Dog Vaccinations: Less Is More

Dog Vaccinations

After reading this article and looking a bit closer at the risks and benefits of yearly Dog Vaccinations your vet recommends, you might want to think this over a bit before rushing your pet in to be re-vaccinated.

Are Dog Vaccinations Really Necessary?

Can Dog Vaccinations be unnecessary, and actually harmful to your pets health? After the research I have done over the last few years, I say Hands down, Yes!! We over vaccinate our Children, but at least we stop when they get a bit older. Why then do we continue to vaccinate our Pets every year with boosters all the way up to when they are seniors? As Adults, we don’t assault our immune system with annual boosters, and we sure would not do it to our Elderly family members. So why in the world would anyone want to do it to their pet, when common sense should tell us that vaccines after the first year are not needed.

Dog Vaccinations Dosage

Another food for thought, is that there is no adjustments to the dose based on size of your pet. Your teacup poodle gets the same dose a 150 pound Great Day. Your 10 pound Cat the same as a 400 pound Tiger. All of this overwhelms your pets immune system. Vaccine reactions happen way to often and they can be avoided. Did you know that adverse reaction in smaller breed are 10 times higher than large breeds. This indicates that standard doses are too high in smaller breed pets.

There is no scientific evidence that annual vaccines are needed, in fact once an animal receives the immunity from their initial vaccine it seems they have immunity the rest of their lives. Over Vaccinations cause a quite a number of serious medical problems, with the immune system, including allergies, seizures, anemia and cancer.

Here is a thought, Dog Vaccinations are very profitable part of veterinary care, In fact some vet practices are built around giving vaccines. To many vaccines, starting, at an early age, is proving to be a problem. Some vets recommend vaccines given at 6 weeks,8 weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, 14 weeks, and 16 weeks. Then to give boosters at one year and then annually for their lifetime. How in the world did these recommendations come into place? The United States Department of Agriculture and the drug companies put these recommendations in place over 20 years ago on recommendations from one person and that is the way it has been done ever since. This has been a very profitable deal for the drug companies, veterinarians, and the government so far. Why would they want to change it its making them money. Now the USDA puts animal vaccinations recommendations right on the product label.

Evidence suggests that like humans, cats and dogs like humans can be vaccinated early in life and they are protected their entire life. With the exception of rabies which should not be given more often than every three years One rabies study that the core vaccine probably last at least Seven years. Did you know that one dose of Rabies vaccine costs your Vet 61 cents, The Clients are usually charged a office visit and as high as 40.00 for dog vaccinations. Rabies is the law, yes I know,  but in 20 years has any money been spent to see if the rabies vaccine is even needed after the first dose or how long the immunity is kept after the vaccination given? Not that I am aware of, it would take big money from the big drug companies to do that, do you think that they want to spend the money, when it may cost them their profit?

Back to annual Dog Vaccinations, Lets look at the dangers of annual vaccines in general. In one study the antibody levels of more than 1400 healthy dogs were measured for Parvovirus and Distemper. Nearly all the dogs immune rate was 95-98 percent) This highly suggests that annual vaccines are not needed.

A study published by Purdue University in 2005 Found: *Smaller dogs are more prone to vaccine reactions than larger dogs *Risk of reactions increased by 27 percent for each additional vaccine given per office visit in dogs under 22 pounds, and by 12 percent in dogs over 22 pounds *Risk increased for dogs up to 2 years old, then declined with age *Risk increased for pregnant dogs and dogs in heat *More reactions were found in small dogs given Leptospirosis vaccine.

Of course you do want to take your pet in for well checkups as you feel needed. Rabies vaccines are required by law. The First one is given at 6 months to 1 year old (depending on the laws in your area) and then a 3 year vaccine. You can find a Holistic vet that will be able to provide you with the homeopathic rabies vaccine detox, called Lyssin.

You may be able to ask your veterinarian to do a Titer Test, which is available, this can determine if you vet has the proper immunity. Above all, ask your vet the risks versus benefits of the vaccines you are considering, before automatically assume that vaccines are necessary. Do not allow the vet or tech to just come in and start giving the vaccinations without your knowing what exactly they are giving and the risks involved. It is up to you to educate yourself. Don’t just take the Vets normal protocols as gospel.

Now that some Vets are coming forward with the true information about vaccines that is a positive step towards change. Try very hard to find a veterinarian that you feel is going in that educated choices for your pets care. They depend on you to do the best you can to keep them healthy, just as your children do

Dog Vaccinations, Dog Vaccinations