Are we over vaccinating our pets?

I know this article isn't new but my son just got a 12 week old puppy and I started looking into a vaccination schedule for her. I had heard that the schedule recommendation had changed. She was give a 7 in one vaccination but now I wish she had only gotten the distemper and parvo. Some of the other stuff is unnecessary and can have terrible side effects including death. The hard part is finding a vaccination that only includes distemper and parvo.

Yearly vaccines could have lethal consequences for your pet

Tuesday, May 01, 2007
By Susan Banks, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The mammoth recall of pet food that grabbed headlines over the past month after contaminated batches were linked to at least 16 pet deaths has put a new spotlight on proper handling of pet products and care issues.

But there's another area that has gotten little attention but could also pose a risk to dogs, especially those among the smaller breeds.

It involves vaccines and how often they should be given.

The next time you get that reminder in the mail to get your pet's yearly booster shots, you may want to pause and reconsider.

According to major veterinary schools and the American Animal Hospital Association, most major canine vaccines should be given once every three years -- not annually.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07121/782290-338.stm

however I believe most vets do think that most of the important vaccines (and it depends on whether you have indoor or outdoor pets) is every three years. Like all vaccines, pet vaccines all run the risk of side effects but most of the time they are minor and disappear after a few days. I have had many pets (dogs and cats) in my life and and never had any animal have a serious side effect, although I suppose if one has had a pet hurt it may seem otherwise

However, we have one cat who never gets vaccines and that's because she has a pretty rare condition called pemphigus foliaceus, which causes her skin to break out quite violently. After her first vaccinations, she had a giant abcess and lost a huge patch of fur that took months to grow back. So the vet agreed that given her fragile state, vaccines probably weren't the best idea for her, especially since her housemates all got them and she is never boarded.

I too have had many cats in my life and she is the only one who has had a serious side effect from vaccines, but like I said, she is not well (but luckily in remission at this time).

The rest, you can probably give yourself, depending on local laws re the meds. Look into it and see if you can give the ones you believe will be best for your dog, if you don't like the combo vaccines.

Do the research. There are some vets here on DU. Ask around and read as much as you can find

they are indoor dogs. The only time they go outside is on a leash. And my oldest dog gets horrible ear infections anytime she gets any shots or any anti-biotics. Its horrible for her.

even tho they don't go outside, a rabies vaccine will protect you in the event someone inside your home gets bit. Maybe like a child visitor....

My indoor cats haven't had any vaccines. If anyone comes into my home they run under the bed and don't come out until they're gone...

then they need to be put down. The only time any of my dogs have come close to biting me is when the older one had such a bad infection in her ear and the dr. had to operate. She was only trying to protect herself from being hurt, and I certainly wouldn't allow anyone else to even go near her ear, or come to the house when one was sick. They are part of the family. You don't invite people over when your child has the flu, you don't invite people over when your dog is ill... they act differently.

And I do get the rabies shots for them because its the law. I don't like how it affects them, but I don't have a choice.

and a rabies certificate can make situation turn out so it is not fatal to the dog!

There is more rabies about than most people realize. Keep THAT shot current.

from the shots. My son's friend had a dog that died from a vaccination side-effect. I don't know if it was a puppy or an older dog. I'm going to ask my son the next time I talk to him.

Re-Vaccination: Vaccination for Previously Vaccinated Dogs and Older Puppies
By Christie Keith

Are Vaccines Really Harmful?
Some have attributed every ill of the canine and feline pet populations, from allergies to arthritis to severe immune system breakdowns, to excessive use of vaccines. Others, most notably vaccine manufacturers, insist the vaccines are harmless and that the benefits outweigh the risks. Where does the truth lie?

A few years ago, the Colorado State University School of Veterinary Medicine became the first veterinary college to issue a vaccination schedule that recommended against annual vaccinations. In their new protocol they wrote, "We are making this change after years of concern about the lack of scientific evidence to support the current practice of annual vaccination and the increasing documentation that over vaccinating has been associated with harmful side effects. Of particular note in this regard has been the association of autoimmune hemolytic anemia with vaccination in dogs and vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats...both of which are often fatal."

There is some evidence to suggest to even the most ardent vaccine supporter that there are risks to vaccination. In cats, there is an alarming incidence of injection site sarcomas, an aggressive and often fatal cancer. In dogs, there is a correlation between autoimmune hemolytic anemia and vaccination (Dodds, 1985; Duval and Giger, 1996), and an ongoing study at Purdue University has found that vaccinated dogs, but not unvaccinated controls, have formed antibodies to their own cells (Larry T. Glickman, DVM, "Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Vaccination," Advances in Veterinary Medicine, Vol. 41, 2001). Immunocompromised dogs vaccinated for canine distemper have been reported to develop post-vaccinal encephalitis (Meyer, "Vaccine Associated Adverse Events," Veterinary Clinics of North America, May 2001). Dogs with inhalant allergies are known to worsen after vaccination (Frick and Brooks, 1983).

http://www.caberfeidh.com/Revax.htm

I have been reading that it's best if they get the first rabies shot between 8 and 12 months. Then they need a booster in a year then every three years after that.

My husband did give the puppy her first 7 in one vaccination on Thursday. Since then I have been researching and I wish it had only been for distemper and parvo. The vaccine against Leptospirosis is particularly dangerous. I also read that if the dogs receive the vaccination after they are about 12 to 16 months old they never need another booster. To give them more can actually be harmful to them. Also Rabies shots and the other vaccinations shouldn't be given within 30 days of each other. The same with surgeries including spay and neuter, they shouldn't have any vaccinations within 30 days. I am having trouble finding the injections with just distemper and parvo.

This is very informative:

Dr. Jean Dodds' Recommended Vaccination Schedule
http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

He doesn't believe it is good to give animals yearly boosters. The way he explained it is that we humans only get "baby shots" and rarely need boosters. In my county in Florida, we are only mandated to get rabies shots every 3 years. However, you can get a waiver if your pet is "elderly, sick, or otherwise immuno-compromised". The last time I took my 7 year old dog there (she's an indoor dog mainly and gets yearly check ups), he asked if we wanted to give her a waiver for being elderly. I told him she's hardly elderly, as she's a spry little dog, and he said that the county doesn't specify what elderly is, so it's left up to the vet. He said if she wasn't immune to rabies after her 3 puppy shots, yearly shots the first two years and then the one 3 year shot, then she has larger issues than "being elderly". So, I got her tag renewed and no shot.

for rattlesnake bites.

said a vaccinated dog got bitten on the nose, nose swelled a bit overnight, nothing else wrong. We live in rattlesnake country, hope that the vet is right. Also coyote & mountain lion country, worry about our little poodle mix.

A lot of people have their dogs rattlesnake trained. Supposedly the dogs can differentiate between rattlesnakes and other snakes. We also have lots of coyotes. Two different neighbor's dogs were attacked by javelina a couple of years ago so that's another worry.

I just found this:


Vaccination for rattlesnake bite:

Rattlesnake vaccine is a relatively new product recently approved for use throughout the Unites States.

Ranchers and veterinarians have long known that after having been repeatedly bitten, dogs become resistant to rattlesnake bites. Vaccination works the same way – it will make your dog resistant but not immune. A vaccinated dog is much less likely to suffer permanent injury or die from rattlesnake bite, but it is still possible.

The vaccine is usually administered as two injections the first year, with a booster each year after that.

http://www.placervillevet.com/rattlesnake_vaccine.htm

I didn't realize that dogs were that resistant to rattlesnake bites. I would have thought with smaller body size than humans they would be more likely to die. Would love to know what it is about their immune systems that fights the toxins better than humans do..

of the vaccines. she developed aiha (autoimmune hemolytic anemia)

one day she was fine.
the next day she couldn't lift her head, walk, drink. she was dying!

by the time she was diagnosed i read up on this and the interesting thing was that almost all these pet owners had vaccinated their dogs before they came down with this.

she needed blood tests daily, then every other day; i was taking her in for an iv drip every day. it was horrible.

i read that some pets die within 24 hours of diagnosis.

my dog got better--slowly and she will NEVER get another vaccine again!

p.s. the vet (who managed to make her well again with these cancer drugs she was taking) said there was no connection between the illness and vaccines. HOWEVER, i had to take her to an emergency clinic one night for a blood test and was told by the er vet that yes, it was the vaccines. "we don't sell them here--this is an emergency room. so we don't have to lie and tell you it is not the cause. there is no profit in it for us either way." and she told me to never get my dog another vaccination.

Our dog is 3 1/2 and hasn't had any shots other than the required rabies shot since her last puppy shot. So I guess she is okay. However, since it was just Thursday that my husband vaccinated our son's puppy I'm very concerned. I did locate a 5 way vaccination at a local feed store and that is what I'm going to have our son get for her next vaccine. It does not contain the Leptospirosis vaccine and from what I have read, that is the one that is most likely to cause problems. Then I will recommend that she gets one more 5 way when she is around 12 to 16 months old and that's it for the rest of her life as far as those vaccines go. I am beginning to think it's just another Big Pharma scam to have them vaccinated over and over again with things that can be lethal.

Leptospirosis

Not recommended
1) There are an average of 12 cases reported annually in California.
2) Side effects common.
3) Most commonly used vaccine contains the wrong serovars. (There is no cross-protection of serovars) There is a new vaccine with 2 new serovars. Two vaccinations twice per year would be required for protection.).
4) Risk outweighs benefits.
http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

go ahead and bash vets as money making shills. I have yet to meet a vet that recommended excess vaccines for my pets. In fact at any hint of trouble my vets have held off on vaccinating, even the mandatory vaccines. They are recommending vaccines out of good concience for their clients pets, not to make money for "big pharma".
What would happen if your dog actually got Leptospirosis? Would you then accuse the vet of being careless? Sheesh.
Some people's animals have had bad experiences but statistically most pets suffer little to no side effects more serious than sluggishness. Once more I will remind you that companies make very little profit on vaccines which is why the vaccines are usually supplied by overseas manufactureres (at least with human vaccines). I don't believe the veterinary vaccine comapnies are actually pharmaceutical companies anyway

just like anything else. And there are vets who think other vets are over vaccinating. So what would you say to those vets? It sounds like your vet is one of the good ones.

AR-News: (U.S.) companion animal market boosts researchers' prospects

~snip~

Big Pharma, which traditionally pays well and offers premium job security,
has already embraced research for Rover. Eight of the 10 largest animal
health companies in the world are subsidiaries of big pharmaceutical
companies. Moreover, forecasts of generous spending by pet owners prompt
some pharma companies to expand their research into animal health. "People
are willing to pay almost any price for an innovative medicine that will
make their beloved Fido live a year longer," says Steffen Hehner, a
consultant for McKinsey in Cologne, Germany, which specializes in animal
health care research.

http://lists.envirolink.org/pipermail/ar-news/Week-of-Mon-20031027/009209.html

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad there are scientists who are working on finding ways to make our animals live longer, healthier lives. However, to think that there is no tie-in to Big Pharma is naive.

they make the most of their money? donations?

vaccines are a big fucking money maker for vets--

the vet i talked to at an emergency clinic assured me that vaccines are a major money maker for vets. she also told me she is in a position to admit this because the emergency clinic didn't sell vaccines.

glad you have a great vet.

i also have a great vet although he wouldn't admit that the vaccine practically killed my dog.

she's an older dog. she'll never get another fucking vaccine, that's for sure. what she came down with was like doggie AIDS. it was HORRIBLE!

Holistic Animal Health: Vaccinosis
Health Hazard of Routine Vaccination: placing our animals at risk
Most pet owners aren't aware of the dangers in animal vaccinations that have been discovered in recent years. The major veterinary associations now agree that vaccinations can trigger all sorts of maladies, from allergies to cancer - but most pet caretakers (and many veterinarians, it seems) haven't gotten the word. "With vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and severity of these side-effects in our pets has increased dramatically. Most of the problems involve the immune system. After all, the immune system is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. But they do so in a very unnatural way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system." Dr. Donna Starita Mehan DVM


Dr. Charles E Loops DVM - "The first thing that must change with routine vaccinations is the myth that vaccines are not harmful. Veterinarians and animal guardians have to come to realise that they are not protecting animals from disease by annual vaccinations, but in fact, are destroying the health and immune systems of these same animals they love and care for Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for some time that vaccinations do more harm than they provide benefits. Vaccinations represent a major assault on the body's immune system.... Vaccine induced chronic diseases range from life-threatening conditions such as auto-immune crises to conditions destroying the quality of life of an animal as in chronic skin allergies." more

Dr. Dee Blanco, D.V.M - "You take healthy animals and often very quickly after you vaccinate, you can see simple things like itching of the skin or excessive licking of the paws, sometimes even with no eruptions and licking of the air. We see a lot of epilepsy/seizure, often after a rabies vaccination. Or dogs or cats can become aggressive for several days. Frequently, you'll see urinary tract infections in cats, often within three months after their vaccination. If you step back, open your mind and heart, you'll start to see patterns of illness post-vaccination."

Dr. Dennis Macy DVM - "We should not allow politics and tradition or greed to enter the decision (on frequency of vaccination). Changing vaccination schedules doesn't have to mean less profit, but that you have more income from some clients and less from others. Veterinarians and the industry need to have guts to be honest with ourselves and assess the risk and not be trapped in tradition." -- Dr. Dennis Macy in "Are We Vaccinating Too Much?" AVMA Journal, 1995

http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

Vaccinations: All Veterinary Schools in North America Changing Vaccination Protocols
Recent editions of the Senior Dogs Project's newsletter have reported on the ever-broadening trend of eliminating vaccinations for adult dogs, except for rabies, where required by state law. We have now had a report that all 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Here, in a nutshell, are the new guidelines under consideration: "Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet (i.e., canine distemper, parvo, feline distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not 'boosted' nor are more memory cells induced.

"Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines. Puppies receive antibodies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks. Puppies and kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks. Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced. Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however, delay the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system. A series of vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4 weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age. Another vaccination given sometime after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 months) will provide lifetime immunity."srdogs.com
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

other dogs vaccinated years ago in relation to the time they died.

that er vet i talked to said she breeds cats and she puts them all through the initial round of vaccines. and then she tells the people who buy the cats that they probably don't need any more vaccines -- maybe one in seven years, but not this yearly or every three year ordeal.

a woman I worked with took her German Shepherd Dog to be tick dipped. They ran him through once and said it wasn't enough. They ran him right through again and he died from a bad reaction to it. Can you imagine being dunked in a vat of pesticides? I'm glad we are learning more and more about the harmful effects of things that were once taken for granted.

Thanks, I bookmarked it and added it to my growing list.

We got both of our Russian Blues vaccinated because we are good "parents" (we have no children) and brought them home.

Kitsa looked totally dead when we got home. She was as limp as a rag doll. We drove back to our trusted veterinarian and he brought her back to life.

That experience scared the hell out of us. We swore to keep them the hell away from unnecessary shots. (They are both strictly indoor cats and we have no other pets.)

She is also strictly an inside cat. We have never gotten vaccinations for her. I think that it's being responsible to not vaccinate indoor cats that are never exposed to other cats. I have heard that they can contract disease from sick cats through open windows but I can't imagine that that would be a very likely scenario.

I thought the same thing too, but you know how the idea of your cat getting a disease kind of worries you, right? I want to do the "right" thing for my girls.

I'm keeping them away from the vaccinations now for sure!

vaccinated annually with a slew of vaccines, then I would say yes, you are over vaccinating them.

:crazy:

After all, the less they are vaccinated, the more infectious diseases they get, the sicker they are when they DO get infectious diseases, and the more money we vets make!

Be sure to skip those annual checkups altogether, too. In fact, once Fluffy and Fido get their first set of shots and that early neutering, they don't ever need to see the vet again - that is, until they crash and burn at the ripe old age of 6 years and need The Big Blue Needle.

Then just head on down to the pound and pick up a replacement.

:sarcasm: