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The Dangers of Immunization

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    • [color=red]The article below is a compendium of studies, reports and cases that deals with the issue of vaccinations and questions the need for yearly immunizations! This is posted for your info only - The owner of this site take no responsibility for it's applicability or accuracy.... read on![/color] It is long article so be patient and read through it all - please share your thoughts on this issus and take the quick poll! Crossposted with permission. One thing to avoid is the new ProHeart 6 heartworm injection. It has caused deaths, slow & painful ones--awful. A group is working towards having this taken off the market & is trying for a class action suit against Fort Dodge, the manufacturer. Also, collie breeds are very sensitive any heartworm medications that contain Invermectin, so they can't take this at all. I've received a lot of warnings about the new Lyme disease vaccine. Two dogs I know (both in MA), almost died from this. I've done a lot of research of the dangers of annual revaccinations. All the current research states that annual revaccination does nothing to increase immunity & is potentially harmful. I give my adopters the following info in the hopes they will read & consider this to ensure the health of their animals. A good site is http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Index.htm Other good sites are: http://www.tallywood.com/health.html and http://www.healthy-paws.ca/page11.html Corona virus vaccine is useless because this is only a problem, & a rare one, in puppies 8 weeks old & younger. The hepatitis vaccine is sadly a scam because again this is an almost unheard disease in dogs, especially well cared for dogs. Distemper is usually only a problem for very young dogs & not seen much any more. Bordatella (which is essentially a doggie cold--bronchitis) vaccine is utterly useless. They are numerous strains of this, which the vaccine doesn't address. Dogs can get bordatella over & over. If their own immune systems don't build up immunity to this minor disease by actually having it, why would a vaccine work? Rabies vaccines are required by law. Different states have different requirements for this. Some require annual revaccination, others (like VA) require every three years. But, the one year vaccine & the three year vaccine are the same exact vaccine. They are just marketed differently by the manufacturer to meet what the state requires. I've yet to have a vet show me any documentation that annual revaccinating does anything but put money in their pockets. Unfortunately, it is about vets & pharmaceutical companies making lots of money. We've all been taught to think that constantly vaccinating our animals is something we need to do as good caregivers & vets can be very forceful & manipulating into making us believe we need to do this. The info below is long (sorry), but really interesting. Gerri From: Dr. Ihor Basko VACCINATION NEWSFLASH [CIMDA support] Re: J Dodd's vaccine protocol I would like to make you aware that all 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Some of this information will present an ethical & economic challenge to vets, and there will be skeptics. Some organizations have come up with a political compromise suggesting vaccinations every 3 years to appease those who fear loss of income Vs those concerned about potential side effects. Politics, traditions, or the doctor's economic well-being should not be a factor in medical decision. NEW PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY "Dogs and cats immune systems mature fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet (i.e.: canine distemper, parvo,feline distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not "boosted" nor are more memory cells induced. "Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. "There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines "Puppies receive antibodies through their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks. Pup pies & kittens should NOT be vaccinated at LESS than 8 weeks. Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection (0-38%) will be produced. Vaccinations given 2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system. _____________________________________________________ Subject: Vaccinations for dogs and cats All together, these posts contain a wealth of information about dog and cat vaccinations, including the dangers of specific annual shots, and alternatives, including homeopathy. While the longest post was written by a veterinarian in re his lawsuit in Texas, the DATA he presents is applicable in all states. _____________________________________________________ Kirks Current Veterinary Therapy XI Page 205 Annual Vaccinations Canine and Feline Vaccines A practice which was started many years ago and lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccinations. 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. Only the immune response to toxins which requires boosters (e.g., tetanus toxin booster in humans is recommended very 7-10 years) and no toxin vaccines are currently used for dogs or cats. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing antibody (similar to maternal antibody interference). 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 examinations or is required by law (i.e., certain states require annual vaccination for rabies). _____________________________________________________ Subject: Wall Street Journal: Annual Pet Vaccinations may be Unnecessary, Fatal "Some vets question annual boosters," Rhonda L. Rundle. Wall Street Journal (www.msnbc.com), July 31, 2002. Evidence is growing that annual vaccination of dogs and cats may not be necessary and may cause harmful side effects. Last year the American Veterinary Medical Association acknowledged that annual vaccinations are based on precedent and not on scientific data. (not to mention vets making tons of money!) In cats there has been a large increase in hyperthyroidism and cancerous tumors between the shoulder blades where vaccines typically are injected. There are more health problems in dogs, such as autoimmune disease, for which there is no explanation. Some veterinarians think over-vaccination may cause dogs to produce antibodies against their own tissue. Studies at several universities suggest that protection from vaccines lasts for years. The USDA tests vaccines to make sure they protect pets, usually for one year. The tests do not look for long-term side effects or how long protection lasts. Vaccine makers do not test duration, saying it would be expensive and require isolating large numbers of animals for an extended time. Pfizer found its one-year rabies vaccine lasted for at least three years, and now sells the same formula under different labels to meet different state requirements. Most states mandate rabies vaccinations every three years, but some states, cities and counties require them annually due to local problems with rabies in wild animals. Most veterinarians and vaccine makers have traditionally recommended annual booster shots for distemper, parvovirus, herpesvirus and other diseases. These vaccines are not required by law because the diseases are not a threat to people. Some veterinarians are reducing the number of vaccines they give. "My own pets are vaccinated once or twice as pups and kittens, then never again except for rabies," said Ronald D. Schultz, chairman of the University of Wisconsin's Department of Pathobiological Sciences. ____________________________________________________ Subject: Fw: Vaccines This message comes from Philly Dog Rescue email list, and has info about over vaccinating. Maureen Koplow mailto:mkoplow@snip.net Subject: Texas Vets To be Sued for Over Vaccinating pets! Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2002 15:05:36 -0000 Those of you who have done your research on the risks Vs the benefits of yearly vaccines will be tickled to death to read this article. Those of you who haven't yet heard that the 27 veterinary colleges in this country no longer feel yearly vaccinating is safe, please read this article to understand why. Hopefully this class action suit will go forward in all states. It's time someone protected our pets from vets we are supposed to be able to trust. --Sunny Vet sues due to over vaccination of dogs and cats: Critter Fixer Pet Hospital Bob Rogers, DVM 5703 Louetta Spring, Texas 77379 281-370-3262 April 17, 2002 Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Division Box 12548 Austin, Texas 78711-2548 Dear Sirs, I hereby file a complaint against all licensed Veterinarians engaged in companion animal practice in the state of Texas for violation of the Rules of Professional Conduct, rule 573.26 which states: Licensed veterinarians shall conduct their practice with honesty, integrity, and fair dealing to clients in time and services rendered, and in the amount charged for services, facilities, appliances and drugs. I assert that the present practice of marketing of vaccinations for companion animals constitutes fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence, theft by deception, and undue influence by all Veterinarians engaged in companion animal practice in this state. Recommending, administering, and charging for CANINE CORONA vaccinations for adult dogs is fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence, theft by deception, and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. Dogs over eight weeks of age are not susceptible to canine corona virus disease. Disease produced by canine corona virus has never been demonstrated in adult dogs. Dogs over eight weeks of age that are immunized against canine parvovirus will not develop symptoms of canine corona virus disease. Addition of an unnecessary antigen to the vaccination protocol will result in a lesser immunity to the important diseases like parvovirus and distemper, and increase the risk of adverse reactions. 2. Immunologists doubt that Canine corona virus vaccine works, as it would require secretory mucosal IgA antibodies to protect against Corona virus and a parenteral vaccine does not accomplish this very well. Twenty- two Schools of Veterinary Medicine including Texas A&M University do not recommend canine corona virus vaccine. 3. Gastroenterologists at Schools of Veterinary Medicine including Dr Michael Willard at Texas A&M University have stated that they have only seen one case of corona virus disease in a dog in ten years. On several occasions large numbers of dogs have died from adverse reactions to corona virus vaccine. A reasonable client would not elect corona virus vaccination for an adult dog if presented this information. Recommending, administering, and charging for re-administration of modified live vaccines like CANINE DISTEMPER, CANINE PARVOVIRUS, FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA, INJECTABLE FELINE RHINOTRACHEITIS, and INJECTABLE FELINE CALICIVIRUS on a semiannual, annual, biannual or triannual basis is theft by deception, fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. The USDA Center for Biologic and Therapeutic Agents asserts that there is no scientific DATA to support label claims for annual re-administration of modified live vaccines, and label claims must be backed by scientific data. 2. It is the consensus of immunologist that a modified live virus vaccine must replicate in order to stimulate the immune system, and antibodies from a previous vaccination will block the replication of the new vaccinate virus. The immune status of the patient is not enhanced in any way. There is no benefit to the patient. The client is paying for something with insignificant or no effect, except that the patient is being exposed to unnecessary risk of an adverse reaction. 3. A temporal association has been demonstrated between vaccinations and the development of Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia. 4. It has been demonstrated that the duration of immunity for Canine Distemper virus is 7 years by challenge, and 15 years by serology; for Canine Parvovirus is 7 years by challenge, for Feline Panleukopenia, Rhinotracheitis, and Feline Calicivirus is 7.5 years by challenge. A reasonable client would not elect re-administration of any of the above stated vaccinations for a previously immunized pet if provided with the above information. The recommendation for administration of LEPTOSPIROSIS vaccination in Texas is theft by deception, fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence and undue influence given the fact that: 1. Although Leptospirosis is reemerging as an endemic disease for dogs in some areas of the country, Leptospirosis in dogs in Texas is a very rare disease. According to the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Lab there are only an average of twelve cases of Leptospirosis documented in dogs in Texas per year. Factors to identify those dogs that are at risk have not been identified. Given that there are over 6 million dogs in Texas, the risk of leptospirosis disease to a dog is less than 2 in a million. 2. The commonly used vaccine only contains serovars Lepto. canicola, and Lepto icterohaemorrhagiae, and no cross protection is provided against the other three serovars diagnosed in Texas. Newer vaccines containing Lepto Pomona, and Lepto rippotyphosa are available but the duration of immunity is less than one year. To provide protection for a dog against Leptospirosis would require two vaccines with four serovars twice per year. The recommendation of LYME DISEASE vaccine for dogs residing in Texas is fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. The Texas Department of Health only reports an average of 70 cases of Human Lyme disease per year in Texas, all of which were likely acquired when people were traveling out of the state. 2. Julie Rawlings reported in her research on the incidence of the lyme disease organism in ticks in Texas State Parks for the Texas Department of Health that the Borrelia burgdorferi organism is not present in sufficient numbers or in the suitable tick vector for dogs for Lyme disease to be endemic in Texas 3. Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine has not documented one case of Lyme disease in a dog acquired in Texas. Testing on shelter dogs has not revealed a single case. 4. Dr Jacobson, Cornell University has documented a temporal relationship in over 327 cases of dogs, which acquired polyarthritis after the Lyme disease vaccine. A reasonable client would not elect Lyme disease vaccine for their pet if given this information on the risks Vs the benefit. The recommendation for vaccination of cats with an ADJUVANTED VACCINE without offering a safer alternative vaccine is fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given the literature that state 1. Adjuvanted vaccines have been incriminated as a cause of Injection Site Fibrosarcoma in cats. 2. 1:1000 cats vaccinated develop this type of cancer, which is 100% fatal. 3. Safer alternative non-adjuvanted vaccines are available. A reasonable client would not elect adjuvanted vaccines for their cat if given this information. The recommendation for vaccination of cats with FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS vaccine is fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. Feline Infectious peritonitis (FIP) is a rare disease. 2. Eight percent of adult cats carry the normal flora avirulent Feline Corona Virus. On rare occasions this Corona Virus mutates to become a virulent feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus. Every mutation is a different variant and there is no cross protection. This vaccine does not and cannot work. 3. Independent studies have not confirmed the manufacturers claims for efficacy. 4. Twenty- two Schools of Veterinary Medicine and the American Association of Feline Practitioners does not recommend this vaccine. A reasonable client would not elect this vaccine if given this information The recommendation of annual FELINE LEUKEMIA Vaccine for adult cats, and cats that are not at risk is theft by deception, fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. Cats over one year of age, if not previously infected, are immune to Feline Leukemia virus infection whether they are vaccinated or not. 2. Adjuvanted Feline leukemia vaccine can cause Injection Site Fibrosarcomas, a fatal type of cancer. This type of cancer is though to occur in 1:10,000 cats vaccinated 3. Only cats less than one year of age and at risk cats should be vaccinated against Feline Leukemia virus. A reasonable client would not elect this vaccine for their cat if given this information. The recommendation of annual RABIES vaccination for dogs and cats with three-year duration of immunity vaccine is theft by deception, fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given that: 1. The vaccines has been licensed by the USDA and proven to have duration of immunity of three years by the USDA and seven years by serology by Dr Ron Schultz, therefore annual readministration the client is paying for something with no benefit. 2. Beyond the second vaccination, no DATA exist to demonstrate that the immune statis of the pet is enhanced. 3. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians recommendation is for vaccination of dogs and cats for rabies at four months, one year later, and then every three years subsequently. This remmendation has been proven effective in 33 States in the United States. The recommendation of BLOOD TESTS FOR ANTIBODY TITERS on dogs and cats in order to determine if re-administration of vaccine is indicated is fraud by misrepresentation, misrepresentation by silence, and undue influence given the literature that states: 1. The duration of immunity to infectious disease agents is controlled by memory cells, B & T lymphocytes. Once programed, memory cells persist for life. The presence of memory cells is not taken into effect when testing for antibody titers. 2. Even in the absence of an antibody titer, memory cells are capable of mounting an adequate immune response in an immunized patient. A negative titer does not indicate lack of immunity, or the ability of a vaccine to significantly enhance the immune status of a patient. 3. A positive titer has not been demonstrated by challenge studies to indicate immunity. 4. The client is paying for a test when a Veterinarian can make no claims about the test results. 5. It has been proven that the re-administration of modified live vaccines has no effect, and that duration of immunity is 7 years or more. A reasonable client would not elect this test if given this information. I have brought these deceptive trade practices to the attention of this Board by writing six letters to the board, and appearing before the Board at three Board meetings. The Board members have demonstrated, by the questions that they have asked me, that they are uniformed on these issues, that they have not read the literature that I have sent to support my assertions, and that they have not read the letters I have written. On every occasion the Board members have refused to take any action on these matters. The Board has also ignored my request to deny approval of Continuing Education credit for seminars on Vaccination of Companion Animals provided by Pfizer Animal Health drug company which are fraudulent by omission of material facts, a conflict of interest, and thereby nfluence Veterinarians to continue deceptive trade practice in the marketing of vaccines. The people of the State of Texas have paid over $360 million dollars per year for vaccinations that are unnecessary and potentially harmful to their pets. Over 600,000 pets suffer every year from adverse reactions to unnecessary vaccinations. Many of them die. A survey by the American Animal Hospital Association shows that less than 7% of Veterinarians have updated their vaccination recommendations, in spite of the fact that these new recommendations have been published twice in every major Veterinary Medical Journal since 1995. Given that it is the compact of this Board with the State of Texas to protect the people of Texas, and whereby it is provided in the Texas Administrative Code Title 22, Part 24, Chapter 577, Subchapter B, Rule 577.16: Responsibilities of the Board (a) The Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners is responsible for establishing policies and promulgating rules to establish and maintain a high standard of integrity, skills, and practice in the profession of Veterinary medicine in accordance with the Veterinary Licensing Act, I hereby assert that the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners must take demonstrated and thorough action to stop the deceptive trade practices and fraud in the marketing of vaccinations for companion animals. A reasonable solution would be for the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to request an opinion from the Attorney General on these issues, and for the Texas State Board to issue a policy statement in the Board Notes indicating a Board policy prohibiting each of the practices I have outlined above. An alternative solution would be to notify every Veterinarian engaged in companion animal practice in this state of the complaint that has been filed against them, and prosecute each and every complaint. If demonstrated and thorough action to stop the deceptive trade practices has not been taken by this Board within ninety days of receipt of this letter I will file a class action suit against the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners on behalf of the people of Texas, for negligence in the execution of their responsibilities, and I will request a Court order to instruct the Board to perform their duties. Sincerely, Dr Robert L Rogers The above statements are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge ------- Cross-posted with permission This was meant for all our members, to do their homework about the vaccinations given to our babies(puppies)! I never give any of my babies all their shots at once! I stagger them over a period of weeks. Any good, devoted vet will understand this, and respect your wishes. ____________________________________________________ By Dr. Moira Drosdovech http://www.pawsitivevet.com The great news is that annual boosters are no longer considered necessary every year for pets by a growing number of veterinarians, veterinary researchers and over half of the veterinary colleges. The good news is that your pet can be protected for life by a small number of vaccines in its first year of life. The bad news is that many pet owners are not aware of this information. My object with this article is not to discuss whether vaccinations are effective in preventing disease. I believe they do work to prevent acute diseases most of the time. I also believe they are capable of "grafting" on to the vaccinated individual a debilitating range of chronic problems while causing life-threatening reactions in others. Just as we cannot expect every human being to have the same degree of intelligence, so too can we not expect every individual pet to react smoothly to vaccinations. So, yes indeed, you do put your pet's health at risk each time it is given an unnecessary vaccination. Although a direct causal relationship is yet to be discovered scientifically, there are now studies by veterinarians, such as Dr. Larry Glickman at the University of Purdue, that indicate an increase in auto-immunity following vaccination. Dr. Mike Lappin of Colorado State University has shown that the antigens from Crandall Feline Kidney Cell Culture (which are used to produce feline viral vaccines) produce antibodies in cats that attack cat kidney cells. In his study, distemper vaccines given to kittens in a typical pediatric schedule produced these same antibodies and these anti-kidney antibodies persisted for at least six months. Whether these antibodies are involved in the development of chronic progressive renal failure in cats has yet to be determined, but it certainly raises a red flag. The incidence of fibrosarcomas in cats (a life-threatening cancer definitively linked to vaccinations) is now as high as 1 in 400 cats in some parts of the U.S., possibly higher. Thus, it is the safety of vaccines that is at issue. No long-term safety studies of more than a couple weeks have ever been done, not just for pet vaccinations, but for human vaccinations as well. Yet, vaccinations have been embraced by the medical community as both safe and effective.Statements implying that vaccines are safe in the long term are without basis. When puppies and kittens are first born, the milk they consume from mom is loaded with antibodies in most cases that will protect them for the first 6-12 weeks of life. Vaccinations administered during this period will not result in antibody production in the majority of these young animals because the antibodies they received from the milk will "neutralize" the vaccine virus before it can create a response from the youngster's system. Therefore, it makes little to no sense to be giving vaccines before 8 weeks and my opinion is that they should be delayed to 12 weeks. Prior to 12 weeks, there is minimal benefit, but the immature immune system is placed as risk for bad reactions. I advise my clients with puppies to still socialize them, but to use common sense regarding their out-of-home activities before 12 weeks. This strategy has proven perfectly fine for over 3 years now. After 12 weeks, giving puppies and kittens vaccinations will result in their own active immunity (antibodies they produce) over 90% of the time. It would be very rare for any animal to require a second booster for any one virus. I also recommend that the vaccines be separated out so they receive only one virus antigen at a time (eg. Parvo first followed by Distemper at 16 weeks), thereby minimizing risk of reactions. In this region, Distemper and Parvo are the only diseases I vaccinate for in dogs, other than Rabies for those requesting it. In the case of kittens, if they will always be indoor cats, I do not administer any vaccinations. If they will go outside, I wait until 2-4 weeks before their first venture outside (usually after 4 months) and then administer one Distemper vaccine only. Studies from the early 1980's demonstrated that it was virtually impossible to infect cats over one year old, under experimental conditions, with the feline leukemia virus, even by injection. For all of these animals, the choice is the owner's as to which vaccines they want their pet to have or whether to vaccinate at all. I simply provide the information for them to make an educated decision. I have seen too many vaccine reactions to do anything less. Blood tests can be done any time from a month following vaccines to measure circulating antibodies and will confirm that your pet's immune system is primed to take on exposure to these viruses. Any level of antibody indicates that memory cells of the immune system are active and boostering is unnecessary. These tests are by no means suggested every year, but can be a helpful tool to guide re-vaccination decisions. The likely outcome of giving a booster is that, once again, antibodies already "on board" will simply neutralize the vaccine virus and no benefit is gained whilst again risking harmful reactions. A lot of pet owners are under the misconception that, because their pet goes outside, to the park, etc, where they might be "exposed" to diseases, their immune systems require a regular "reminder" in the form of a vaccine. This defies logic. On the contrary, regular "exposure" helps the immune system stay primed, making the annual vaccine even less needed. Although I have stated this in previous articles, I cannot emphasize enough that any pet receiving a vaccination should be 100% healthy. This excludes vaccinating pets with any health problems whatsoever, including diseases in "remission" such as skin diseases, cancer, thyroid problems, to name a few, and especially not those with a history of autoimmune disease. Please understand that you are not benefiting your pet at all by vaccinating while unhealthy. As the American Veterinary Medical Association states, "Veterinarians must promote the value of the exam and move away from their dependence on vaccineincome." Unfortunately, veterinarians stand to lose big, according to Dr. Ron Schultz, leading immunologist and outspoken critic of annual vaccine practices, when the numbers of those requesting vaccines drops. Annual checkups are important to maintain and will help pick up on health concerns before they become a big problem. If vaccines are recommended, don't forget to ask about safety issues and studies to show they are needed. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Remember, medicine is always in a state of change and change we must in regards to pet vaccinations. ____________________________________________________ Message: 3 Subject: More on Vaccines From Gerri Glass - I put this together for the families who adopt my fosters & for a local rescue email list. Don't let vets bully & manipulate youinto annually vaccinating your animals, as it is completely unnecessary & potentially harmful. If they tell you that they won't perform surgery like spaying/neutering without a full array of vaccines, find another vet. The only vaccination required by law is rabies. It is disheartening to know that vet medicine seems to be the only professional where the customer (you) is instructed on what "must" be done without a choice, without any discussion of side-effects. I also find it unethical that they will refuse medical services, such as surgery, without vaccinating as a means of cohersion. I brought a shelter dog to a vet for a bath. They refused to bath him without vaccinating. When I asked why, I got the usual double-talk. First they said it was to protect the other dogs there.. I asked, so if this dog has a disease & you vaccinate him, this will instantly cure him & he won't be contagious to other animals? Of course, they had to admit this wasn't the case. Then I was told, it will protect him in case any other animals are ill. I then asked if a vaccine given today, this would supply instant immunity. Of course, they had to admit that this wasn't true either. In short, they couldn't provide one valid reason why this was a requirement. Vets & their assistants are used to telling clients what to do & having clients blindly following whatever they are told. Several people from our email list have asked me questions about homeopathy & the safer, effective, (& far less expensive) homeopathic nosode vaccines that are available & easily administered orally at home. Homeopathic nosode vaccines have been used successfully in Europe since the 19th century. I have used these with my animals for over 10 years (including the heartworm nosode) & have done research on the harmful effects of vaccinating & annually re-vaccinating animals. My animals who have never been vaccinated, are far healthy than those who had repeated vaccinations. None suffer from allergies, respiratory conditions, skin problems, fleas or intestinal parasites, or chronic infections--all signs of a compromised immune system. While most vets strongly advocate the use of vaccines, an alternative does exist. Most vaccines cost vets between $.75-$1.00. Since clients are charged between $10-$25 per shot & most people would not bring their animals to the vet every year were it not for the those boosters, it's easy to see why vets are so gung-ho on annual revaccinating. Sadly, these practices cause more health problems & more return visits to the vet. The common practice of vaccinating animals before three months of age (& many researchers now recommend waiting until 6 months old) when their immune systems are undeveloped, vaccinating animals immediately before or during surgery, annual boosters & administering multiple vaccines at once, is questionable & potentially quite harmful. Just as many parents refuse to vaccinate their children because of adverse reactions, many animal caretakers are likewise examining the effects of vaccinations. I also highly recommend Dr. Loops, whose article is below (this article is now several years old). He has successfully treated my animals for 12 years when traditional vets could only offer the usual round of antibiotics, steroids & surgery. I have recommended him to many friends & he has saved many lives and greatly enhanced their quality of life. His web site is http://www.charlesloopsdvm.com For info on rabies vaccine scam see: http://www.naturalrearing.com/ARTICLES/GuestAuthors/RABIESSCAM.html http://www.altvetmed.com/vaccine.html --cites an article from a 1995 article from Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association entitled "Are We Vaccinating Too Much?" http://www.thensome.com/vaccinations.htm Good article "Are We Over-vaccinating Our Animals? For other vaccines dangers & warnings see: http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Immunization/vaccinations/VACCIN The UK Vaccine Study: http://www.naturalrearing.com/J_In_Learning/Immunization/CanineVaccinationSu Of course, you can do your own Internet search & turn up many others. The following information is from Charles Loops, DVM and is reprinted with his permission After practicing traditional western medicine for about 10 years, I became disenchanted with chemical drugs as being the only approach in dealing with disease. I was frustrated with the lack of effective treatments for chronic disease, behavior problems, and the epidemic of allergic conditions. During my search for alternatives, my personal health was greatly improved with homeopathic treatment. This led me to the study of homeopathy and the incorporation of this great system of medicine in my veterinary practice. That was in 1989, and three years later I sold that practice so that I could devote myself solely to homeotherapeutics. This is when my philosophy about disease changed and my interest in classical homeopathy began. I studied with Richard Pitcairn, DVM, going to workshops that he offered for several years. I completed a year of study with Linda Johnston, M.D., author of Everyday Miracles who had a very successful homeopathic practice in CA. I have studied extensively and continue to do so. My practice is mainly by referral and 95% by telephone consultation. I have treated thousands of cases using the principles of classical homeopathy over the past years and I continue to find this system of gentle healing the most effective therapy that has ever existed. Sixty percent of my new cases have cancer and most of these several hundred companions each year survive longer and have more quality of life than cancer patients treated with western medicine or other modalities. The homeopathic approach is both very cost effective for guardians and gentle and natural for their companions. Having practiced twenty years as a veterinarian, ten with western medicine and ten years with homeopathy, there is no doubt about which is the more effective system and which has the curative approach to disease. The side-effects of homeopathic treatment are better health and a heightened sense of well-being, a statement that can't be made in support of western medicine. THE VACCINATION DILEMMA and your HEALTHY COMPANIONS Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for years that vaccinations are doing harm. Aside from the immediate risk of vaccination side-effects sucb as allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock, there are more compelling reasons to avoid vaccinations whenever possible. Vaccinations represent a major assault on the body's immune system. Attenuated organisms or chemically killed viruses or bacteria are injected directly into the blood stream via subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, an unnatural route of infection. This profound insult, avoids the body's first line of defenses, flooding the system with millions of organisms or viral particles, causing irregularities and abnormalities in the immune system which then manifest as chronic diseases in animals. The overall effect, while potentially protecting the individual from a specific, acute disease, is to weaken or create imbalance in the immune system so that underlying tendencies to disease are brought to the surface. In other words, vaccinations represent a major stress. Following vaccinations we often see chronic problems begin such as epilepsy, skin allergies, persistent upper respiratory infections, irritable bowel syndromes, auto-immune diseases and cancer, just to name a few. What we are now seeing are generations of over-vaccinated animals and these current offspring are suffering the penalty of this medical abuse. Where vaccinations have helped in eradicating or reducing the incidence of severe, acute disease processes, the result has been to plague humanity with more insidious, chronic diseases that are difficult to treat or even cure and that lower the quality of life for many individual and animals. After twenty years or practicing veterinary medicine, I am observing chronic diseases that begin much earlier than before. Cancer before five years of age in dogs and cats was a rarity and now it's not unusual to see fatal cancers in two and three year old animals. And the incidence of number of cases is definitely increasing. While poor breeding practices, poor commercial diets and other environmental factors play their part, I believe it is the practice of vaccinating an animal repeatedly with multiple vaccinations throughout their lifespan that factors the most. We have genetically weakened our companions with this practice. A normal dog or cat living to twelve years of age will receive at least twenty and possible thirty vaccinations during their lifetime. Fifteen or so of these shots will have four to seven disease fractions present in each vaccination. In all of this, balance in nature has been lost to the pharmaceutical-medical complex's philosophy, propelled in great part by monetary factors, that all vaccinations are beneficial and that vaccinating is always better than not vaccinating. Risk of Exposure should be the main guideline for consideration of whether to vaccinate and what to vaccinate against. If your cats are indoor only or if your dogs' outside activities are on a leash or within a fenced area under supervision, there is little risk. The other considerations for a vaccine's use are its proven safety, its effectiveness, and is the disease serious or life-threatening that the vaccine is used for. Remember, VACCINES ARE NOT HARMLESS. Only vaccinate if the threat is real. The following are some of my recommendations concerning your companions' health in choosing whether to vaccinate. 1.If you can, don't vaccinate puppies under three months of age.Vaccinations are much more stressful on the underdeveloped immune system. Also, these vaccinations are much less effective at providing immunity before three months of age. ***If you feel you must vaccinate, do so with one vaccination of Distemper at three months, followed by a vaccination for Parvovirus at four months of age, and stop with that. If you can't find a single Distemper vaccine use the Distemper-measles combination. Use killed vaccines only. 2. Kittens should only be vaccinated for Panleukopenia and not before three months of age. All other vaccinations should be avoided. One vaccine is sufficient. 3. Puppies and kittens can be given homeopathic nosodes beginning at three weeks of age, if there is a potential for exposure to Distemper, Parvovirus, or Panleukopenia. These nosodes can be used until vaccinations are given or continued periodically for the first year of life, if vaccinations are not given. Common sense should be used in avoiding exposure of very young animals to other, possible unhealthy, animals of the same species. 4. Booster vaccinations are completely unnecessary. Studies are now showing that these vaccinations are effective for many years and most probably for life. Vaccinated animals do not need any boosters. Homeopathic nosodes can be given periodically if you are concerned or if you think your animals live a high risk, life style. 5. Rabies Vaccinations should be given as dictated by state laws. Lyssin, the homeopathic nosode, should be given within a few hours after the vaccination. Clearly, the rabies vaccination is effective for many years more than state laws require booster vaccination. 6. Booster vaccinations can cause SEVERE set-backs when an animal is being treated homeopathically for chronic problems. They can completely erase any progress that has been made towards improving an animal's health. 7. My personal recommendation is NOT to vaccinate at all. The best road to good health is feeding a diet rich in fresh foods, raw meats for the carnivores, and avoiding vaccinations and allopathic medications. Antibiotics and other allopathic drugs should only be used in situations where their use is clearly indicated, and this should be only in potentially, life-threatening situations. Every time you suppress a symptom the body produces, you are potentially lowering the health status of the body system. Treating with the correctly prescribed, homeopathic remedy, herbs, or other non-invasive therapies, not of a chemical nature, will enhance your health and your companions health. 8. Commercial diets should be carefully chosen. Your companion is at the mercy of your good or poor judgement in selecting foods. Cats and dogs which have free access to the outside can to some degree supplement their diet. Otherwise, they are totally dependent on you. Science Diet and Hill's dog and cat food products are not good diets. They use chemical preservatives that have been shown to cause problems in some animals, and they use by-products, which are words on the ingredient label that need to be avoided at all costs. This generally means food not utilized for human consumption. If you feed a carefully selected commercial food, some supplementation with fresh food is necessary to maximize your companions' health. Raw poultry, beef, lamb, or rabbit and occasionally liver should be added to the diet at least three times per week, and fresh vegetables in small amounts should also be offered. (To read about the herbicide, preservative & rubber stabilizer HOXYQUIN used in many pet foods, including many Hills/Science Diet foods: http://www.golden-retriever.com/ethox.html 9, The best diet is a RAW FOOD DIET and we have recipes. There are also many good books with recipes for raw diets. Definition of Homeopathic Nosodes (Pronounced no'-sodes), are remedies or medicines made from the disease itself and are diluted or potenized so only the energy exists. They are administered orally. So far, experience has shown no problem with side effects if the animal has been healthy. THE FOLLOWING from JEFF LEVY, DVM PCH: The Dangers of Vaccination The purpose of vaccination is to protect your pet from potentially fatal infections by pathogenic (disease-causing) viruses such as distemper, rabies, and others. The way this is done is to inject either a killed virus or a 'modified' (non-pathogenic) live virus, which sensitizes the immune system to that particular virus. Thereafter, if your dog is exposed to, let's say, parvovirus, s/he will be able to respond quickly and vigorously, producing antibodies to overcome the infection. This sounds like a pretty good plan, on the surface. However, as with any medical procedure, we must ask the simple and direct questions, Is it safe? Is it effective? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? The Problems with Vaccination 'Routine' vaccination, as it is practiced today, is not always effective (especially in the case of the feline leukemia vaccine), and frequently has adverse side effects, either short term or long term. With the use of multivalent (combination: 3-in-1, 6-in-1, etc.) vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and severity of these side effects in our pets has increased dramatically. Not surprisingly, most of the problems involve the immune system. After all, the immune system is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. But they do so in a very unnatural way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system. The body may overreact to normally harmless substances (allergies, especially flea allergies and other skin problems), or even produce antibodies to itself (auto-immune diseases). At the same time, the body may be sluggish in responding to those things that it should reject, such as common viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This can result in increased susceptibility to acute infections (such as parvovirus), chronic or recurring infections (such as ear infections in dogs, bladder infections or feline leukemia in cats), or other chronic problems such as arthritis, kidney disease, or even cancer. In summary, there is a great deal of evidence implicating vaccination as the cause of many serious chronic health problems. For this reason, I do not recommend vaccination for dogs or cats. In particular, I strongly recommend against vaccination for Feline Leukemia in cats, because (a) it is not very effective, and (b) I have found that vaccinated cats that subsequently contract the virus are much more likely to die from it. I also recommend against vaccination for Lyme disease and kennel cough in dogs, again due to lack of effectiveness, and the fact that these conditions are generally not very serious. As such, the potential harm of the vaccine is not justified. Fortunately, parvo is generally quite easy to treat homeopathically. Distemper and infectious hepatitis are rarely seen anymore. Unfortunately, the law now requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats. This is for reasons of potential human exposure, not for the health of your pet. You should know, however, that all vaccines, including rabies, are medically approved for use in healthy animals only. This is explicitly stated in the package INSERT for every vaccine. So if your dog or cat is showing any signs of acute or chronic disease, the manufacturers do not recommend administration of the vaccine. Homeopathic Nosodes As an alternative to vaccination, I sometimes recommend the use of homeopathic nosodes. A nosode is simply a homeopathic remedy that is made from a disease product. Nosodes are not in any way infectious, and can be used to prevent viral infection. Under most circumstances, there is no need for nosodes in adult animals, so their use is generally limited to puppies and kittens. There is, however, a nosode for heartworms, which could be used in adult dogs on an ongoing basis. I will discuss this further in the section on heartworms. Limitations of Nosodes There are some limitations to the use of nosodes. The law requires rabies vaccination for dogs and cats. The rabies nosode, Lyssin, will not satisfy that requirement. Many veterinary offices and kennels insist on current vaccinations, and will not accept nosodes as an alternative. I suggest that you find a local veterinarian that is more open-minded on the topic. If You Choose to Vaccinate... As I have said, being a veterinary homeopath, I do not recommend routine vaccination for dogs or cats, except for rabies where required by law. If, for whatever reason, you decide that you must vaccinate your pet, I would make the following recommendations to minimize the damage to your pet's health: Do not vaccinate an animal with symptoms of acute or chronic health problems, or at the time of surgery or other physical or emotional stress. As much as possible, vaccinate for one disease at a time, and avoid multivalent (combination) vaccines. For cats, vaccinate for feline panleukopenia alone. The vaccines for the two upper respiratory viruses, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis, can be given together. I strongly recommend against vaccination for feline leukemia virus. For dogs, give parvo separately from distemper and hepatitis. Do not vaccinate for leptospirosis or parainfluenza. Never give the rabies vaccine at the same time as any other vaccine. Just vaccinate puppies and kittens, and don't vaccinate adults at all. After vaccination, give a single dose of the appropriate nosode in the 30C potency. Acute Homeopathic Treatment Viral diseases such as feline infectious peritonitis, canine distemper and canine parvovirus are usually not responsive to conventional medical treatment such as antibiotics and steroids. (Supportive care, such as intravenous fluids, can be critically important.) Fortunately, they usually respond very quickly and favorably to homeopathic treatment, so the risk of not vaccinating is greatly lessened. End or Crossposted message
        • I only give the required vaccines. Meaning, what ever is mandatory by the state of residence. As a general rule - my dogs do not get "feel good" shots. Shots that make the owner feels good in that they are taking "responsibility" for their pets when the opposite is most likely true.
          • Vets HATE informed consumers - I know this first hand :)
            • There are other vaccines that have side effects and are not good for other [link=http://www.trainpetdog.com/Bernese-Mountain-Dog/about-bernese-mountain-dog.html]bernese mountain dogs[/link]. There also vaccines for humans like DTP which can cause damages to dogs. That's why they change the vaccine to DTaP, a weaker version.
              • I wish I would never have any problem with my dog's vaccination. DTP is not advisable to dogs that have seizures at the first dose. I have a friend whose [link=http://www.trainpetdog.com/Saint-Bernard/about-saint-bernard.html]saint bernard[/link] did not react well on the DTP vaccine.
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