Vaccinations and Our Pets
by Dr. Michael Goldberg, DVM

In this article, I would like to comment on the current controversy with respect to vaccinations for our pets. The vaccinations are available because the diseases we vaccinate against do exist. The question has more to do with potential damage we inflict (iatrogenic disease) by over vaccinating or vaccinating inappropriately. The purpose of this article is to display the facts and to imbibe some insight from an experiential point of view of this author as to the necessity of yearly vaccinations.

In an article published in 1992 in Current Veterinary Therapy XI (A conventional veterinary text similar to Conn's Current Therapy for human medicine) by Tom Phillips DVM and Ron Schultz, Ph.D., "A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccination. Almost with no exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response when exposed to virulent organisms. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing antibody. The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law (i.e. certain states require annual revaccination for rabies)".

As the momentum built, based on what I perceive as fear in both the public's eye as well as the veterinary community as to the devastating effects of contagious disease in the 70's, yearly vaccinations have become commonplace. Low cost vaccination clinics and drug store availability are now matter of fact. The perception of the general public is that vaccination is an absolute necessity to ensure a healthy pet. I believe this to be untrue. By indiscriminant use of vaccination, we may actually be causing more harm than good.

In a 1998 report, the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), and the Academy of Feline Medicine (AFM) Advisory Panel on Feline Vaccines, recommended new guidelines for feline vaccination protocols, recommending vaccination to be done on cats every three years after kitten vaccines and their first year booster. Many U.S. Veterinary Colleges have adopted this protocol as well. These differ from standard practices including the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association's current recommended protocol as stated in 1999 (recommending yearly vaccinations until further scientific research is completed).

These recommendations were based on a study published in 1997 in Feline Practice. Based on vaccination at 8 and 12 weeks of age, positive antibody titres to feline Panleukopenia, feline Herpes, and feline Calici virus lasted six, three, and four years respectively. When these cats were challenged with the viruses, there were a number who got ill but recovered uneventfully.

My Experience

I have been practicing veterinary medicine in British Columbia for the past 12 years. For the most part of those years, I practiced in an area that I feel is endemic to a number of diseases that affect our pet population. These include canine Parvovirus canine Distemper and feline Panleukopenia, Herpes and Calici viruses.

Having had the experience of working in a very busy practice in an endemic area, I estimate having seen approximately 1,500 to 2,000 cases of canine Parvo, and about a dozen cases of dog distemper. Of all of these experiences, only a handful or less have been adult dogs (with either no vaccination history or minimal vaccine history). The majority of the cases I have witnessed have been puppies that have been unvaccinated. As for feline disease, I have seen thousands of cases of Herpes and Calici viral infections and about a dozen cases of feline Panleukopenia (feline distemper). In my experience, the vast majority of cases have recovered with proper treatment.

I have no doubt that vaccines can help our pets. Based on the above study, I ask the question: do we need to vaccinate as often as every 12 months? The protocols that have been established over the years are to vaccinate on an annual basis. I have seen many diseases that have sprung up that I can associate with over vaccination. There are a number of well documented ìside affectsî to vaccinations. By far, the most common being anaphylaxis, or acute life threatening systemic reaction to repeated vaccine, much like a bee sting reaction. There is also the issue of vaccine- induced sarcoma (cancer at the vaccination site) which is relatively rare unless it is your pet who gets this condition. Immune hemolytic anemia (a condition where the immune system attacks and destroys the red blood cells) and a rise in antibodies against the thyroid gland are two very well documented vaccination reactions. What about those problems that are less subtle such as skin problems such as allergies, chronic upper respiratory disease, chronic cystitis (bladder inflammation), arthritis, seizure disorders, and so on. These conditions have been noted to develop in close association with the timing of vaccines. In my homeopathic practice, it is imperative to gather a detailed medical history of each of my patients, and through careful observation, I have noticed the chronological appearance of a number of conditions that appear to be related to the timing of vaccination.

What can we do about the vaccination quandary?

First and foremost, I would suggest maintaining optimal health through good nutrition and good vitamin supplementation. Lifestyle is important in minimizing the stress and maximizing exerciseÖ something we all are aware of. Another imperative is to see to it that our pets are parasite free, which includes internal as well as external parasites such as fleas and worms. A simple stool sample can elicit much information in this regard. Conventional safe dewormers or herbals preparations can be used as prevention.

As for the vaccination question, there are a growing number of ways that you can hedge that your pet is protected. I still vaccinate puppies and kittens, though this is an individual decision that I discuss with each and every client as to the risks and benefits. I try to minimize the number of vaccines that I give as I feel when it comes to vaccination more is not better! In fact, some practitioners suggest using single ingredient vaccinations and rotating them every year. I urge every one of you that if your pet is ill with any ailment, DO NOT VACCINATE, as this seems to compound the stress on your pet! In fact, the vaccines are labeled for use on healthy pets only! Wait until they are fully healthy (i.e. no illness whatsoever). Homeopathic remedies such as Thuja, Silicea, or Sulphur, can be used after vaccination to prevent any untoward effects.

A growing number of my clients elect to have their pet's antibodies tested to ensure adequate levels of antibody to the diseases that we see in our area. This is known as titer testing. It is based on the fact that if there a certain minimum level of antibodies in the system directed against the virus, if the pet comes in contact with that virus, he/she will mount a protective response. The above study in cats was based on testing the levels of antibodies the cats had developed from a series of 2 kitten vaccinations.

In the past 2-1/2 years, I have been recommending titer testing to my clients. In 95% of the tests I have done thus far (these are excluding totals over the past 6 years of testing), these pets have NOT REQUIRED the yearly booster for canine distemper and parvo virus. My conclusion is that the vaccinations may very well last for more than the usual one year. I have had numerous pets that have remained protected after a five year absence in vaccination.

Homeopathic nosodes are another option though their efficacy remains questionable. Nosodes are homeopathic preparations of the actual disease in which we are trying to prevent. A sort of vaccination made from the actual discharges and prepared specifically according to strict homeopathic guidelines.

Dr. Chris Day, a veterinary Homeopath in England showed that nosodes were more effective at reducing disease than vaccines, in a study of Kennel Cough.

The issue of vaccination is a complex one at best. I hope this article enlightens you to inquire more into this question and gives you a topic to discuss with your veterinarian. The important issue to take with you form this is to weigh the risks and the benefits of any procedure you do with your pet.

References:
Current Veterinary Therapy XI, 1992, Saunders Publishing
Veterinary Medicine August 1999, pp. 727-735
Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs, Don Hamilton, 1999, North Atlantic Books
Homeopathic Treatment of Small Animals, Christopher Day, 1990, C.W. Daniel Company

The Current Vaccination Debate

Vaccinations have become quite a hot topic to debate these days. There are a number of veterinary schools in the US, which have gone to giving the vaccinations every three years instead of giving them yearly. Some veterinarians in Canada have also taken this approach. Why? There is more evidence now, that as we look at vaccinations, they were once thought of as benign procedures. This means that they were thought of, as they could do no harm. It was arbitrarily decided some time ago that yearly vaccinations would be done among the veterinary community and as such, this habit caught on. There was never any proof that this needed to be done for all the vaccines now available. The advantage that most veterinarians saw by this was that physical examinations, which often precede the vaccination, would benefit the pet and thus reveal a number of early conditions that were treatable.

There are growing numbers of veterinarians now who believe that all this yearly vaccination may in fact be hurting your pet. There are a number of well documented side effects to vaccinations such as immune hemolytic anemia, vaccine induced fibrosarcoma, anaphylaxis, and a number of less well documented or suspected conditions to pets from over vaccinating such as skin allergies, chronic upper respiratory conditions, behavior problems etc.

Should I vaccinate my pet?

Firstly, you should know as much as you can about each of the diseases and the risks associated with them. Next, you should know about the potential risks of vaccinating your pet. These decisions may be difficult and as such you may seek guidance in these areas. As you can see this is not such an easy task.

Before coming to Hudson Place Veterinary Clinic, I worked in a very busy practice seeing about 25 patients everyday. As the years rolled by, I was able to see quite a number of patients and deal with a very wide variety of illness. The most common illness I saw was Parvovirus in dogs. I have literally seen thousands of cases. By far, the majority of cases were in young dogs between the ages of six and twenty weeks that were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated as puppies. I have seen about a dozen cases of distemper in the dog and again, these were unvaccinated young puppies. As far as Feline diseases, I have seen a number of distemper cases in kittens as well as Feline leukemia and feline infectious peritonitis (FIP). The numbers of Rinotracheitis and Calici viral infections I have seen is staggering. Besides Feline leukemia and FIP, the other diseases are generally diseases of young kittens that are unvaccinated. The exception is that the rhino and Calici can affect vaccinated adult cats as well as young unvaccinated kittens but appears to be less severe.

As time went on in my busy practice, I also saw a number of animals who at young ages developed recurrent skin infections, ear infections, stiffness and arthritis, seizure disorders and on and on. In looking at the patients, a high proportion of these problems appeared to come after the annual vaccinations were given. The problem would then settle down only to recur after the next years vaccines were administered. Naturally, one might question whether the vaccines had anything to do with the subsequent illness. I think the answer is a strong yes.

I have come to embrace a number of practices that are not like your everyday veterinarian. The first is to minimize the foreign substances that we put into their bodies in order to maximize health. I have seen the ravages of these diseases that we vaccinate against and as such, I feel that immunity is a useful thing. I want to make sure all may patients have some form of immunity against these diseases, but I refuse to over do it! How not to over do it.

With the owner's consent, I recommend vaccines at 8 and 12 weeks. With the newer vaccines available, literally all animals tested will respond to the vaccine and mount a successful immune response that will protect them at this age. I also deal with risk. This is to say that diseases that are most likely in the area, are the ones that I recommend vaccinating against. These include for dogs, Parvo and Distemper and for cats, Distemper and upper respiratory disease(Rhino and Calici). As to the other available vaccines, these are done on an individual basis and I will weigh the risks as to the benefit of vaccination.

What about yearly vaccines?

I strongly believe these are unnecessary. In my experience, I am certain that the vaccines do not ìturn offî in a year. Most of the contagious disease  I have seen in clinical situations have been in young dogs and cats who have been unvaccinated or poorly vaccinated as well as malnourished. I believe that before we continue to inject foreign substances year after year into our pets, which I believe, can cause harm, that we should first make sure they absolutely need it. If they don't, then why do it?

Titre Testing:

A titre is a measure of the level of antibody in the blood stream. In theory, if there is a certain amount of measurable antibodies in the blood, then one can assume there is a ìmemoryî that has developed in the immune system against the virus for which we had vaccinated against (or had come in contact with). I recommend this test be done at the first year vaccination time instead of blindly vaccinating. If the level of antibody is very low, then we vaccinate. I have been performing this test since 1997 and how found it very useful for indicating the necessity for repeat vaccination. Most of the pets I test, end up not requiring the vaccinations on a yearly basis.

Are there other choices for protection?

There are homeopathic nosodes that might confer some protection to your pet. The first cautionary note is to say that there are very few studies in which they have proven effective. One such study though is by a British Veterinary Homeopath named Chris Day in which the incidence of Kennel Cough was in fact lower among dogs treated with homeopathy as opposed to dogs who had been vaccinated.

Homeopathic nosodes are actually medicines made from diseased tissue. There are nosodes from all the infectious diseases of dogs and cats. The nosode is given prophylactically to the pet to theoretically prevent the disease from affecting him/her. A growing number of breeders and pet owners ore using this form of prevention because they realize that vaccines can come with fairly sturdy side effects.

The bottom line is that there is still controversy surrounding this topic. As the debate goes on though, I feel this method of vaccinating is the healthiest method thus far.


Here¹s a list of all the diseases that can be vaccinated against:

Canine Vaccinations:

Parvovirus: this virus has affinity for the intestinal tract. The signs of infection are malaise, with vomiting and/or diarrhea. It is very stable in the environment and can be carried on clothing. It can also sit on the ground for long periods waiting for the dog to contact it. It is found in stool as well. It can also affect  rapidly growing tissues such as bone and heart, in young dogs. The virus still seems to be very common and I have seen at least 3 thousand cases.

Distemper: this virus is spread by oronasal route and is very serious. It usually starts with flu like symptoms such as nasal and eye discharge. There can also be vomiting and diarrhea. The virus can also infect the central nervous system and may cause signs such as seizures or jerky movements in the dog. I have seen about a dozen cases in 12 years of practice.

Infectious Canine hepatitis (CAV1): this virus is very stable in the environment and as such can be carried on clothing and on the surfaces of other animals as well as parasites (fleas). The virus mainly affects the liver, kidneys and the eye. The virus can cause signs such as vomiting, diarrhea and fever. There can be bleeding as well. There may also be a hazing in the cornea. Depending on how the body (IMMUNE SYSTEM) reacts to it, there can be guarded to a good prognosis. I have personally never seen a case in 12 years of veterinary practice.

Canine Adenovirus type 2: this virus causes upper respiratory signs such as coughing. It primarily causes laryngitis and tracheitis.

Parainfluenza: this virus also attacks the upper respiratory system of dogs and as such, causes coughing and honking sounds. It is spread by the oronasal route and can cause laryngitis and bronchitis.

Corona Virus: this is an intestinal virus that causes mild diarrhea. It is non-life threatening but is thought to potentially complicate Parvovirus infection. Once a pet has been exposed to this virus it is thought that they develop lifelong immunity.

Leptospirosis: this bacterium is zoonotic (can be spread from animals to humans). The bacteria can enter the skin through an abrasion and then can cause kidney disease as well as chronic active hepatitis. Once infected, the body can either fight off the bacteria or can go into a carrier state in which the bacteria can be shed through the urine (this depends on the individual immunity to the bacteria). There is current controversy as to the necessity of this bacteria to be included in the vaccines as the type of bacteria to cause this disease is different than the ones currently included in combination vaccinations.

Bordetella: this bacterium is thought to be the primary bacteria in Kennel Cough. There is a synergy that occurs between Parainfluenza and Bordetella in Kennel Cough disease. The bacteria can take up to 14 weeks to be cleared from the lungs once it establishes an infection.

Lyme: this is a bacterium that is spread through the tick (Ixodes pacificus and I. dammini). It usually takes the tick 48 hours to transmit the bacteria. 2% of the ticks studied in the province carry the bacteria and of those, only 10% will transmit (which means 500 ticks will have a high risk). The signs are fever, lethargy, acute onset of stiffness or pain with lameness and sometimes swelling of the joints. Mostly there are two or more joints involved and a common area is the wrist joint (carpus). The bacteria can also affect the heart muscle and have been shown to cause neurological effects.  The vaccine has been available for about the past 10 years and has a high incidence of vaccine associated stiffness. There are also anecdotal cases of postvaccinal meningitis.

Giardia: This is a vaccine for an intestinal parasite that causes cramping and diarrhea, and is non life-threatening. It can be picked up from stagnant water exposed to fecal matter.