Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] Annual Dog Vaccines May Be Unnecessary

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Annual Dog Vaccines May Be Unnecessary

Study: Overvaccination May Jeopardize Dog's Health

March 17, 2003

 

Once a year, Ronald Schultz checks the antibody levels in his

dogs'blood. Why? He says for proof that most annual vaccines are

unnecessary. Schultz, professor of pathobiological sciences at the University

of

Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine, has been studying

the effectiveness of canine vaccines since the 1970s; he's learned

that immunity can last as long as a dog's lifetime, which suggests

that our " best friends " are being overvaccinated.

 

Based on his findings, a community of canine vaccine experts has

developed new veterinary recommendations that could eliminate a dog's

need for annual shots. The guidelines appear in the March/April issue

of Trends, the journal of the American Animal Hospital Association.

 

Every year, when we take our dogs to the veterinarian's office, they

could receive up to 16 different vaccines, many of which are

combined into a single shot. Four of these products protect against

life-threatening diseases, including rabies, canine parvovirus type

2, canine distemper virus and canine adenovirus type 2; the rest protect

against milder diseases to which only some dogs are exposed,

including Lyme disease.

 

But, as many veterinarians are realizing, overvaccination can

actually jeopardize a dog's health. Side effects can cause skin

problems, allergic reactions and autoimmune disease. And in cats,

tumors have been reported at the site of vaccine injections.

" These adverse reactions have caused many veterinarians to rethink

the issue of vaccination, " Schultz said. " The idea that unnecessary

vaccines can cause serious side effects is in direct conflict with

sound medical practices. "

 

For 30 years, Schultz has been examining the need to vaccinate

animals so often and for so many diseases. " In the 1970s, I started

thinking about our immune response to pathogens and how similar it is

in other animals, " Schultz said. " That's when I started to question veterinary

vaccination practices. "

 

 

Just like ours, a canine's immune system fires up when a pathogen,

like a virus, enters the body. The pathogen releases a protein called

an antigen, which calls into action the immune system's special

disease-fighting cells. These cells not only destroy the virus, but

they remember what it looked like so they can fend it off in the

future. It's this immunological memory that enables vaccines, which

purposely contain live, weakened or dead pathogens, to protect

against future disease.

 

But, as Schultz points out, vaccines can keep people immune for a

lifetime: We're usually inoculated for measles, mumps and rubella as

children but never as adults. So, can dogs be vaccinated as pups and

then never again?

 

While evidence from Schultz's studies on both his own dogs and many

other dogs from controlled studies suggests the answer is yes,

Schultz recommends a more conservative plan based on duration of

immunity and individual risk.

 

Schultz said that core vaccines, or the ones that protect against

life-threatening disease, are essential for all dogs, yet he does not

recommend dogs receive these shots yearly. He said that, with the

exception of the rabies vaccine, they should last at least seven

years. Rabies shots, on the other hand, have shown to last about

three years.

 

For these reasons, Schultz suggests that dogs receive rabies shots

every three years (as is required by law in most states) and the

other core vaccines no more frequently than every three years. Some

less serious vaccines, on the other hand, have a much shorter

duration of immunity, lasting around one year.

But, as Schultz points out, not every dog should get these types of

vaccines, because not every dog is at risk for exposure.

 

Today, many vaccinated dogs receive a shot for Lyme disease.

But Schultz said that the ticks carrying the Lyme disease pathogen

can be found in only a fidyl few regions of the United States.

" The vaccine can cause adverse effects such as mild arthritis,

allergy or other immune diseases. Like all vaccines, it should only

be used when the animal is at significant risk, " he said.

 

Another common vaccine that Schultz says is unnecessary protects

against " kennel cough, " an often mild and transient disease

contracted during boarding or dog shows. " Most pet dogs that do not

live in breeding kennels, are not boarded, do not go to dog shows and

have only occasional contact with dogs outside their immediate

family, rarely need to be vaccinated or revaccinated for kennel

cough, " he said.

 

Schultz said it's important for veterinarians to recognize an

individual dog's risk for developing a particular disease when

considering the benefits of a vaccine. Giving a vaccine that's not

needed creates an unnecessary risk to the animal, he said.

Schultz admitted that recommending that dogs receive fewer vaccines

may spark controversy, especially since many veterinarians rely on

annual vaccines to bring in clients, along with income. But annual

visits are important for many reasons other than shots. " Checking for

heartworm, tumors, dermatological problems and tooth decay should be

done on a yearly basis, " he said. " Plus, some dogs, depending on

their risk, may need certain vaccines annually. "

Rather than vaccinating on each visit, veterinarians can use a

recently developed test that checks dogs' immunity against certain

diseases.

 

Schultz said veterinarians who have switched to the three-year,

instead of annual, vaccination program have found no increase in the

number of dogs with vaccine-preventable diseases. " Every day, more

and more people in the profession are embracing the change, " Schultz

said. The new vaccination guidelines are supported by the AAHA, along

with the task force members representing the American Colleges of

Veterinary Internal Medicine, Veterinary Microbiology and the

American Association of Veterinary Immunologists.

 

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