Vexing vaccinations: a tale of too much of a good thing - petcare

Is your veterinarian still recommending that you have your pet vaccinated on a yearly basis? If so, you might want to reconsider--especially given the latest information on the problems associated with over-vaccination. Research in recent years indicates that, basically, there's no scientific evidence to support the need for annual vaccinations. "Annual vaccinations, a practice started many years ago, lack scientific validity or verification," says veterinarian R. Schultz, PhD, a professor at the Veterinary College at the University of Wisconsin.

cure or cause?

When annual rabies shots became common in the 1950s, pet owners never questioned the vaccine's safety. It helped vanquish the disease, as well as distemper and parvovirus. Following on the heels of this success, veterinary medicine developed more and more vaccinations. However, after many years of administering annual shots, vets began to notice something ominous. A growing number of otherwise healthy cats and dogs were getting cancer and immune-related diseases.

Pet owners and veterinary researchers began to question whether these problems were vaccine-related. Cats, for example, were developing fibrosarcomas--a fatal form of cancerous tumor--at the site of the vaccine injection, usually between the shoulder blades. Dogs were also getting cancerous tumors at injection sites and succumbed to immune diseases. My dog, Sarge, previously had a caring owner who vaccinated for everything on a yearly basis without realizing the consequences. Sarge now has discoid lupus, an autoimmune disease with no cure.

So what's the link between vaccinations and these diseases?

Vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system, but they do so in a very unnatural way that can overwhelm the body's natural defenses. Donna Starita Mehan, DVM, a holistic veterinarian in Boring, Oregon, explains that as a result of over-vaccination, the body may overreact to normally harmless substances such as common viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. This can result in allergies, skin problems and bladder or ear infections--or, in extreme cases, autoimmune diseases or cancer.

double dose?

Another problem with traditional pet vaccines is the dosage. Veterinarian Jean Dodd, DVM, of Santa Monica, California, notes that to ensure efficacy, manufacturers for years have made vaccine doses 10 times more potent than what is necessary to challenge the immune system.

One vaccine producer, Pfizer, tested its one-year rabies vaccine on live animals and discovered it lasted for at least three years. Pfizer sells the identical formula, packaged differently, in different states to satisfy different state vaccination requirements.

In addition, be aware that a Chihuahua will get the same amount of a vaccine dose as a Saint Bernard--a "one dose fits all" formula. For example, a small puppy and a large adult dog are both given 1 cc of a combination vaccine that might contain distemper, parainfluenza and parvo. And seldom, if ever, will your veterinarian lower the dosage. "In theory, your veterinarian could lose his license for not administering the full dose," says Martin Goldstein, DVM, of South Salem, New York. "Or, he might have to recall all of the pets to whom he gave a substandard dose and revaccinate them at full dosages."

changing attitudes

About five years ago, veterinary schools began to rethink the conventional wisdom of yearly vaccination protocols due to mounting evidence pointing to the connection between immune diseases, cancers and vaccinations. In January 1998, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recommended that cats and dogs be vaccinated only every three years. As of 2003, all 27 veterinary schools in the United States are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats.

Dodd has studied the pros and cons of yearly vaccinations and has written a number of papers about them. She recommends that only the first shots for puppies and kittens be a modified live virus (MLV). These vaccinations should be given as individual injections over the span of weeks or months.

Because first vaccines are with a more effective MLV, the vaccine will probably produce an immunity that is good for the life of the pet. For subsequent vaccinations, Dodd suggests "killed virus" vaccines, which aren't nearly as virulent as their live counterparts.

firmly entrenched

Even though many veterinarians and veterinary schools no longer recommend yearly vaccinations, not everyone has given up this annual assault. Why? In part, it's about money. Veterinarians receive a large percentage of their income from vaccinations.

The average single dose of any vaccine costs about 79 cents, not including the needle or syringe. Veterinarians charge from $16 to $20 to administer this dose in addition to an office visit fee.

"It's been estimated that veterinarians charge $36 million a year for vaccinations that aren't necessary," says Spring, Texas-based veterinarian Bob Rogers, DVM. Rogers has tiled a complaint with the Texas Attorney General against all licensed veterinarians in his state. He asserts that pets are receiving unnecessary vaccinations, and he has asked that legal action be taken to stop this practice. Such vaccinations are not only unnecessary, says Rogers, they can also cause pets an untold amount of harm.

take the test

Holistic veterinarians can give your pet a titer test, which checks the blood for antibody levels for particular diseases. A titer test doesn't measure immunity, but it does measure antibodies circulating in the system. "Antibody levels may suggest, but not conclusively prove, how much immunity that pet carries against a specific disease," writes Susan Wynn, a holistic veterinarian based in Atlanta. Low levels of antibodies suggest that revaccination may be necessary.

Dogs can be tested for parvovirus, coronavirus, herpesvirus, adenovirus and distemper antibodies using a titer test, although the parvovirus and distemper titers are the ones most commonly used. To test cats for feline leukemia virus and immune deficiency virus, vets check for the presence of the virus itself, not the antibody levels.

Cats should have titer tests for feline panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. Rabies antibody level tests, on the other hand, aren't recommended due to the public health implications. Because rabies can be transmitted to humans, owners need assurance that their pets are immune from this disease. Titers for other ailments, however, should be performed on a yearly basis so you can be assured that your pet is protected.

Although titers aren't perfect indicators of immunity, they are the best tests available to provide owners with some reassurance that their pets are protected and don't need to be revaccinated. Titer tests aren't accepted as a guarantee against disease at international borders, although I have noticed that more kennels and clinics are accepting titer tests as proof that the pet is protected.

Perhaps in the future, titer test results will be accepted by the majority of kennels and clinics, but until that time, I recommend that you have your pet vaccinated no more than once every three years. Clearly, annual vaccinations are causing more harm than good. After all, as parents, we don't have our children vaccinated every year, so why would we do it to our pets?

get the facts

Before you take your pet to the veterinarian for any vaccine, here are some things you should do:

* Always inquire if your veterinarian follows the protocol of vaccinating every three years.

* Never vaccinate a puppy or kitten under eight weeks of age. Vaccinations are more stressful on underdeveloped immune systems.

* Always ask your veterinarian if he or she uses killed virus vaccines or modified live virus (MLV) vaccines. Martin Goldstein, DVM, advises that because killed vaccines are less virulent, "manufacturers boost them with powerful additives to provoke a more sustained immune response." His preference? No vaccines.

* Never vaccinate a pet that's ill, taking medication or malnourished. Also, don't allow your pets to be vaccinated if they're at the vet's office for any type of surgery.

* Avoid combination vaccines. Given one at a time, spaced over six to eight weeks, vaccinations are less likely to cause side effects.

Ann Martin has spent her career taking on the pet-health establishment.

Ann Martin is the author of the grassroots bestseller, Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food (NewSage Press 2003), which has just been reissued with new and updated information on pet food. She is also the author of Protect Your Pet: More Shocking Facts (NewSage Press 2001).

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