Is Your Dog or Cat Over Vaccinated? Vaccines and Vaccinations - Risks, Costs, Alternatives

In this article:

1. Defining Core Vaccines v.s. Non-Core Vaccines
2. Core Vaccines - Updated Guidelines
3. Non-core Vaccines - Does your Dog or Cat Really Need One?
4. How Does a Vaccine Work?
5. What is in a Vaccine?
6. The Serious Health Risks of Over Inoculation
7. Your Best Defense Is

1.0 Defining Core Vaccines v.s. Non-Core
      Vaccines

Core Vaccines

 

The  American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) define core vaccines as:

• Vaccines that all dogs should receive to be protected against serious or potentially fatal diseases;
• These diseases are;
• Present in all areas within North America;
• Are more easily transmitted than non-core diseases.
• Core vaccinations as defined by the AAHA are:
• Adenovirus
• Distemper
• Parvovirus
• Rabies

Non-Core Vaccines

 

The AAHA defines non-core vaccines as:

• Bordetella
• Canine Adenovirus (intransal)
• Canine Coronavirus
• Canine Influenza
• Canine Parainfluenza
• Leptospirosis
• Lyme Disease

2.0 Core Inoculations - Updated
      Guidelines

The AAHA's updated guidelines issued in 2011 (includes the US and Canada):

• Recommends that canine vaccination be done every three (3) years.
• In these guidelines, the AAHA also admits/acknowledges that immunity for vaccinations extends beyond the three year horizon...
• Core inoculations such as:
• Distemper and Parvo are good for 5 or more years;
• Ardenovirus is good for 7 years;
• Rabies is the only inoculation is that usually mandated by law;
• In many locals, rabies is a 2 or 3 year inoculation.

Although this new 3-year protocol is taught in Veterinary Science schools, the majority (the number currently sits at about 60%) of practicing allopathic veterinarians continue to recommend annual re-vaccinations. 

If your veterinarian is still pushing you to re-vaccinate your dog or cat on an annual basis you should:

Ask them to do a titer test to measure your dog or cat's current level of immunity.

If your dog or cat was vaccinated when she was a puppy or kitten, she is likely protected for life from core diseases. The only exception to this rule (in a legal sense, not in an immunity sense) is rabies. The province or state in which you reside sets the protocol for rabies inoculations. For an example of a government mandated rabies protocol you can check this one for Ontario Canada. 

3.0 Non-core Vaccines - Does Your Dog or
      Cat Really Need One?

NO. Non-core vaccines are not required.

Diet plays a key role in protecting your dog and cat from illness and disease...

The problem is that most commercial dog and cat food diets do not support the overall health of you companion animal.

 
For example, just because your dog is around standing water does not mean he/she will acquire Leptospirosis. 

 

If your dog's immune system is fully supported, your dog's body can normally and naturally fend-off such threats.

 
However, if your dog's diet does not consist of species appropriate food, and instead contains fillers including corn and other grains, chemical preservatives, genetically modified food, etc. your dog will not have the natural defense system required to protect.
Support your dog and cat's health with a species appropriate diet and a natural health regimen. 

 

  

4.0 How Does A Vaccine Work?

A vaccine is supposed to protect your dog or cat from potentially fatal infections by disease causing (pathogenic) viruses (i.e. distemper). The vaccine contains a killed virus or modified (non-pathogenic) live virus. This is intended to stimulate your dog or cat's immune system to recognize and fight that particular virus. After the vaccination your dog or cat's immune system should then be able to produce his/her own antibodies to fight the virus. 

During the period just after vaccination your dog's and cat's immune system is suppressed as it fights to acclimatize itself to the foreign antibodies. During this time the immune systems normal ability to reject common bacteria, fungus, parasites and viruses may be seriously hampered. This can result in increased susceptibility to acute or chronic infections, for example:

• Ear infections
• Eye Infections
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Feline leukemia in cats
• Other chronic conditions including: 
• Arthritis
• Cancer
• Kidney Disease
• etc.

If your dog is suffering from a chronic condition or disease you really need to think twice before re-inoculating your dog or cat as her weakened condition may not support the further assault on the immune system caused by vaccinations.

5.0 What In a Vaccine Besides
      Antibodies?

Vaccines contain more than the active antibodies. Vaccines contain many substances that can wreak havoc on your companion animals' health....

• The naccine adjuvant aluminum hydroxide (associated with causing neurological disease)
• Chemical preservatives which can also be endocrine disrupting and carcinogenic)
• Foreign proteins
• Immune irritants
• Mutated bacteria
• Viruses

Aluminum hydroxide is one example of a vaccine adjuvant that can cause serious problems for your dog or cat - specifically aluminum hydroxide can and does cause neurological disease. 

6.0 The Serious Health Risks of Over
       Inoculation

Over-inoculation comes with a considerable risk of major adverse health issues such as those encapsulated under the term Vaccinosis. 

6.1 Vaccinosis includes:

• Mild adverse reactions to vaccination
• Severe adverse reactions
• Illness
• Long-term damage
  
• Death
  

6.2 The following are some of the mild adverse reactions
      caused by vaccines and vaccination:

• Conjunctivitis
• Fever
• Flu-like symptoms
• Hair change
• Hair loss
• Inflammation and swelling at the injection site
• Lethargy
• Loss of appetite
• Sneezing
• Stiffness
• Soreness
• Oral Ulcers

6.3 The following are some of the severe adverse reactions
      vaccines and vaccination

• Allergic hypersensitivity
• Allergic uveitis
• Anaphylactic shock
• Behavioural change
• Granulomas and abscesses
• Hives
• Lameness
• Swelling of the face
• Neurological damage
• Respiratory Disease
• Vitiligo
• Weight loss
• In breeding females – reduction of milk production

6.4 And, finally some of the Illness caused by vaccines and
      vaccination

• Abortion – spontaneous
• Anaphylaxis
• Autoimmune arthritis
• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
• Congenital abnormalities in foetus
• Encephalitis
• Fetal (embryotic) Death
• Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy
• Infertility
• Myocarditis
• Polyneuritus
• Seizures
• Tjyroiditis
• Cancer - Injection-site sarcomas

7.0 Your Best Defense Is...

7.1 Knowledge. 

Don't allow your veterinarian to push you into annual re-inoculations. If you are concerned about immunity levels ask your veterinarian to do a titer test.

7.2 Diet

Support your dog and cat's system from the inside - don't get roped into feeding a poor diet.  Feed your dog and cat a species appropriate raw or gently cooked and fresh food diet.

 

7.3 Use of Chemical-Based Insect, Parasite Preventatives...

Don't

Chemical based insect and parasite preventatives are powerful pesticides that are toxic and carcinogenic – they tax the immune system, the renal system and more. You can read more about that here.

Use Healthy Alternatives

There are many natural interventions that can be used - both ingested and topical – you can find an entire series of articles on that here.

Holistic Diet, Nutrition, Wellness Services Tailored to Your Individual Dog and Cat

 

For information about my holistic diet, nutrition, wellness services visit my:

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Holistic Behavioral Services For Your Dog

 

For information about my holistic behavioral services visit my:

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For dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds

 

My holistic behavioral services are available locally in-person and worldwide via video session.
 

🌎  USA | Canada | UK | Europe | Australia | New Zealand | Asia | South and Central America | Africa | UAE

 

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To set-up your holistic behavioral session get in-touch via email:

Contact me.

 

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Article and graphics by Karen Rosenfeld