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Vaccinations May Put Your Pet At Risk

(KCNC) May 1, 2002 12:22 am
If you automatically take your cat or dog to the vet every year for vaccinations, you may be unnecessarily putting your pet at risk. NEWS4 Investigator Brian Maass reports on a link between some pet vaccines and cancer.

"She was our soul mate, she was just a cuddler, a regal lady,"

So when Sylvia, a short haired tabby died of cancer, it left her owner Jeff Kremer, heartbroken and looking for answers about what caused Sylvia's cancer. What he learned serves as a lesson for other cat owners, a common vaccine used to keep cats healthy is suspected of causing Sylvia's cancer, a vaccine given to cats every day.

Researchers now believe that common vaccines for rabies, feline leukemia, and other shots can occasionally cause a fatal form of cancer in cats. It is believed to occur in about one out of every 10,000 shots.

Denver vet Kevin Fitzgerald says of the thousands of cats vaccinated at his clinic, a few have developed cancerous tumors from the shots and died. Devastating for cat owners, and the vets who gave the shots.

Fitzgerald believes the benefits of vaccinating against potentially fatal diseases far outweighs the minor risk of giving a cat vaccine induced cancer.

Doctor Robin Starr is a Denver vet now working with a national task force funding research to investigate the links between cat vaccinations and cancer. They're trying to learn what in vaccines is causing those rare cases of cancer.

”As a profession it’s horrifying to think that something you do that you thought was helping the animal that was preventing disease turns out to sometimes cause this condition. It’s just horrifying,” said Starr.

Horrifying not just for cat owners, some vets are now eyeing vaccines for dogs, suspicious that in rare cases, those vaccines may trigger blood diseases. But there's not much research to definitively establish a link)

Jim Schwartz, an Arapahoe County financial planner suspects a vaccination for his dog Moolah triggered an auto immune disease, that cost Moolah her life.

”I’m not an expert; I lost a dog without doubt in my opinion to unnecessary over-vaccination. This should never, never happen to another dog or another cat,” said Schwartz.

Many are now trying to make sure that’s the case. Vets should no longer automatically vaccinate animals every year. And vets should talk with pet owners before vaccinating, weighing the potential risks and known benefits of vaccination. The vet should give the owner enough information for a good safe decision.

Pet owners are also pressing for more information about vaccination risks, and spreading the word that in extremely rare cases, doing what you thought was protecting your animal, could end up with catastrophic consequences.

The next time you get your cat or dog, vaccinated make sure you talk it over with your vet. Factors to keep in mind are your pet’s age, its vaccination history and its environment. For instance if your cat never goes outside and is never exposed to other animals, it may not need vaccinations nearly as often as cats that spend time outside.

Wednesday, vets will be in the NEWS4 Helpcenter at 4, 5 and 6 to answer your questions about vaccinations.

For more information click on the link below:

American Veterinary Medical Association



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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.