many vets dont know the new vaccine protocols

[amstaff]

this is a subject i feel very strong on. i encourage everyone not to listen only to your vet when they recommend certain vaccines. many vaccines are ineffective when giveb at the young ages and actually put your animal at risk simply by going to the clinic.ive posted these sites already on adifferent thread, but here they are again.

critteradvocacy.org
catshots.com
thensome.com

also if you've been unfortunate to have an animal have a serious reaction to or even died because of vaccinations, could you share your story?

[Magnum]

Amstaff, I want to make sure I am reading your post right. Are you saying I should not listen to my vet?

[amstaff]

im not saying you shouldnt listen to your vet at all, but if they arent informed of the protocols or are blatently going against them, you can definately do more harm than good. for instance in pa rabies vaccines are to be given every 3 years. there are vets that buy the 3 year vaccine and give it every year. that takes a serious toll on an animals immune system. i have had to educate myself and have recently switched vets that not only follows the proper rabies protocol, but also only gives the "yearly" shots every 3 years. the problem with the 5-in-one or 7-in-one shots is that they cause a major reaction in the pets immune system. it would be like parents of infants taking their kids once a year for 5-7 shots. and i know many kids who get sick from just one vaccine. did you check out the sites yet? they have grest info. for helping you to decide on the best schedule for your animals in your region.

[JustJo]

Amstaff,

I know of no vets in my area that administer 3 year rabies vaccines as a one year. I also am not aware of any vets giving a 1 year as a 3 year vaccine. You need to read my thread of my experience with rabies. Rabies and rabies vaccination was my world for 90 miserable days. I read everything published on the subject. While I agree that dogs really do not need as many rabies vaccines as they receive, I have to stress that it is the law that your dog receive them, whether annually or every 3 years. If my vet had given Bullwinkle a 1 year rabies vaccine in place of a 3 year, Bullwinkle would not be with us today. He would have been seized and executed to test his brain and there wouldn't have been a damn thing I could do about it. I would never recommend going against the law, whether it is up to date or not. Everyone needs to know their county and state laws regarding vaccines. Some states require an annual, some states allow the 3 year. Either way, your dog had better be vaccinated as per the law or you can and will lose your dog.

[amstaff]

im not saying go against the law. but since i deal with many vets, i work at a holistic pet care center, i know the vets in the area that overvaccinate. because of my dogs previous health probs she cant have any vaccines anymore. i do titers to try and make sure she has enough antibodies in their system. and according to the dog warden that works at my shelter rabies vaccines are only effective 50% of the time anyway. overvaccinating does not improve the effectiveness of the vaccine and that is why veterinary schools for the past few years have changed their protocols :)

[JustJo]

Amstaff,

There are actually 4 different camps of DVMs out there with different opinions on vaccinating. You are obviously in the homeopathic DVM camp who are really against vaccination at all if you read a lot of their newsletters.

Titres are not accepted by law for rabies. If that is all you have to show an animal control deputy if your dog is exposed to a rabid animal then you will lose your dog. The laws are very clear on that. Only a current rabies vaccination by a certified and licensed DVM is accepted or if you have a licensed kennel you may give it to your dogs yourself. Non-current and unvaccinated dogs WILL be euthanized if exposed to a rabid animal. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. You will also face a fine for not having your dog current on vaccinations. I looked up Pennsylvania law and it is the same as Virginia where I went through all of this.

As far as efficacy of the rabies vaccine, I pulled out all of my letters and documents from the CDC, the lab that makes the rabies vaccines, and the Department of Health. With Bullwinkle's current rabies vaccination records he had a 1 in 80,000,000 chance of contracting the disease. Per a study done in 1988, out of the 119 cases of rabies in dogs that year, 18 of those dogs had previously received rabies vaccines. However, it was discovered that 14 of those had expired vaccinations, either with one year or three year vaccines. The four that had current vaccinations had only received the first one and had never received the booster. The CDC and Department of Health told me that they are unaware of any cases of rabies in dogs or cats in the US that have received the first rabies and then followed by the boosters, as is recommended by the manufacturer. I was told by many experts that the efficacy of the rabies vaccine, if given as recommended, is outstanding. I don't know where it has ever been documented to only be 50% effective. I would like to see those studies. Rabies is a highly infectious and deadly disease and that is why the laws are the way they are. I undestand if you do not agree with the regular vaccination for things like Lyme disease (I disagree with that also) but definitely rabies, parvo, and distemper should be vaccinated against in my opinion.

[Magnum]

Just like anything else, it boils down to doing your research on the vet you choose. Interview them, take a tour of their office, ask what their protocol is, ask to see the med bottle before they inject or before you bring your pet in. Any vet not willing to open their doors to your concerns, you wouldn't want them anyway. We have moved a few times in our lives from Cali. to the mid-west, so I have had to change vets those times. Don't expect their time to be given for free, pay the standard office visit they would charge to do a wellness check on your pet. It's worth every penny, if they charge at all.

And on the 50% Rabies vacc. effectivness: The dogs overall health is the primary precaution, and the vacc. is the secondary back up. If a dog is not fed a good balanced diet , and is not healthy, being exposed to Rabies is gonna be a problem regardless.

All in all, it is the law. Like Jo said, having your dog in the cross-hairs of the authorities over rabies is not something a Petlover is going to be able to argue with them about. It doesn't matter where you live either. Take your dog on a trip, and you better know the law of the town you are crossing through, because your dog will be in their jurisdiction, and you must obey THEIR LAW. They can care less where you are from.

[Squawksx3]

IMHO... it all boils down to using a vet you know and trust. Its obvious everyone needs a vet for the care and health of their animals. I agree holistic/homeopathic care does work for some things. I guess you can compare it with Chiropractors and medical family practitioners... chiropractors do not believe in surgery, but surgery in some cases is necessary. The important thing here is to educate yourself. :)

[amstaff]

thanks guys :) i really appreciate everyone who has been posting. i am definately going to talk to the warden in my shelter. i also wanted to thank magnum. that is basically what im saying. be sure to investigate the risks in your particular region, learn the vaccine protocols, and make sure your vet is educated. if its standard procedure to treat all patients the same, whether or not they have an indoor or outdoor animal or whether or not their are health probs, and depending on the age of your animal, then they just arent up to date with what the veterinary schools are now teaching. im going to try to post dates of some upcoming seminars that you can attend if youd like. no matter what your views, i know we all love our animals so much and only want to do the very best for them :)

[RWDVM]

Hey guys. Vaccines protocols have recently undergone a bit of a revamping in terms of scheduling in light of extensive research done in this area. Many vets (myself included) have now changed from administering the core viral vaccines (DHPP in dogs and FVRCP in cats) from once a year to once every three years. The bacterial vaccines (leptospirosis, lyme, and bordatella) have short lived immunity and still have to be given yearly, but not every dog is at risk for these diseases, so they should be given based on individual risk assessment. With regard to rabies, the three year vaccine has proven effective and extremely safe in dogs, as well as cats, but because of the lingering stigma of the three year rabies being assoiciated with fibrosarcoma in cats, many vets (myself included) are using Merial's adjuvant free one year rabies (see below for more about this). The feline leukemia vaccine is still given yealry, as its effectiveness beyond one year is still questionable. However, I do not feel that it is justified to give the leukemia vaccine to indoor cats that have zero exposure to cats that go in and out, as intimate fluid exchange (e.g., bite wounds, copulation) is necessary to transmit retoviruses.

The whole vaccine issue was one of the main reasons I had to republish an updated version of my book. If you are interested in getting an indepth break down of all the vaccines as to why and how often I give them, I have an entire webpage called Vaccince Info at my hospital's website. The url is in my signature.

You should also check out the blog that I wrote about Merial's new needle free, adjuvant free feline leukemia vaccine. Its use is along the same lines as the adjuvant free rabies vaccine for cats aforementioned. It explains indepthly about what a vaccine adjuvant is, as well as touches on vaccine induced fibrosarcoma. The article is not the most recent blog, but it is archived on the right column ans easily accessible. I would love to know your thoughts on it.

[amstaff]

thanks so much for posting your knowledge rwdvm. :)

[Magnum]

Thanks so much for posting your knowledge on the vaccines. Wonderful information! ;)

RWDVM, I quickly glanced over your web page and have to say the furbabies you have listed up for adoption are so adorable! Sending good thoughts that they find forever homes soon. :)

[Squawksx3]

Great website Dr Roger!. Wow, congratulations on your move to FL and that beautiful hospital. How kewl is that!. I'm also praying those babies find forever, loving homes soon.... I want that Beagle pup!. Why would anyone abandon that baby :confused:

[samimyluv]

Just wanted to say thanks Dr.RW, for all the information on arthritis in dogs. I have a black lab, she will be 3 yrs old in June. Lately I notice she limps after too much exercise or play time. She is on a diet now, has been since Jan 05. My vet wants me to get her down to 85lbs.She really does not eat alot, usually 4 cups daily dry food. I have cut her yummies out, ok once in a while she gets one... she weighed in at 102 lbs in Jan. She seems to be losing some weight, but I dont think she is at 85 lbs. She is half rotty and has alot of the rotty physical qualities. I will talk to my vet about the medicines you spoke of. I want to keep her heathly and strong...Thanks again for all the good information.

[RWDVM]

It is my pleasure. I think vaccine reform was way overdue. They play a very important role in preventative health care and is managing diseas outbreaks, but overdoing the frequency of vaccines or administering vaccines for diseases that pose virtually no risk in a given area is not in the best interest of patients.

[amstaff]

hey i found a few more websites you may be interested in

www.newvaccinationprotocols.com
www.doglogic.com/vaccination.htm

[RWDVM]

FYI - Beagle has a home! A great home. You wouldn't believe why he was abandoned - the people who bought him were going to take him to the pound because he wasn't completely potty trained after one week!!!!! Hello????

For Samimyluv - Dogs lose weight painfully slow - worse than people. I had great success by feeding my former fatty (you can see how fit she is now on my arthritis page) Science Diet Canine Lite Formula. Feed no more than one cup for every twenty pounds of your target weight per day. I always recommend splitting the daily requirement into two feedings, as this better stimulates the metabolism to speed up. Plus, I know I would be one miserable person if you only fed me once a day.

So, this means your dog should get two 8 oz cups of food two times daily. Stick to that. If no success in 2 months, them its time to check the thyroid. Both labs and rotties are prone to hypothyroidism. Good luck! rw

[Magnum]

Yay for the adorable Beagle!!!! :D

OMGosh, people can be such idiots. One week and not potty trained? Maybe their mother should have tossed them out when they didn't potty train fast enough. :rolleyes:

Thanks for posting the good news!!

[amstaff]

www.critterfixer.com

[amstaff]

here is a site to go to if you have paid for vaccines in the last 4 years without proper disclosure.

www.dogsadversereactions.com

[amstaff]

News about the pet vaccine issue is spreading rapidly and getting more national coverage. NBC's Boston station, WHDH-7 News, sent journalist Christina Mattingly and her cameraman to Alna to interview us as part of a pet vaccine story they are running Wednesday night at 11:00 p.m., May 18th. If you don't have access to the broadcast, you should be able to read the transcript of the story on their website http://www1.whdh.com/ after it airs .

Below are three recent stories on the issue:

Vaccination often Good for Life: http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-lspets4251551may09,0,3030875.column?coll=ny-main-tabheads

No Vaccines for us this Year: http://blogs.mainetoday.com/dogslife/001539.shtml

Vaccinating Pets Could Do More Harm than Good (NBC Channel 4 Los Angeles) http://www.nbc4.tv/news/4448558/detail.html