Check out the Number of UK Vets now Offering Blood Titres!
For those of you who don’t know already, the whole redundant concept of boosting ALREADY VACCINATED DOGS each year for viruses is now second only to the concept of promoting cereal-based dry food for carnivores on the list of “most erroneous veterinary practices being conducted today”. Blood titres for dogs are clearly the answer. If you do not know what these are I urge you to read the following article and if at all possible, show it to your vet.
Studies That Show Vaccinations in Dogs Last FAR Longer Than a Year…
Just to reiterate, vaccinations are good, they get them as a puppy. Boosting every year for viruses such as parvo, adeno and distemper, are not as, just like us with our MMR, once they are properly vaccinated as pups for a virus, studies show they retain that immunity for at least 5-7 years. Moreover, there isn’t a SINGLE STUDY EVER that showed these vaccinations wore off dogs in a year. Not one. The manufacturers themselves (and our vets’ chief governing body WSAVA) are advising every three years AT MOST. Doesn’t stop the annual reminder letters coming in the door though, does it?!
Bonagura, J. D. and Twedt, D. C. (2008). Kirk’s current veterinary therapy XIV. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Carmichael, L. E. (1999). Canine viral vaccines at a turning point―A personal perspective. Advances in Veterinary Medicine, 41: 289–307
Studies that Show Side-Effects to Vaccinations / Boosters in Dogs…
It’s not simply a waste of your money and time but annually reminding the immune system with a good shot of antigen is now proving to be extremely detrimental to their health. Here’s 13 non-industry studies to support that statement.
Immune mediated disease in the old English sheepdog as a result of vaccinations.
Estimating disease prevalence with health surveys and genetic screening.
Vaccination Protocols for Dogs Predisposed to Vaccine Reactions.
Vaccine-associated immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in the dog.
Vaccine-induced autoimmunity in the dog.
Vaccine use and disease prevalence in dogs and cats.
Adverse events diagnosed within three days of vaccine administration in dogs.
Effects of vaccines on the canine immune system.
Risks associated with use of live vaccines in dogs.
Also, check out this great article by Dogs Naturally which show how annual boosting dogs is now fully documented to destroy cartilage and joints.
So, What is Recommended?
Top Vet Immunologists (which, in all fairness, your local vet is highly unlikely to be, so please weigh their advice against the available evidence) recommend that your dog needs to be vaccinated against any disease that is serious or life-threatening. Moreover, the dog needs to have a chance of exposure (there’s no need to take malaria pills in Leitrim). Thus in Ireland, this would include for your dog vaccinations for Parvovirus, Distemper and Adenovirus, adenovirus being hepatitis, a disease so rare now here and abroad (thanks to vaccinations) that not one case has been reported in the US in 20 years. It’s now like jabbing for small pox. But in it goes for the moment.
It is recommended you begin puppy vaccinations at 11 weeks at the earliest. Many products say on their packets that administration can safely begin at 6 weeks, thus many vets begin at this age. This is absolutely not recommended by the highest authorities on the matter.
Ideally, vaccinations would be injected one at a time, and absolutely not the “7 in 1”. WSAVA guidelines
encourage use of NON-CORE vaccines after making an appropriate benefit-risk analysis tailored to
the lifestyle and risk of exposure of the individual pet.
For more on the best advice, including advice on leptospirosis and kennel cough, please check our article on best advice for vaccinating / boosting dogs.
I Strongly Advise You to Consider Blood Tires for Your pet…
Until more data on duration of immunity become available, a blood titre test at 3-5 year intervals is now the agreed best practice. Blood titre tests determine your dog’s immunity levels by detecting if antibodies to the virus first created as a result of their primary vaccinations are still floating around their blood. If they are great! No need to “remind” the immune system. If they cannot be detected, and your vet considers your dog might be at risk of one of the core vaccines, then maybe you would get a reminder jab.
As nobody as of yet has seen parvo in a HEALTHY, previously vaccinated dog, and the other two are so rare in the general population, then I personally will never be going back for boosters for Duds. The studies above highlighting the side effects are enough for me to decide that he can take his chances from this point. However, I can’t recommend you do this also.
Thus, please, consider blood titres for your pet instead of boosters. Cheaper than a booster shot and actually tests for (and therefore guarantees) immunity, unlike a booster jab which can only assume it. The WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) now advocates this approach over unnecessary boosters after the initial 12-month booster.
Check out how many UK vets are now on board!
So far we have Emily McAteer in Portmarnock, Dublin (Holistic Vet Dublin) as one of the few vets in Ireland who knows how to blood titre. If you know of any more, please let me know and I’ll have them added to the list above.
Want to Learn More?!
If you want to learn more about correct vaccination protocol from an expert, among many other topics and speakers, then please consider attending our Natural Dog Seminar on April 23rd 2017!
The Line-Up…
