Have you ever
wondered why some dogs or cats continually experience skin problems? Have
you ever wondered why your dog has to constantly have its anal glands
evacuated? Have you ever wondered why your friend's dog experiences
allergies to grass pollens, fleas, house dust mites etc?
Have you ever thought your own diligence in conforming to a Veterinary
Surgeon's request, and the annual vaccine programme could, in fact, be
killing your beloved pets, rather than improving their quality of life?
Perhaps you are inadvertently exposing them to the ravages of the 20th
century illnesses, of immune deficiency diseases.
Those readers old enough to remember their own childhood animals may
recall, a puppy being vaccinated at 7 to 8 weeks followed by a second dose
at twelve weeks. If a particularly virulent epidemic was apparent in the
neighbourhood a booster injection was recommended, other than that this it
was the only time your domestic dog received vaccinations. A further
observation of thirty years ago was that domestic cats in general, were
never vaccinated.
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Do we
need annual vaccinations for our animals?
I run a very busy practice in animal healthcare, utilizing Homoeopathy,
Biochemistry, Mineral and Enzyme therapy. I am becoming seriously concerned
at the increase in the cases of Auto-immune disease, and the Canine/Feline
vaccination programme which I consider to be inextricably linked.
Certainly, I do not stand alone in holding these views, as a number of
Orthodox Veterinary Practitioners have expressed their concern over the
incidence of certain types of illness suddenly appearing after a vaccination
has been administered. Often these are severe skin disorders,
gastrointestinal disturbances, sickness and colitis symptoms, all of which
have been observed and recorded.
It would appear the subject is as controversial within animal husbandry
as it is in the welfare programme of vaccinating children.
Certainly opinion is very divided, and I feel we owe it to the animals
and their long term future, to request an open, unbiased research programme.
This should be conducted to ascertain if there is evidence to support the
theory of vaccination being related to the increase of auto-immune diseases.
What is being done at present?
The Royal Veterinary College is currently conducting an investigation
into Auto-immune disease, and this is at considerable cost within the
research programme. Yet I am unaware of any involvement, within this
research, of any Alternative Medical viewpoint, other than Orthodox
Veterinary Surgeons who themselves use Homoeopathy as an adjunct to their
practice.
Many Orthodox Vets. refuse to acknowledge the efficacy of using
Homoeopathy or other Complementary therapies within their practice,
dismissing them as being unscientific and at worst, complete hocus pocus.
Very often by using Homoeopathy as the primary medication one can achieve
reversal or complete remission of symptoms, and in particular when "Vaccinosis"
is used as the diagnostic investigation and assessment, pertaining to
symptoms displayed.
Responsible owners are positively encouraged to have their animals
vaccinated on an annual basis, and to this end appointment reminder cards
are sent out to clients. This encourages them to book up for the annual "top
up".
Often the general rules pertaining to the vaccination procedures are ignored
when the cat or dog is submitted to the Veterinary Surgery. As an example
the temperature should be taken to check for any evidence of infection, and
no animal should receive a further vaccine whilst displaying ill health or
immune deficiency disorders.
Yet owners are told that in the past, without the vaccine programme,
thousands of animals were dying on an annual basis of illnesses such as
hardpad, distemper and parvo-virus. However, one could begin to question if
we are entering a phase whereby we are purely exchanging one cause of death
for another, namely Aids in the animal kingdom. Furthermore concern is
mounting for the quality of the cat/dog's life that is constantly exposed to
the ill effects of the vaccine programme.
What is this 'Vaccinosis' we speak
of?
Vaccinosis, or vaccinia is the term used to describe the set of
symptoms recognized by Homoeopaths and other Naturopathic Healthcare
Professionals, as being the morbid constitutional state engendered by the
vaccine virus.
The effects of chronic Vaccinosis are various but frequently include
severe skin disorders, e.g. urticaria, excema, lupus vulgaris, warts, spongy
tumours etc. In the canine world skin disorders are a serious problem
currently affecting thousands of animals, ranging from minor skin symptoms
through to complete and total alopecia.
Once this state has been reached the cell metabolism is impaired and
the nervous system is severely affected. This leaves the animal vulnerable,
and exposed to various allergic reactions and allergens that would normally
be tolerated, such as fleas and house dust mites.
I suspect if one took a random number of supposedly healthy animals,
and then exposed them all, to the same irritants and allergens, the chances
are that a small percentage would display symptoms pertaining to an allergic
reaction.
However, when one begins to look at the reverse situation, i.e. more animals
showing signs of allergic reaction than not, one must consider why this is
happening. If the immune system is strong and at optimum potential, it
should be able to safeguard the body, from attack. But this is not the
current situation, more and more canines and felines are displaying symptoms
of immune malfunction.
To date the various pieces of research that have been conducted by
independent sources, indicate the problem arises from two factors, namely
the use of Multiple live vaccine material, as opposed to killed or treated
viruses, and very importantly, the frequency of administration of vaccines.
How do vaccines affect animals?
The Multiple Live Vaccine offers a much stronger challenge to an
animal's defence mechanism. As an example: a puppy of 7 weeks of age, and
weighing only 2 lbs. will still be vaccinated with Canine Distemper, Parvo-virus,
Leptospirosis, Parain Influenza and Hepatitis, all on the same day. The
amount of vaccine given is often identical in proportion as that given to a
Great Dane puppy, that would obviously weigh considerably more.
In countries such as the United States of America and parts of Europe,
this tremendous bombardment will often be followed just one week later by
the rabies injection. How an animal can be expected to cope with such an
accumulation of components, and all at one time, is quite extreme but in
particular the young animal whose immune system has not yet been fully
developed.
The immunological tolerance of this situation is often extremely poor,
and in certain instances an animal will display ill health within a few
hours of the vaccine being administered. As the weeks go by many animals
will display unfavorable response to the vaccine often bringing to the fore
front inherited predisposition to other illnesses.
Further evidence would suggest that vaccinating an animal during
pregnancy or during the estrus cycle can inhibit hormonal function. This not
only creates physical symptoms to the dam, but can be passed on through the
gestation period to the unborn puppies. In severe cases of Vaccinosis
puppies may be delivered still born or already displaying skin disorders.
It is a clinical fact that following parvo-virus vaccine as an example,
the number of white cells in the circulation, decreases for a period of
time, thereby rendering the animal exposed to illness as a result of the
lowering of immune responses.
Animals suffer stress just as do we
humans
A further relevant factor involving the vaccine programme is related to
stress, either emotional or environmental. There is a general acceptance in
today's society that exposure to stress in the human quarter affects the
functioning of the immune system; the same must be acknowledged within the
animal kingdom.
For example, the young puppy having recently left its mother, and fellow
offspring, finds itself in a new and often frightening environment, is going
to display stress related disorders. This will undoubtedly affect its
response to the receptiveness of the vaccine programme, which is usually
administered around the same time as the move into the new environment.
There is a strange irony attached to the vaccine programme in so far as
the pharmaceutical industry states: "The administration of a vaccine should
only be given to healthy animals". However, if an animal was completely
healthy it would not require the vaccination in the first place.
Surely the correct way forward is to be looking at ways and means to
enhance the immune system and bring it up to its optimum performance,
principally by addressing the nutrition of the animal and using things such
as essential biochemistry and homoeopathic nosodes incorporated into its
welfare programme.
Is continual Vaccination really
necessary?
In America the Veterinary Immunologists claim that vaccinations should
only be given once or twice during an animal's life time. There is no need
or evidence to prove that annual vaccination programmes are either essential
or effective. On the contrary research suggests that no dog over the age of
7 years of age derives benefit from the annual vaccine programme.
Furthermore, those animals submitted to the annual boosters, go on to
display exacerbation of joint related ills in later life.
Sadly even within the animal welfare programme professionals are influenced
by the 'biomedical' model as outlined by the pharmaceutical industry.
Injections have become the 'norm' as being the ultimate panacea to attain
optimum health for the domestic animal. Yet we are seeing an increasing
number of cases involving immune dysfunction, tumours, cancerous growths,
severe skin disorders and behavioral disturbances.
What, I wonder, is the comparison of auto-immune diseases in the
domestic animal, compared to that of his counter part in the wild animal
kingdom? Is this a worthy comparison to make when conducting research into
auto-immune disease conditions? I am convinced it should be investigated.
What can be done about the
Vaccinosis problem?
When I suspect a case of Vaccinosis in a domestic animal, I invariably
treat it with Homoeopathic remedies for the specific condition coupled with
immune enhancing formulas. I further stress to the owner that until the
animal has showed signs of significant recovery no further booster
vaccinations should be administered.
However, problems soon arise when the owner returns to the Orthodox
Veterinary system. They usually find pressure to bear to have the cat/dog
re-vaccinated as soon as possible. The results of which can vary
considerably.
If the animal's immune system has recovered sufficiently it may well
withstand the vaccine without too many problems, however, if the immune
function is still below par, exacerbation of original symptomology is
generally displayed within a few days of the vaccine taking place.
A further occurrence observed by some Veterinarians is that of a tumour
or growth appearing directly on or around the sight of the annual injection,
this is particularly noticeable in the feline world, and can take the form
of fibrosarcoma. Indeed, the list of symptoms that can be linked with the
over exuberant vaccination programme appears endless: warty growths, tumours
of both malignant and benign type, seizures, skin problems, bone and joint
disorders.
During the current investigations being carried out by the Royal
Veterinary College, it has been observed that many of these auto-immune
diseases commence as skin disorders.
Aside from the inherited factor as displayed in certain breeds such as
West Highland Whites, the disease occurs as a result of the immune system
attacking the skin.
Furthermore, they have also observed auto-immune blood disease leading
to haemolytic anaemia – cast your mind back to the earlier fact pertaining
to the parvo-virus vaccine. Following vaccination the white blood cells are
severely diminished and their function temporarily impaired!
A further and most alarming disease currently being observed by the
R.V.C. is that of systemic Lupus Erythematosus. This disease eventually
affects many body systems including red and white blood cells, and the
joints, skin and kidneys. Reflect back to the inclusion of symptoms of
Vaccinia as defined by Homoeopaths, does it not include all of the
aforementioned as being contributory to this disease syndrome?
Why then the
insistence on annual Vaccinations?
There are over 6 million families in England that own a dog, and this
is increasing annually. The number of animals that will fall foul of one or
more of the afore-mentioned symptoms will increase, as the vaccine programme
is vehemently maintained by the Orthodox Veterinary Surgeons.
The vaccine programme is a highly lucrative part of a Veterinary
practice and a vaccine can vary in cost from £15 to £30 per time. Some
sources purport as much as 30% profit in a Veterinary practice is obtained
from the vaccine programme.
Smith Kline Beecham Animal Health division specialized in vaccines and sold
its animal division for £920 million pounds.
It is hard not to become cynical, as to why the Veterinary profession
and the drug companies do not want the problem of Vaccine related illness
properly and accurately investigated. Yet morally what are we doing to our
domestic animals, where is their future and moreover the quality of their
lives? We must address the situation now. Certainly the weaker among their
species will become even more vulnerable and are we not witnessing the
'genetic engineering' of their long term destiny, maybe to extinction as we
know them today?
Having shared most of my life with domestic animals I can only view the
world as an empty shell should it succumb to being devoid of cats, dogs and
the like. Can we just turn our heads and ignore their plight or do we,
should we, acknowledge their cry for help? Are we really vaccinating animals
on an annual basis with large doses of multiple live vaccine substances
because we are committed to the programme, and because we feel it is right?
Or are we exposing our beloved friends to a lifetime of hell and deprivation
due to vested interest? |
