Vaccinations...Too Many, Too Often?

As time goes on, new recommendations will be made by the veterinary profession. Be sure to consult with your own veterinarian regarding this issue of vaccinations for dogs and cats because suggested protocols can change as newer knowledge is gained.

Vaccinations, vaccinations, vaccinations. Dog and cat owners have been told by veterinarians and pet health care providers for years that annual vaccinations for Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Feline Leukemia and on and on...are required yearly. Annual vaccinations, also called annual boosters, have certainly played a major role in disease prevention in dogs and cats. Nevertheless, the question recently on the minds of dog and cat owners has been... Do these vaccines have to be given every year? And a second and equally important questions is... Are we vaccinating dogs and cats too much? Are we actually causing harm by over-vaccinating our pets? Are our decisions relating to vaccine use being made based on scientific and statistical evidence? After reading this article on vaccinations in dogs and cats, you, as the pet's health care advocate, will be better equipped to answer the question: Vaccinations...Too Many, Too Often?

Times are changing and vaccine protocols are changing. Do some pet owners fear vaccinating their pets because of unproved theories, anecdotal horror stories about vaccines causing widespread ill health among pets, or misinformation that starts as conjecture and gradually gains a life of its own and becomes a "fact" merely through repetition? The truth is that some dogs, cats, and humans do have severe and life-threatening complications from vaccine administration. The truth is, as well, that vaccines have prevented uncountable deaths over decades of use from diseases polio, small pox, whooping cough and rabies in humans. In dogs we rarely see a distemper case but I vividly recall 40 years ago watching helplessly while some wonderful dogs in my care died miserable deaths or had to be euthanized. Parvovirus is a deadly killer of dogs; the vaccine to help protect dogs from this disease are very effective and have prevented innumerable deaths. I rarely see cats with feline distemper (also called panleukopenia) these days thanks to some effective vaccines.

Are all vaccines safe all the time for every individual? Absolutely not... and neither are peanuts, sea food, or penicillin. Many materials, in individuals who are sensitized to them, do cause death, damage or chronic poor health if the sensitive individual continually is exposed to that product (antigen). House dust is a notorious allergy stimulating antigen, for example. So when someone speaks about vaccines being "the worst thing you can do to your pet", use some critical judgment to evaluate your response to such a pronouncement. It has a grain of truth IF your pet is allergic to anything in the vaccine dose including stabilizers, preservatives, or antibiotics. For that particular individual that is sensitized, the vaccine or products should not be used! However, just as there is no public outcry or need to totally stop the distribution and use of peanuts because some individuals may have a severe/life-threatening allergic reaction, vaccines for dogs, cats, humans and other animals should not be universally condemned just because in rare instances some individuals may have an unexpected adverse response.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) have updated vaccination data and suggested protocols. You can view these online and gain valuable, non-biased, scientifically established information regarding vaccines and vaccination protocols. Many veterinary medical colleges also have pet owner information relating to vaccination issue. One of the most thorough is available at the U. of California, Davis, College of Veterinary Medicine website.

Comments

[Karina A.]

I do think that it needs to be investigated in depth considering the negative consequences it may have in shortening a pet's life-span. Most parents feel it's a way for clinics to charge for the visit and keep the "business" going. Very interesting topic to share and great link to UC!

[Holly]

I am just going through this vaccination decision process right now with my 3 year old pup. For Christmas I received a great book - Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life by Dr. Nancy Kay (www.speakingforspot.com) and it has an excellent chapter devoted to "the vaccination conundrum" that provides detailed descriptions of all the vaccines and discussion of when and if they are needed and if they are needed, how often. It has helped me clarify what to discuss with my vet when we go in next month for our appointment.

Dr. Kay makes an excellent point too that the annual visit is really a vital part of keeping our pets healthy. But that visit doesn't mean that our dogs have to have a full range of vaccinations.

Her book is a great resource not only for vaccination information but also as an aid to communicating more effectively and knowledgeably with our veterinarians.

[Small Breed Dogs]

While dog owners certainly have a right to opinions, local laws dictate what vaccinations must be given and owners do not often have a choice in many places.