2010)

Moonfall said:


> I may ask my vet about it. That seems like the best option.


I would recommend calling multiple vets and getting quotes. My vet only charges like $70 where as others are charging $150 plus for the same thing. 


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