Pet Vaccinations
One of the topics we spend a significant time discussing with our new clients is that of vaccinations. We do this is because we believe that the decision whether or not to vaccinate your pet can have important health implications, and because of the considerable amount of controversy surrounding this issue.
In the last several years, not only has the need for annual vaccinations for dogs and cats been questioned, but also the possible relationship between vaccines and disease. Clinical Research has shown that the immunity conferred by viral vaccines lasts many years in most cases, and quite possibly the lifetime of the animal. The issue of vaccine-induced cancers in cats (fibrosarcomas) has called into question the wisdom of yearly boosters for feline leukemia, and yearly vaccines in general. Some researchers have linked life-threatening diseases such as auto-immune hemolytic anemia to vaccines, while conditions such as allergic dermatitis and hypothyroidism have also been implicated. Homeopaths (see the topic on homeopathy below) go as far as to classify a wide range of chronic disease symptoms under the term vaccinosis.
So if immunity from vaccines generally lasts many years, and if vaccines may associated with many common diseases in our pets, why do most veterinarians still recommend yearly vaccinations? There are several reasons. First of all, most conventional veterinarians want to be legally protected from malpractice claims by following the guidelines given by the vaccine manufacture. The instructions recommend that a series of vaccines be given to puppies and kittens, and then to administer boosters on a yearly basis for the life of the animal. However, most vaccine companies never do research determining the duration on immunity past one year, because the veterinarians don’t really want that information. Why? Most conventional veterinarians say that without the motivation of recommended yearly vaccinations, most people wouldn’t bring their pets in for annual check-ups. Pet’s health, they say, would suffer as a result. Also, conventional vets tend to downplay the association of vaccines and severe diseases, and rarely, if ever, relate vaccines and chronic disease states.
While we certainly agree that annual health exams are very important, we believe that the health risks associated with yearly vaccines usually outweigh the risk of the disease being vaccinated against. Certainly, we want to make sure your puppy doesn’t get parvo virus, or your cat get distemper – and we do recommend vaccines for young animals for these and other potentially fatal diseases. However, we believe that there are potentially very serious health problems linked to vaccines. By only vaccinating your animal companion for the serious diseases he or she is truly at risk for, and by minimizing the number of vaccines given at one time, the adverse health risks can be greatly reduced. Keep in mind that rabies vaccinations are legally required in Oregon and Washington for dogs and cats 4 to 6 months of age, and once every 3 years as adults.
One way to determine the level and duration of immunity of vaccines is with a blood test called a titer. These tests measure the amount of antibodies in the bloodstream of the patient for a particular disease. If adequate antibody levels are present, then we assume that animal is protected from that disease. We have preformed many vaccine titers at our clinic, and have found that most animals maintain protective titers even many years after a vaccination. If you are interested in having titers run on your pet, please contact us and we will be happy to tell you more about it.
Ultimately, decisions about vaccinations should be made with your veterinarian. There are some cases where a vaccination would be appropriate, and other situations where it would not. In general, though, we believe most pets are severely over-vaccinated in the name of good health, but too often the result is just the opposite.
