Tomorrow is World Veterinary Day (WVD), an annual event that highlights the role of veterinary profession around the world. This year’s theme is the importance of vaccination to animal health. Over the past two hundred years, scientists have created vaccines that have prevented – and, in some cases, eradicated – diseases in humans and animals.
Yet if you talk to pet owners online, the question of the need to vaccinate is one that keeps cropping up. People worry that vaccines may even be causing illnesses, and sadly, they sometimes feel that they cannot trust the advice from their vet, because the vet benefits financially from the sale of the vaccine.
There is a danger here that pet owners may stop vaccinating their pets, and if they do, it’s likely that they will get away with doing so for a number of years. Vaccines have caused serious illnesses to become rare, so that there may not be an immediate threat to most pets. The problem is that if people choose not to vaccinate, there will be a growing population of unprotected animals that are vulnerable to viral disease if an epidemic does occur.
It’s useful to compare the situation with measles in humans. Before the introduction of measles vaccination in the UK in 1968, about half a million people caught measles each year of whom about 100 died. The introduction of the MMR vaccine in 1988 led to a dramatic reduction in measles, with only two human deaths from the disease in the past twenty years. False claims in the late 1990’s that MMR could cause autism led many parents to refuse to vaccinate their children. Vaccine rates dropped and there are now up to two million young people who remain unvaccinated: they are at risk of the disease.
This is not just theoretical: an outbreak of measles is currently happening in Wales, with over eight hundred confirmed cases including over eighty patients being treated in hospital. The first death happened last week, when a twenty five year old man passed away. As one official said, “Measles is a serious, horrible disease. We need to get rid of it.” The sad truth is that we know how to get rid of it: vaccinations, which have been proven to be safe and effective. Public health officials are now running large scale measles vaccine clinics to protect people who missed out on childhood vaccination, but there are still worries that the proportion of unvaccinated people may be so high that the current measles outbreak will spread to elsewhere in the UK, with further deaths.
There have been similar false claims about dangers associated with vaccinations in the pet world, and as a result, there is a risk of the gradual development of a large unvaccinated population of pets. This would create the potential for an outbreak of one of the nasty viral diseases of pets in a similar way to the human measles situation.
It is true that there is a low incidence of adverse reactions to vaccines. Like humans who feel a little under the weather after some vaccines, pets can suffer mild signs of illness as their immune system reacts to the vaccine. This is part of the same immune reaction that causes the body to produce antibodies against the virus, so it’s nothing to worry about. More serious adverse reactions, such as allergic or autoimmune diseases, do happen, but they are exceptionally rare. Overall, the reported incidence of any type of problem is less than one in five thousand; the risk of a serious reaction is much lower than this.
The aspect of dog vaccines that seems to worry owners most is the traditional model of “once yearly boosters”. People don’t understand why this is necessary, when in humans, childhood vaccines often confer lifetime immunity. Why do pets need so many vaccines?
The answer to this is complicated: when vaccine regimes were first devised, back in the 1970’s, there was a high mortality rate from diseases like Parvovirus and Distemper. Duration of immunity after vaccines had not been clearly established, and the safest option was the once yearly booster. In recent years, more studies have been done, with many vaccines now promising immunity for three to five years for some diseases after the annual booster at fifteen months of age.
In the face of this changing information about vaccines, the challenge for vets has been to recommend a reduced vaccine schedule while still ensuring that no vulnerable animals slip through the loop. Much as pet owners may appreciate the opportunity to go to the vet less often, if even one animal died of a preventable viral disease, vets would feel that they had failed.
The veterinary profession has tackled this on a global scale, by setting up expert groups, using independent scientists to assess the evidence and to provide guidelines for the vaccination of pets. A simple set of recommendations have now been issued to vets across the world by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, and these offer the safest approach to pet owners. You can read them for yourself online by clicking here.
Vaccines are now classified as “core” and “non-core”. Core vaccines include those which all animals need to receive, which means Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus for dogs. Non-core vaccines are those that are required by only those animals whose geographical location, local environment or lifestyle places them at risk. Examples include Leptospirosis, Kennel Cough and Rabies, although the prevalence of rats in many parts of the UK is so high that many people would regard Leptospirosis as a core vaccine in this country.
The aim of the veterinary profession is to vaccinate every animal with core vaccines and to vaccinate at-risk individuals against non-core vaccines if they are seen to be at risk.
The WSAVA guidelines also address the recommended frequency of vaccination: for the main core vaccines, after puppy shots followed by a booster at fifteen months of age, it’s now regarded as safe to repeat the vaccine every three years. If dogs need to be protected against certain other illnesses- including Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough – immunological studies have demonstrated that once yearly vaccines are still needed.
This can all become over-complicated for the average pet owner, which is why it’s still recommended that the safest answer is a once yearly health check by your vet. The vet will review your pet’s health and lifestyle, and will then only give the vaccines which are judged to be necessary. In the United Kingdom, for most dogs, the recommendation is likely to be a once yearly vaccine against Leptospirosis, with a booster against Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus every three years. Other vaccines, such as Kennel Cough and Rabies, may also need to be given, depending on the dog’s activities.
There is plenty more to discuss on this subject, including widely-disseminated but unproven claims that over-vaccination is the cause of a wide spectrum of illnesses in the dog world. Perhaps that’s a subject for another blog.
Discussion
I like that you pointed out how core vaccines include those which all animals need to receive. Our puppy is at the right age now so we are thinking of having her vaccinated. With that in mind, we should probably ask for veterinarian services next weekend.
I am glad veterinarians try to vaccinate every animal with essential vaccines. I was afraid they would do it only for money. But this shows that they really care for the animals.
Getting your dogs vaccinated is incredibly important not only for their healthy living but yours as well.
It’s good that you point out that having your dog vaccinated can help protect them from diseases. I want to make sure my new puppy stays healthy, so I’m considering taking him to a vet to have him vaccinated. I’m going to look for a good vet in my area that does pet vaccinations.
I’m brand new pet owner, been doing research of vaccinations. And now more and more I believe that vaccines are for the reason in businnes world: 1. to have vets busy and profit. 2. Marketing pet medicine. 3.pet insurance in progress. Once you vaccinates you on the hook, pet life visits to vets
I’m afraid that this isn’t entirely true. Most practices do not make a significant profit on vaccinations – many provide them at cost once overheads are factored in. More to the point, very few vets are on commission – most of us get paid exactly the same amount whether we vaccinate a dog or not. That said, a veterinary practice makes a lot more money attempting to treat a dog with parvo or lepto than we’d ever earn by preventing them – so from a purely business perspective, vaccines are counterproductive.
If you don’t need pet insurance, because you can afford to treat your pet (say £3000 for a complex fracture repair, or £1000 a year for simple diabetes), then that’s fantastic! But sadly not everyone can afford that. While there may of course be cheaper options (such as amputation), most vets like to offer the best treatment available, and insurance allows us to do that.
This is a total and outright lie about annual boosters. they know that in 2010 the vaccine companies and the BVA agreed that annual boosters were dangerous and needed changing that annual core vaccines should be changed from annually to every three to four years.
Though that timeframe has not science to back up the period other strong science that said suggested with no science involved except the one that said that the initial vaccinations lasted at least 7 years and in most cases a lifetime of the dog.
The reason they came to the 3-4 year figure was a sop to the vets screaming blue murder and the vaccine companies doing the same
The main reason that we should not vaccinate our dogs annually is it is causing immune-compromised dogs. in other words the vaccines were causing more damage than the disease themselves. The article is written by vet help direct in 2013 they know the DOIs Duration of Immunities changed in 2010. They are lying and killing dogs in the process. i have taken a snapshot of this page and my answer. if it is not published I will contact theBVA and the WSAVA and the vaccine companies as you are putting dogs lives at risk because of profit not science. Shame on you
If you wish to write to them, please feel free to do so – just make sure you include the date that Pete posted the blog! As in all things, science moves on, and what was a fringe theory a decade ago is now mainstream (or even now discredited).
You might want to take a look at one of our more recent blogs, where we discuss the evidence base behind DOIs, such as https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2019/08/23/vaccines-for-pets-what-why-and-how-often/
Have you read the Facebook page, Lepto 4, Our Experiences? My dog nearly died after having this vaccination. Many have died. I have a huge file on this as I have studied it for a year.
Yes, we have – but we must try and be guided by evidence, not anecdote. While there are indeed cases where serious illnesses are probably linked to vaccine administration, the opposite is also true, where unvaccinated animals have suffered terribly for lack of protection against serious infectious diseases.
At the moment, the peer-reviewed and reliable data suggest that vaccination, overall, reduces the amount of animal suffering (and that goes for the L4 vaccine too). If good-quality bioplausible data is published suggesting the opposite, then we will of course change our advice, and we’re sure our professional colleagues will too – as we have over vaccination intervals and titre testing, for example. But while we all really feel for anyone whose dogs have become ill and who blame it on the vaccines, at the moment the bulk of the evidence would suggest that, in most cases, the vaccine was unlikely to be the ultimate cause. It’s very human to try and find something or someone to blame for anything that goes wrong, but sometimes it blinds us to what’s really going on (and we count ourselves in that category!).
You use measles as an example but we only have one vaccination in a life time against it. People are expected to get their pets vaccinated every year.
There are a number of reasons for this. Firstly, very, very few vets in the UK vaccinate for every disease every year (the most recent survey of this that I’m aware of suggested it was about 2%). The annual vaccination for the long-lasting vaccines (Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis in dogs, Panleukopenia in cats) hasn’t been a thing for many years now. The datasheet recommendations are every 3 years, because about 98% of dogs retain their immunity for 3 years. Many (60%+) retain their immunity for as long as 9 years, but unfortunately, it’s difficult to know which dogs have retained immunity to which components (Distemper seems to wane faster than Parvo, for example). Titre testing may help, although it’s not 100% reliable, but it is still expensive.
However, some of the other vaccine components – Leptospirosis (both L2 and L4), and cat flu – do not generate such a long-lasting immunity, and for maximal protection genuinely do need boosting every year; for these vaccines, titre tests are useless.
It is important to remember, too, that the human immune system is not identical to that of the dog or cat; as much longer lived animals, our T-memory cells also seem to hang around for a lot longer, so while the analogy is useful, it’s not 100% reliable.
Hope that helps!
I have 2 bostons who in the past have always had a bad reaction to the yearly boosters, I have spoken to the vets who just handed me a leaflet (not really answering my question) on a sad note the vet died last year but on a happier note the vets who bought the practice seem to split the booster I.e one part and then 4 weeks later give the L4 part, my boys don’t have a reaction?
Is this a new thing or is it because they are only small
They are 7 yrs old
Thanks
I have 2 bostons who in the past have always had a bad reaction to the yearly boosters, I have spoken to the vets who just handed me a leaflet (not really answering my question) on a sad note the vet died last year but on a happier note the vets who bought the practice seem to split the booster I.e one part and then 4 weeks later give the L4 part, my boys don’t have a reaction?
Is this a new thing or is it because they are only small
They are 7 yrs old
Thanks
Research has shown that if a dog has immunity at 6 months of age, it is protected for life. Boosters are not necessary and are actually harmful. Vets know this. Pharmaceutical companies know this. The government and local authorities know this! Pet owners are being lied to. It’s in the interest of vets and pharmeutical companies to keep vaccinating as they make money from the vaccinations and from the horrible medical conditions that over-vaccination causes. The government receives money from the pharmaceutical companies. See a pattern here? I don’t booster my dogs any more and my dogs are much healther than the ones who were vaccinated every year. I have titre tested and they have full protection.
Research has shown that if a dog has immunity at 6 months of age, it is protected for life. Boosters are not necessary and are actually harmful. Vets know this. Pharmaceutical companies know this. The government and local authorities know this! Pet owners are being lied to. It’s in the interest of vets and pharmeutical companies to keep vaccinating as they make money from the vaccinations and from the horrible medical conditions that over-vaccination causes. The government receives money from the pharmaceutical companies. See a pattern here? I don’t booster my dogs any more and my dogs are much healther than the ones who were vaccinated every year. I have titre tested and they have full protection.
I fully agree to the harm that boosters have on dogs, and that vets do know about the harm and yet they at least in the UK still insist on or advise actively (in the form of annual sms reminders) dog parents to give them to their dogs; I just lost mine a month ago, and I can see the sharp decline of my old JRx’s health soon after I took her for her booster. Her health has been in decline BUT the way it went downhill like a stone off the cliff alarmed me and within 2 months she was dead. I could still remember the vet who looked at her the time after her health took a sharp turn remarked how different she was from the time he looked at her when giving her the booster. The guilt I felt and still feel will haunt me the rest of my life and I hope all vets who are aware of this likelihood will not sleep with a clear conscience. I feel at least we as dog parents should have been given an informed choice when we were actively ‘sold’ that boosters are needed every year!!!
Carole – rabies vaccination is a different issue because of the risk to humans from the disease. The vaccine lasts three years (on the data sheet) but they insist on vaccination every year in France because there is a relatively recent history of rabies there – I think the idea is that if people have to vaccinate every year, the entire population will be continually protected – if they went to every 3 years, some would slip through the net, going over the three years, and might become vulnerable again.
Carole – rabies vaccination is a different issue because of the risk to humans from the disease. The vaccine lasts three years (on the data sheet) but they insist on vaccination every year in France because there is a relatively recent history of rabies there – I think the idea is that if people have to vaccinate every year, the entire population will be continually protected – if they went to every 3 years, some would slip through the net, going over the three years, and might become vulnerable again.
Maria – I cannot answer all of your questions – there are many issues there. You need to find a vet who you can sit down with, to go through it all in detail. The issue of insurance and vaccine requirements is under review. In summary: no vaccines = bad. Too many vaccines: the jury is still out as to whether this genuinely causes a significant problem. “Fewer vaccines than have been given in the past” is probably the best approach.
Maria – I cannot answer all of your questions – there are many issues there. You need to find a vet who you can sit down with, to go through it all in detail. The issue of insurance and vaccine requirements is under review. In summary: no vaccines = bad. Too many vaccines: the jury is still out as to whether this genuinely causes a significant problem. “Fewer vaccines than have been given in the past” is probably the best approach.
Mary K
The blog above clearly explains about the situation re: booster vaccinations. If you read the links to the WSAVA recommendations,
you will find the information you need. It’s best to approach this subject from a scientific point of view, looking at large studies and data. I’m curious when you say you have seen “bad effects from boosters”. What do you mean? As my blog says, the reported incidence of adverse reactions is less than one in five thousand. You need to be careful what you do. Yes, I agree boosters against some diseases less often, but not against all diseases (eg Lepto if there is a risk)
Why in all your replies do you not refer to titer testing or any of the numerous group’s reporting of the ever increasing death’s and dire reactions following Lepto vaccine, and fact that the tiny number (less than 300 ) out of millions in the UK that have died from confirmed Lepto had also been vaccinated against it? The UK is not classed as an At Risk country for lepto. …why give it at all if a safe vaccine can’t be found for farmers and sewage worker’s, both of which rarely suffer from it although in daily contact?
I rely on information from our regulatory authorities to confirm that the risk benefit of vaccination is strongly positive. Any risk associated with vaccination has been proven to be far lower than the risks associated with the disease.
The UK dog population current enjoys the benefit of herd immunity i.e. when a significant proportion of the population is vaccinated, large scale outbreaks are prevented, and this is why so few dogs currently die from Leptospirosis. No vaccination can ever guarantee protection, for a variety of reasons, but it is clearly proven that vaccination hugely lowers the risk of disease. Leptospirosis serology studies of dogs in the UK show that this disease is still circulating in recent times, so it is incorrect to say that “the UK is not classed as an “at risk” country for Leptospirosis.
You say “Why give it at all if a safe vaccine can’t be found for farmers and sewage workers, both of which rarely suffer from it although in daily contact?” Well, a range of Lepto strains can affect dogs, and it’s logical to cover as many of these as possible if the vaccines are available. Compared to humans, dogs do not have the option of addressing the risk of avoiding infection through personal hygiene and barrier protection measures. This is why they are best protected by active immunity via vaccination.
Finally the size of the human markets you speak of (farmers and sewage workers) would not justify a pharma company making the major investment in the research and development of a vaccine for humans in these segments. It’s far more cost effective to avoid infection by the types of personal hygiene measures that are impossible to impose on animals.
Mary K
The blog above clearly explains about the situation re: booster vaccinations. If you read the links to the WSAVA recommendations,
you will find the information you need. It’s best to approach this subject from a scientific point of view, looking at large studies and data. I’m curious when you say you have seen “bad effects from boosters”. What do you mean? As my blog says, the reported incidence of adverse reactions is less than one in five thousand. You need to be careful what you do. Yes, I agree boosters against some diseases less often, but not against all diseases (eg Lepto if there is a risk)
I always ensure my pets have the basic vaccinations, a booster a year later then top ups ever 3 years or so (depending on where I am and in accordance with local conditions). My own Vet has told me that there is little FelV in my area now – but new cats are moving to the vicinity all the time and may bring the disease in, hence I am going ti have her vacccinated next week (she is nearly 6 months and not been outside alone as yet). i am also going to have her rabies vaccinated as we travel to Europe on holiday and she will come too. I have this done in UK as it is only needed every two years – as opposed to annually in France. Yet local animals appear not have to have it….seems strange to me. Great to hear all the Vet comments on here and thank you!
I always ensure my pets have the basic vaccinations, a booster a year later then top ups ever 3 years or so (depending on where I am and in accordance with local conditions). My own Vet has told me that there is little FelV in my area now – but new cats are moving to the vicinity all the time and may bring the disease in, hence I am going ti have her vacccinated next week (she is nearly 6 months and not been outside alone as yet). i am also going to have her rabies vaccinated as we travel to Europe on holiday and she will come too. I have this done in UK as it is only needed every two years – as opposed to annually in France. Yet local animals appear not have to have it….seems strange to me. Great to hear all the Vet comments on here and thank you!
Hi Pete, as a Professional Dog Groomer and dog owner, and due to incidents in the past year, I have different areas of concern and dilemma. Perhaps you could shed some light please because I have been between a rock and a hard place on this for 3 months now!! As a Salon Groomer who takes her own 3 dogs to work each day, I have a definite duty of care to my client owners to ensure my dogs are not a health threat to their dogs….sadly it does not always work vice versa, so to have my own dogs protected at least ensures their protection. A year ago I lost my beautiful Airedale a week after he had Boosters of Vacc & KC…he went from being fine to dead in 4 days flat! We had no time to process his loss and the grief continues to be unbearable. He dies from a tumour mass inside his spleen…..his blood count cells were on the deck and he was severely anaemic…all of which must have been present for sometime but on the outside, Dexter looked and acted a picture of health?? Of course I realise we would have lost him as a result of his ‘invisible illness’ but what scared me was our vet commented that many times the boosters/vacs can actually act as a catalyst in causing the illness/condition to come forward and ‘present’ itself which was clearly what happened to my boy! There is talk that after 7Yrs of age the vaccines are ineffective….my Schnauzer and Wire Fox are 10 & 11 yrs old….so what’s the point? Finally I rescued a bitch Wire Fox who had been tied up on an allotment for the first 2 years of her life…she came to me in an appalling condition and I have worked solidly for 10 months to get on top of her skin conditions caused from sleeping in her own excrement and urine…atopic dermatitis of some description and antibiotics, Fuciderm and various other concoctions have failed to bring it under control….I am finally winning with Porridge Oat baths and apple cider vinegar along with alternate, week alternate day Aveeno moisturising cream applications. I fear to renew her Booster will kick start her raw and inflamed, bleeding skin as she seems to react to the slightest change in diet or grooming regime?? If I do not renew her Booster, her Insurance becomes void…. a most complex situation all round for me with decisions whether to/or not to, should I/or not…. our new vet (took over from the retired one of 25Yrs who I trusted with my life) sits on the fence batting questions back at me rather than answering them straight!! I am so confused……. Thanks for taking the time to read this long post. Maria
Hi Pete, as a Professional Dog Groomer and dog owner, and due to incidents in the past year, I have different areas of concern and dilemma. Perhaps you could shed some light please because I have been between a rock and a hard place on this for 3 months now!! As a Salon Groomer who takes her own 3 dogs to work each day, I have a definite duty of care to my client owners to ensure my dogs are not a health threat to their dogs….sadly it does not always work vice versa, so to have my own dogs protected at least ensures their protection. A year ago I lost my beautiful Airedale a week after he had Boosters of Vacc & KC…he went from being fine to dead in 4 days flat! We had no time to process his loss and the grief continues to be unbearable. He dies from a tumour mass inside his spleen…..his blood count cells were on the deck and he was severely anaemic…all of which must have been present for sometime but on the outside, Dexter looked and acted a picture of health?? Of course I realise we would have lost him as a result of his ‘invisible illness’ but what scared me was our vet commented that many times the boosters/vacs can actually act as a catalyst in causing the illness/condition to come forward and ‘present’ itself which was clearly what happened to my boy! There is talk that after 7Yrs of age the vaccines are ineffective….my Schnauzer and Wire Fox are 10 & 11 yrs old….so what’s the point? Finally I rescued a bitch Wire Fox who had been tied up on an allotment for the first 2 years of her life…she came to me in an appalling condition and I have worked solidly for 10 months to get on top of her skin conditions caused from sleeping in her own excrement and urine…atopic dermatitis of some description and antibiotics, Fuciderm and various other concoctions have failed to bring it under control….I am finally winning with Porridge Oat baths and apple cider vinegar along with alternate, week alternate day Aveeno moisturising cream applications. I fear to renew her Booster will kick start her raw and inflamed, bleeding skin as she seems to react to the slightest change in diet or grooming regime?? If I do not renew her Booster, her Insurance becomes void…. a most complex situation all round for me with decisions whether to/or not to, should I/or not…. our new vet (took over from the retired one of 25Yrs who I trusted with my life) sits on the fence batting questions back at me rather than answering them straight!! I am so confused……. Thanks for taking the time to read this long post. Maria
It certainly wouldn’t be unsafe to vaccinate her, but the question is: is it necessary? The best thing would be to discuss her background and her current lifestyle with your local vet, and to do a risk assessment, and after doing that, make a decision…..
It certainly wouldn’t be unsafe to vaccinate her, but the question is: is it necessary? The best thing would be to discuss her background and her current lifestyle with your local vet, and to do a risk assessment, and after doing that, make a decision…..
I have no problem with vacination of dogs. It’s the yearly boosters that bother me. Are they really neccessary????. Studies and titer tests have shown that the vacines can last up to 8 years in the dog, therefore not nessitating boosters yearly. I have personnelly seen bad side effects from boosters , too many in such a small community of dogs to make me very wary.
I have no problem with vacination of dogs. It’s the yearly boosters that bother me. Are they really neccessary????. Studies and titer tests have shown that the vacines can last up to 8 years in the dog, therefore not nessitating boosters yearly. I have personnelly seen bad side effects from boosters , too many in such a small community of dogs to make me very wary.
Hi Pete, I found your article very interesting…all my animals have been vaccinated and chipped bar one…she came to live with me about two years ago. I live in rural Spain and here rabies vaccinations are obligatory. However this dog is 14 or 15 years old and I don’t know if at her age to start vaccinations would be safe for her, and if by now she has built up her own immunity. For this reason she isn’t chipped, as the vet would by law have to give her the rabies vaccination as well.
Any thoughts???
Hi Pete, I found your article very interesting…all my animals have been vaccinated and chipped bar one…she came to live with me about two years ago. I live in rural Spain and here rabies vaccinations are obligatory. However this dog is 14 or 15 years old and I don’t know if at her age to start vaccinations would be safe for her, and if by now she has built up her own immunity. For this reason she isn’t chipped, as the vet would by law have to give her the rabies vaccination as well.
Any thoughts???
Eileen – with many diseases, there are different strains of virus, and different forms of similar infectious illnesses. But I’d just go back to the science – the Kennel Cough vaccine has been proven to be effective against the most common strains, and so its use is well justified.
Eileen – with many diseases, there are different strains of virus, and different forms of similar infectious illnesses. But I’d just go back to the science – the Kennel Cough vaccine has been proven to be effective against the most common strains, and so its use is well justified.
Gill – I deliberately avoided discussing cat vaccines – although they too are mentioned in the WSAVA guidelines, there are a number of specific issues that I’d like to discuss, including vaccine related sarcomas.
And it’s true that there is a low rate of vaccine failure – no vaccine ever claims to be 100% effective, but the evidence is there that they provide good protection for the large majority of patients.
Re: the cases you mention, each would need to be investigated individually to find out precisely what happened, but:
1) There are many causes of coughing other than Kennel Cough
2) I have seen many cases of “Parvo” which have turned out to be something else on detailed examination – in the cases you mention, was the actual virus isolated? This is the only way that the diagnosis can be proven
3) It is true that there are numerous strains of Lepto, and the vaccine does not cover them all. My take is that it is better to cover what can be covered, and accept that you have done your best to protect your pet.
I agree with the value of a top quality diet, with identifiable ingredients and minimal unnamed fillers but I don’t believe that this is likely to fend off infectious viral diseases on its own. Vaccines are still needed.
While I have heard some impressive anecdotes about homoeopathy, I fail to understand why it has been impossible to prove that it works. My only conclusion from this is that while it may occasionally have some effect, it is not reliably and predictably effective, and since there is not even a reasonable scientific explanation for how it could work, I cannot recommend it as a first-line therapeutic modality. In my mind it would be highly irresponsible to give a litter of pups unproven nosodes rather than proper vaccinations.
As I pointed out, people like you will be able to get away without protecting their pets with vaccination for many years, but if the WSAVA guidelines are not followed, there is a risk that a large poplulation of unprotected animals will accumulate, and eventually, as with the current measles situation, there will be an epidemic of some sort. It may never happen, given the way pets are kept in relative isolation, but the risk is there.
Gill – I deliberately avoided discussing cat vaccines – although they too are mentioned in the WSAVA guidelines, there are a number of specific issues that I’d like to discuss, including vaccine related sarcomas.
And it’s true that there is a low rate of vaccine failure – no vaccine ever claims to be 100% effective, but the evidence is there that they provide good protection for the large majority of patients.
Re: the cases you mention, each would need to be investigated individually to find out precisely what happened, but:
1) There are many causes of coughing other than Kennel Cough
2) I have seen many cases of “Parvo” which have turned out to be something else on detailed examination – in the cases you mention, was the actual virus isolated? This is the only way that the diagnosis can be proven
3) It is true that there are numerous strains of Lepto, and the vaccine does not cover them all. My take is that it is better to cover what can be covered, and accept that you have done your best to protect your pet.
I agree with the value of a top quality diet, with identifiable ingredients and minimal unnamed fillers but I don’t believe that this is likely to fend off infectious viral diseases on its own. Vaccines are still needed.
While I have heard some impressive anecdotes about homoeopathy, I fail to understand why it has been impossible to prove that it works. My only conclusion from this is that while it may occasionally have some effect, it is not reliably and predictably effective, and since there is not even a reasonable scientific explanation for how it could work, I cannot recommend it as a first-line therapeutic modality. In my mind it would be highly irresponsible to give a litter of pups unproven nosodes rather than proper vaccinations.
As I pointed out, people like you will be able to get away without protecting their pets with vaccination for many years, but if the WSAVA guidelines are not followed, there is a risk that a large poplulation of unprotected animals will accumulate, and eventually, as with the current measles situation, there will be an epidemic of some sort. It may never happen, given the way pets are kept in relative isolation, but the risk is there.
Hi Pete, I agree about your research on vaccinations in pets. However, September 2011 I had my dog (from Dog Trust) vaccinated as usual and because I was leaving him into a kennel while we went on holidays I also had the vet give him the Kennel Cough vaccine. The following June Tim contracted a different strain of Kennel Cough which left me wondering was the one I got in September worthwhile? Should I still continue to have him vaccinated against Kennel Cough?
Hi Pete, I agree about your research on vaccinations in pets. However, September 2011 I had my dog (from Dog Trust) vaccinated as usual and because I was leaving him into a kennel while we went on holidays I also had the vet give him the Kennel Cough vaccine. The following June Tim contracted a different strain of Kennel Cough which left me wondering was the one I got in September worthwhile? Should I still continue to have him vaccinated against Kennel Cough?
Having witnessed dogs developing KC, parvo, Distemper and Lepto AFTER they have had several years of vaccinations I find myself unable to agree with this. I have also witnessed cases of Vaccine Activated Sarcoma in cats.
Other than puppy/kitten shots and 1 year booster I no longer vaccinate.
I would refer anyone who wishes to read the recent study by Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/purdue-vaccination-studies/
I believe a healthy diet of natural foods, ( not mass produced dog and cat foods full of fillers) that boost immune systems is equally if not more effective, than pumping animals full of chemicals. Homeopathic medicine and natural immune boosters in my experience have been far more effective.
Having witnessed dogs developing KC, parvo, Distemper and Lepto AFTER they have had several years of vaccinations I find myself unable to agree with this. I have also witnessed cases of Vaccine Activated Sarcoma in cats.
Other than puppy/kitten shots and 1 year booster I no longer vaccinate.
I would refer anyone who wishes to read the recent study by Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine
http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/purdue-vaccination-studies/
I believe a healthy diet of natural foods, ( not mass produced dog and cat foods full of fillers) that boost immune systems is equally if not more effective, than pumping animals full of chemicals. Homeopathic medicine and natural immune boosters in my experience have been far more effective.
My four year Husky, Sawyer has been diagnosed with immune mediated hypothyroid. I will always believe it was from over vaccinating and over medications (he was on Interceptor when all this started) plus he had a Lyme vaccine, because looking back I was scared by the vet and his horror stories of no getting every vaccine out there. Look into titre tests, all, and look into Dr. Peter Dobias of Vancouver BC. Read his studies on food, vaccines, and products. Wish you all the best with your pawsome pets.
It’s a possibility, certainly. The trouble with immune mediated conditions, though, is that the trigger factor doesn’t seem to matter very much. The current consensus is that animals that are predisposed to develop them will probably do so sooner or later whether or not we vaccinate, and Huskies are over-represented amongst auto-immune cases. The opposite is true of the diseases we’re trying to protect against. However, it is a really important point that any vaccination programme should consider the individual animal’s risk factors, as no medication is entirely free of possible side effects.
Did the vaccinated animals you mention die? I have seen many sad cases where unvaccinated dogs die from parvo. Kennel cough worst cases in unvaccinated dogs. It keeps owners up all night and, if other health issues, even worse. I can usually tell if dogs have been vaccinated or not and I just work reception. My dog is choking, I ask up to date with vax? No, ok will bring him in the side door… majority if time my suspicions are confirmed, a severe case of KC in a dog that is not up to date with vaccinations. I understand a healthy diet.. exercise, no junk . Amazing how quickly Jc spreads. Had a case of vet only using c3 and practice closed early then having a influx of his patients with severe bout of kc. Parvo is much worse and extremely sad as usually unvaccinated puppies suffer.
I have had a discussion on fb asking about yearly boosters .my dog is 7 and hes had a booster every year .I’m still worrying am I doing the right thing for him.i would hate to not let him have ig and something happens to him .
That’s really unusual, because less than 10% of vets (according to the last survey) give every component every year. The license is for the “core” vaccines (distemper, parvo and hepatitis) to be given only every 3 years. It might be worth checking your dog’s vaccine card to see what’s actually been given – of the routine vaccines used, it’s only lepto (L2 or L4) and kennel cough that need repeating every year.
The risk of serious side effects from vaccines is very low, but not zero. If you’re concerned, another option might be to talk to your vet about a titre test. It’s not a perfect solution, but it can tell you how solidly immune your dog is right now to the 3 core diseases (although of course it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll stay immune for another three years).