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Adapted from the book Vaccination: What You MUST Know Before You Vaccinate Your Dog, by Dr. Messonnier,  published by Avery publishing.

When you get your reminder card this year from the veterinarian, letting you know that it's time for your dog's annual "shots," it would be a good idea to ask yourself and the doctor some important questions before proceeding.  "Does my dog really need shots again this year?"  "Do I have any other options to keep my dog protected against infectious diseases?"  Can we do anything to protect my pet against other health hazards as well?"

There is no question that annual immunization has decreased the number of infectious diseases we see in our pet dogs.   For the most part, illnesseslike distemper and parvovirus are a thing of the past in many practices.  Now however, pet owners must question if annual immunizations are needed, and if they might pose a risk to their dogs.

Many years ago, when infectious diseases were the number one cause of death for both dogs and their owners, a regular series of immunizations was critical to prevent early illness and death.   And because infectious diseases can in some cases
easily wipe out a majority of the population, it was important to maintain immunity among most if not all members of the population.

Now however, we can control most infectious diseases quite adequately.   This means that while immunizations may still be important for your dog, we should now concentrate our efforts on the problems currently challenging our pets' health, such as cancer, heart disease, and diseases of the kidneys and liver.  These are the same health problems we face as well.

Many veterinarians are divided into 2 main "extremist" camps on this issue.  In one corner is the doctor who believes all pets should be immunized each year for everything possible, period.  Regardless of actual immunity or exposure to infectious
organisms, this doctor doesn't want to change his ways without overwhelming proof that changes need to be made.

In the opposite corner is the true naturopath who believes immunizations are horrible poisons that are responsible for every disease under the sun, and is opposed to any and all immunizations for any reason.  This person would argue that the risk of
contracting a serious or fatal infection in a healthy pet is far less likely than the damage inflicted by toxic vaccinations administered to a pet which does not need them. In other words, the danger inflicted by vaccines is worse than any disease a dog could contract.

So what's the truth?  Probably somewhere in between.  Since most vaccines are labelled for annual use (some are given every 6 months as in the case of the Bordetella vaccine), simply changing our recommendations would be in direct opposition to how our vaccines are labelled, opening up doctors to all sorts of potential liability.  Still, there is no doubt
that some vaccines may induce immunity in some dogs longer than the 12 month period stated on the vaccine label.  And of course, we don't want to overtreat any pet with medication.  If immunity may last longer than 12 months, why over-immunize your pet and risk any side effects?

So then, how do you decide what to do this year when you receive that reminder for you dog's immunizations?  What is the most holistic answer to this tough question?

While it has some flaws, I propose that dog owners consider having vaccine titers checked each year to determine if immunizations are needed.  These blood tests are inexpensive (we charge $45) and are the only objective way to look at a dog's antibody level against infectious diseases. The titers are mathematical representations of the pet's antibody level.
While there is no definite agreed upon "correct level" for titers, in general, titers of 1:128 or greater are considered protective (meaning further vaccination is probably not warranted) and titers less than 1:128 are not protective (indicating current immunization may be needed.)

These tests are easily run by most veterinarians.  By running an annual titer, your pet's doctor can work with you to make a decision regarding what immunizations if any YOUR pet needs, rather than making a generic recommendation based on the
"average" pet. Taking this approach in effect reaches a compromise between those who say all pets should be immunized each year and those who are against vaccination of adult pets. For those owners who elect not to have the titers run, a decision will need to be made based upon a number of factors; usually, the doctor will recommend annual immunization if he cannot determine your pet's current immune status.  By taking the truly holistic approach, it is possible to fit health care recommendations to the needs of each pet.  And regardless of which approach you take, keep in mind that vaccinations are just one small part of the whole health care picture.  An annual physical examination, blood testing to check for things like diabetes, thyroid disease, blood cancers, and kidney and liver diseases are always more important than vaccinations since your dog is most likely to die from these degenerative disorders than from infectious diseases.  It's time we start treating our dogs the way we treat ourselves.  Early diagnosis and treatment of those problems most likely to adversely affect our beloved canine family members just makes good sense.

Dr.Shawn Messonnier is a nationally known veterinarian, author, and speaker.  He is the author of the Pet Care Naturally series of books published by Avery publishing, fall of 1999. He is also the holistic health columnist for Dog Fancy and Cat Fancy magazines.
 
 
 

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.