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Canine Health Foundation
Vaccines and Vaccination Protocols

02/11/2010

The advent of canine vaccines has vastly changed veterinary medicine in the last 50 years. There has been a significant decrease in the number of dogs with infectious disease; before the vaccine was developed for distemper, it was the number one cause of death among dogs. Now, where the distemper vaccine is used, cancer is the leading cause of disease-related death. The importance of vaccinations to our dogs’ well being cannot be over stated. However, what are the guidelines? What are the "rules" to follow? How do we know how much is "too much"?

The purpose of a vaccine is to mimic an infection so that the immune system is introduced to the pathogens that will cause protective immunity without causing clinical disease. It is meant to ensure a faster, stronger response to the pathogen upon re-exposure. The purpose of re-vaccination is to maintain the immune system’s "memory" of that pathogen so that the vaccinated dog continues to mount an attack with every exposure so that the infectious agent does not result in a disease state.

Types of Vaccines

There are several types of vaccines. They include conventional vaccines (modified live and killed), recombinant vaccines (genetically engineered and proteins/ peptides) and DNA vaccines.

Modified live vaccines mimic natural infection. They are based on attenuation (reduction of virulence) of the original virus such that they are limited in their ability to cause illness. The vaccine virus follows the exact same path as the wildtype (original) virus does; replicating and getting distributed throughout the body, exposing all parts of the immune system to the pathogen against which you are vaccinating. This type of vaccine is useful because it generally provides a long-lasting immunity; though it can also inadvertently cause disease if the vaccine is inadequately attenuated.

A killed vaccine is made of a virus or a strain related to the virus that has been treated to make it non-viable (incapable of replicating and causing disease). The advantage is that the immune system is presented with all of the viral components, especially with those that are conserved between the different subtypes. However, revaccination is necessary because of the shorter duration of immunity.

Genetically engineered vaccines are among the most advanced vaccines used in human and veterinary medicine. In veterinary medicine, recombinant vaccines involve inoculation with only selected genetic sequences derived from the disease producing virus or bacteria. The vaccine does not expose the individual dog to the whole organism. In dogs, recombinant vaccines have been found to be very safe, highly effective, and produce a long duration of immunity.

Vaccines that use proteins or peptides from the pathogenic virus create vaccines that are highly specific – these vaccines are very pure and adverse reactions are rare. The fact that they are highly specific is also their downfall; they are not ideal for protection from organisms that tend to mutate.

DNA vaccines entail injecting highly specific DNA sequences into muscle in a manner that leads to the production (expression) of specific proteins. These vaccines are effective because they elicit both the humoral (pertaining to antibodies) and cell-mediated immunity. The only DNA vaccine licensed for use in the dog is approved as an aid in the treatment (not prevention) of oral melanoma.

Depending on the vaccine type, different routes of administration are used: injection (parenteral), which can be sub-cutaneous or intramuscular, topical (intranasal) or transdermal (air pressure, through the skin).

Intranasal vaccines are typically modified live viruses and bacteria, and must never be injected. Because they mimic infection best, they provide best immune response. Side effects include mild to moderate clinical signs of disease.

Parenteral vaccines can be either modified live viruses/bacteria (MLV) or killed viruses/bacteria. With MLV vaccines, there is a faster immune response, but there can be side effects, and they should not be used in pregnant bitches. With killed vaccines, there is no risk of shedding, but boosters are necessary and the adjuvant (substance that carries the virus) has been attributed to causing cancer (fibrosarcoma) in cats.

Which Vaccines to Give your Dog? 

So how do you decide which vaccines to give your dog? You should work closely with your veterinarian to determine the risks involved with each animal – treat the individual patient based on his/her specific needs. Differences in risk of exposure to infectious diseases, age and health of the patient, and potential side effects of certain vaccines, make it next to impossible to recommend one single vaccination protocol for all dogs. Therefore, for optimal protection, each dog should be examined on a yearly basis even if vaccines are not to be given in that particular year. Health and life style changes can be assessed and the dog’s vaccination protocol can be adjusted as needed. Dr. Richard Ford of North Carolina State University has assembled a website, www.dvmvac.com that carries the American Animal Hospital Association’s guidelines for vaccinations, various definitions and a forum for questions and answers for both dogs and cats.


Special thanks to Drs. Margret Casal, Richard Ford and George Moore for their comments and suggestions for this article.

Special thanks to Drs. Margret Casal, Richard Ford and George Moore for their comments and suggestions for this article.

Special thanks to Drs. Margret Casal, Richard Ford and George Moore for their comments and suggestions for this article.


Related Multimedia

We should aim to vaccinate every animal with core vaccines, and to vaccinate

each individual less frequently by only giving non-core vaccines that are

necessary for that animal.

This means: no combo shots for small dogs — or any other dog for that matter.  And NEVER EVER GIVE ANY OTHER SHOT — ESPECIALLY A RABIES SHOT — WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF A COMBO. This also means no Bordetella given nasally.  Giving rabies and Bordetella with a combo could mean as many as 9 shots in one day. Some dogs don’t survive this.

  • If your dog experiences a reaction to the combo shot, there is no way to determine which antigen caused the reaction and must be avoided in the future.

This means: no combo shots for small dogs — or any other dog for that matter.  And NEVER EVER GIVE ANY OTHER SHOT — ESPECIALLY A RABIES SHOT — WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF A COMBO. This also means no Bordetella given nasally.  Giving rabies and Bordetella with a combo could mean as many as 9 shots in one day. Some dogs don’t survive this.

  • If your dog experiences a reaction to the combo shot, there is no way to determine which antigen caused the reaction and must be avoided in the future.

http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/CCAB/veteri~2.htm

Vaccinations are never 100% effective so use common sense if you know someone\rquote s dog or cat is sick and don't expose your animals to them. Vaccinations just give your dog or cat the best chance of preventing the disease if they are exposed to it.
WSAVA vaccination 2010 guidelines
  Vaccination schedule UPDATED! 

http://www.wsava. org/PDF/Misc/ VaccinationGuide lines2010. pdf



> > Veterinary immunology experts advise that vaccination for
> > the serious viral diseases is only necessary for puppies,
> > (with the final puppy vaccination around 14-16
> > weeks). Duration of immunity is likely to be life-long
> > (similar to measles vaccination for humans), so repeated re-
> > vaccination of adult dogs for these diseases needlessly places the
> > animal at risk of an adverse reaction for no demonstrable benefit.
> >
> > Link to the WSAVA 2010 Guidelines:
>http://www.wsava. org/PDF/Misc/ VaccinationGuide lines2010. pdf
> >   
  Vaccination schedule UPDATED! 

http://www.wsava. org/PDF/Misc/ VaccinationGuide lines2010. pdf



> > Veterinary immunology experts advise that vaccination for
> > the serious viral diseases is only necessary for puppies,
> > (with the final puppy vaccination around 14-16
> > weeks). Duration of immunity is likely to be life-long
> > (similar to measles vaccination for humans), so repeated re-
> > vaccination of adult dogs for these diseases needlessly places the
> > animal at risk of an adverse reaction for no demonstrable benefit.
> >
> > Link to the WSAVA 2010 Guidelines:
>http://www.wsava. org/PDF/Misc/ VaccinationGuide lines2010. pdf
> >   

 

Vaccinating Dogs: 10 Steps to Eliminating Unnecessary Shots

Written by Jan on April 22, 2009 – 9:11 am
http://www.dogs4dogs.com/blog/2009/04/22/no-unnecessary-dog-shots/
www.Dogs4Dogs.com 

Syringes with blood drop
Please see this website.www.Dogs4Dogs.com


When vaccinating our dogs, most of us rely on our vets, trusting that their advice is up-to-date and not biased by economic or political concerns.  Unfortunately,  unless vets stay current on veterinary journal reading (no easy task) … and actually assimilate new findings … and decide to forgo significant vaccination income, their advice may lag well behind many years behind what experts now advocate.

Vaccination is a serious medical procedure with the potential for adversely affecting health, both in the short and long term. Experts now advise us to vaccinate each dog according to his or her individual needs.  But  how do you cut back without endangering your dog’s health?  Here are 10 ways to eliminate unnecessary shots while actually improving pet health.

1. Always consider locale, lifestyle, risk and vaccine effectiveness. Bordetella (kennel cough) is for dogs in poorly-ventilated close quarters (like kennels), not for pets sometimes playing with others. Leptospirosis is a disease of wetlands and woodlands, and the vaccine may not protect against the actual disease in your area. Lyme is only for dogs in areas with Lyme disease. Furthermore, each of these vaccines has dangerous side effects and their efficacy is questionable. Don’t give them without proven need and benefit.

2. Eliminate vaccines on the “not recommended” list of the American Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force as well as most veterinary organizations and schools. These include Giardia and Coronavirus (found in many combination shots).

3. Say no! to combination shots. Combo shots (called names like DHLPPC) assault your dog’s immune system with five or seven vaccines at once. Given for (false) economy and convenience rather than health or safety, combination shots are linked to autoimmune disease and other major health problems. Also, they invariably contain unnecessary and even dangerous vaccines. 

4. Stop vaccinating against diseases for which your dog may already have immunity.  Blood serological studies show that parvovirus vaccines given to dogs over 15-16 weeks of age generally give at least 7 years of immunity, as does the Rockborn distemper strain. (The Onderstepoort strain gives 5 years.) Ask your vet which vaccine your dog received.

5. Don’t allow your vet, kennel owner or groomer to intimidate you into giving unnecessary shots. Suggest titer testing for parvovirus or distemper — or go elsewhere.  Require written proof from experts that your dog needs any shot. Your dog’s lifelong health  is at stake.

6. Test immunity; don’t automatically re-vaccinate. Titer tests (pronounced TIGHT er) are blood tests measuring antibodies to disease. Renowned pet vaccination expert Dr. Ron Schultz believes that titer tests yielding strong titers for parvovirus and distemper means not vaccinating against these diseases for years and maybe life. (Note: Don’t expect everyone to accept test results in lieu of vaccination. This subject is complicated, and most people are programmed to think of vaccination as “the gold standard.” Also, the absence of strong titers does not necessarily mean that a dog needs a “booster.”) Read my article on titer testing here at Truth4Dogs.com for details.

7. Never vaccinate sick dogs.  All vaccine labels state that they’re to be used in healthy animals.  Unfortunately, vaccine labels  don’t define “healthy” and most clients don’t know about this admonition.  As a result, sick pets, immune-compromised pets, pets undergoing chemo and surgery, and even dying housebound pets are vaccinated.  Any shots given to an unhealthy animal may well not provide immunity and will likely cause an adverse reaction, even death. Regarding the rabies vaccine: chronically ill or immune-compromised pets may be eligible for a rabies shot exemption for a specified period or even life.  Click the preceding link for more information. And watch for our upcoming post on this subject.

8. Don’t vaccinate puppies too early. Vaccinating pups who still have maternal immunity is unnecessary and ineffective. Most vets suggest waiting until at least 8 weeks of age.  Some experts suggest waiting until 3-4 months to vaccinate puppies, keeping pups away from public places and strange dogs until immunity is proven by strong titers.

9. Insist that your vet documents any adverse vaccine reactions in detail. Someday you may want to apply for rabies vaccine exemption.

10. Make copies of dog licenses and vet files and store them in a safe place. Clinics lose records, go out of business, leave town, etc. Without your dog’s records, you may have vaccinate sooner than necessary because of lost or missing records.

Ready to make a change?  Best case, find a vet concerned about over-vaccinating to advise you.  Educate yourself and go to the vet armed with information.  Most important: actually advocate for your dog; don’t just intend to advocate.  (If you have trouble keeping your resolve, watch my video Stand Up to Your Vet.) Learn more, and watch our video on vaccination, at my web page Vaccinating Dogs.

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