Why minimize vaccines - Page 1

I read on another forum that a keenel which I choose not to name uses and encourages others to use minimal vaccines, meaning vaccinating as little as possible.Does anyone else do this?And if so what are the benefits of it?

I do this and have for many years. Recent research shows that many of the autoimmune diseases/allergies/thyroid problems etc we see today are due and thanks to vaccines. There are many studies to support this and to support giving minimal vaccinations. In fact, in the U.S. and Canada the veternariy associations have come out with a new protocal that talks about vaccinating only for diseases in 'your area' and to vaccinate on a 3 yr. schedule (I personally feel every 3 years is too much). If you do an internet search I am sure you can find many websites on this topic and many articles.

You should read Dr. Jean (I think thats her first name) Dodd's info on vaccines..its very informative... There is a lot of corrolation between vaccinations and disease in animals...I do know that the dogs I had vaccinated when I was younger had cancer, allergies etc..the ones I didn't vaccinate after their one year boosters and of course due to the law 3 year(not yearly) rabies shots...have been the healthiest of all my animals...right now I have a rescue who was put through all of the vaccines..nothing but problems with him.. But do your research...it could let your dog live a long healthy life..

I totally agree with Winnie on this, and for the past 30 + years of breeding, keeping, and exhibiting GSD`s - I have spent more than 15 of them using Canine Compound Vaccine 30c - nosode treatment. It has NEVER let me down, proof of the pudding surely. My dogs dont suffer skin ailments, and my vet bills have always been extremely low on the problems that we sometimes face but cannot find an answer to. However, I ask everyone that has any of my pups - and I send a letter out with everyone for their vet to that effect, to let me know if there is a problem occuring with the dog that is significant enough that I should know, and occasionally, skin problems and other minor, but chronic (as in long term) problems have been difficult to sort. These are the animals that people have gone on to have innoculated once leaving me, as they have been nervous about the Homeopathic treatment. Mo Mascani GSD`s

State of N.J. wants dogs vaccinated for rabies every 2 years, I disagee with N.J. and have my dogs boosters every 3 years as it always has been. I do not vaccinate for Lyme either as the dog will always test positive for it, I do use Frontline on a monthly basis during the summer months, not all year long.

I will give you a different perspective. Unlike what some will tell you, there simply are NO definitive long-term, large population studies of vaccines and how they may damage the immune system. The fact is that vaccine science has changed radically from years ago. I will not say one never sees adverse reactions, nor will I say it is impossible that a given animal might have some ill affect related to vaccination. In humans who are vaccinated, depending on the vaccine given, there are very rare adverse events. However, most people who tout the view that vaccines are terrible and damage the immune system and cause all kinds of other health problems have done little real research. In fact, some of the few accepted studies done show that the claims made by these people can not be substantiated at all. Purdue University (I think this is the right source) has a study on Great Danes where they examined a small population and looked for specific evidence of "harm" caused to the immune system. None of the "harmful" effects they were looking for proved to exist as evidenced by blood chemistry and other tests. There may be some legitimacy to the concept of "over-vaccinating" in that it may at times be too early or unnecessary. However, we are learning more and more that vaccinations often do NOT give lifetime immunity. Some vaccines provide very little immunity and only for a short time period. For those people who wish to do blood titers, that is a possibility, but it is not very cheap and difficult if one does not have access to a good lab. And there is not a lot of large studies done to show that titer levels are or are not always protective. But it can be done if one is really not interested in vaccinating. Continued in next post:

There are new vaccine protocols now promulgated by the American Veterinary Medical society. Rabies in many states, after the initial shot during puppyhood can be given every three years. Choosing whether or not to vaccinate for things like Lymes' is a personal choice and should be dependent on where one lives and what other means one uses to make sure ticks do not get on the dog and bite. There are some very serious illnesses that come from ticks and I personally think it is often underdiagnosed or missed in many cases of illness. In my opinion, standard vaccines given according to protocol are the right thing to do. Again, my experience is with hundreds of dogs. While once in a while one will see a localized reaction, and very, very rarely one might see a systemic reaction (and I have never seen this in a dog, but have seen anaphylaxis in a human), the truth is that such reactions are very rare, just as they are in the human population. In my personal contact with about 500 GSDs over the last 10 years or so, I personally have never seen any adverse reaction. I have twenty five GSDs here now, all personal dogs or rescues who are unadoptable and they are all vaccinated twice a year for bordetella (because I also board public dogs) and given rabies every three years (because the law requires it) and the other vaccinations according to the new protocols. I have never experienced skin problems or anything else that one likes to say must be because of an immune system problem brought on by over vaccinating. The bottom line is that people like to attribute problems they do not understand or are unable assign a clear cause and effect for to the first thing that comes to mind. Unfortunately, too many "hear" that all problems stem from vaccinations. It simply is untrue and the person often touted as the goddess of over vaccinating ills is, in fact, not particularly regarded by the scientific (medical and veterinary) community as having any real science to back her claims. One can say all they want. Others looking for causes jump on the band wagon. Too few people really look for REAL science that suggests cause and effect. Just because someone observes something and a vaccination was given two weeks ago, or yesterday, or whatever, does not necessarily mean the observation was indeed caused by the vaccination. My advice is to find a vet you like and trust or better yet, read the real science and make up your mind. What you will learn is that vaccines have been efficacious in reducting the morbidity and mortality from many a disease, both among the animal world and in the human population. What will now be posted here will be a barrage of people coming to tell me how wrong I am and providing anecdote after anecdote about how terrible vaccines are. I have learned that it is a waste of time to lead the horse to water. So you make your decision, but do your homework first. If you do not have access or the interest or whatever to do a real study on this issue, then again, find a vet you trust to guide you. And do not be swayed by those who claim that the vaccination issue is simply a way for vets to rip you off. Vets I know are the most underpaid people I know other than nurses, paramedics, teachers etc. Good luck.

As long as my dogs are exposed to other dogs, I will continue to vacinate. Same with my equines. Cheap insurance when some that don't vacinate show up places with sick dogs exposing all the other dogs to whatever. I have not had the hundreds of dogs like some, but have never experienced any problems I would attribute to vacinations.

hodie ---- you are not off the mark -- i persdonally believe -- the truth lies between the two schools of thought --- perhaps to a degree there is for SOME breeeds and within the breed [ ie a certain lineage] an amount of overkill in vaccinating -- titering and checking immune defense is not such a bad idea and many i know do that before annoculating -- but bottom line -- in anything we do or do not do --- WHAT IS THE ADVERSE RISK vs THE BENEFIT -- that is what must be decided and applied -- also the problem that i personally tend to see .... as with other factors , ie conformation and behavioral traits -- is our breeding history and pattern ..most important of all : IMO i think we have contributed to the demise of the health of our GSD by our breedings in the past 50 to 60 years . .. we have adversly impacted the endocrine systems / immune sytems to state a few -- i used to think walter martin was one of the greatest of thinkers when it comes to breeding -- but ok i will get slammed for this comment -- i now think that was thew worst contributiuon and direcction taken for the GSD and those thereafter that bred similarily the GSD , ditto -- talk about vaccines... the point ... with all this selective breeding that has been going on for " THE GSD " -- i have never in my 40 years have seen so many health problems with the GSD -- lets talk truth here -- it is not from overly vaccinating alone , perhaps it is a varaible , but not the most significant -- IMO the genetics plays a more crucial role regarding many of the health problems attributed to vaccinating -- not many people that breed are willing to come forward and address this --so on and on the problems go -- too much money .. to many egos .. the difficulty --people stake their lives on the GSD -- but when not up to par ... or it doesn't suit their purpose -- the dog is gone/ sold .. just a commodity -- come on .. a dog for example sold to china .. and am i correct .. for close to a million --and i do not mean to say that dog or any other has any health problem -- i merely amn stating that kind of money can corrupt and pollute our way of breeding and to make the health of opur dogs foremost important -- would you sell your son or daughter for a million -- then we ought to have the same reverence and true love for our beloved GSD --[ and don't tell me you Love the breed when you in a blink of an eye would sell one of your own off, unless/with exception of unforseen circumstances ] -- case in point : we worry about vaccinating , aren't we something ... -- look what we have done to the GENETICS -- for our human selfish reasons -- the impact .. never mind how we even treat a healthy GSD -- this is not negeativity -- but a call for us to do better --in our breedings and and what our concearns are foremost -- then we have the right to adress the impact we have on immune sytems etc with our vacciantions

Hodie is correct---some vaccines are necessary. There were two cases in my area of parvo last year---but, today, each owner should take a more active participation into their dog's vaccination regiment. Gone are the days when you could just go the vet and relinquish responsibility---I learned that the hard way. Last week, a neighbor and aquaintance of mine brought his 6 yr old yellow lab to the vet because he kept pawing an eye after running through some heavy brush. The eye was checked---no damage to his sight, but the vet noticed he hadn't been vaccinated in over two years. Never giving it a second thought, he agreed to update the vaccinations. At home, a few hours later, his wife remarked that Luca hadn't been following her around the house as usual. Luigi went to the top of a staircase and called Luca to come up. He just stood there and wouldn't climb. Another hour passed and the dog's back legs went out from under him. He just sat there trying to stand, but couldn't. Now, in a panic, they rushed the dog back to the vets. It was late in the evening, but there was one vet on duty---who immediately called the attending vet. A heavy dose of steroids was administered to Luca through IV therapy, and he was kept overnight. Two days later, he was walking and running again. Luca is now fine. Luigi said the vet who saw saw Luca when he came in semi-paralyzed said he might have an infection. Then, Maria, lost it and started yelling that it was the vaccination. (Thank God--they were lucky. I'm only relaying this story because it happened. Is this a usual case---I don't know.) Not wanting to appear as a non-vaccinating zealot, I debated with myself as to whether or not I should recount my friend's recent dilema, so I told the story exactly as it was told to me. Now, may I ask a question? Can someone here help me distinguish the benefit of the 3yr-rabies vaccine from the 1yr vaccine. I comprehend it's administered every 3 years, but is it stronger, and potentially more hazadous to the dog initially, than the 1yr variety? Or---is the 3yr signature just a marketing tool and, basically, still a 1yr strength. Do the manufacturers know it will cover the dog for at least 3 years--it's really just a gimmick? My concern is only for the health of my dog---and not trying to expose unethical crooks. Vom Brunhaus---Are you giving a yearly dosage rabies shot to your dog every three years, or the 3yr rabies variety every three years? Thanks, in advance, for any info. I try and read all the available data, but it gets so confusing.