Over Vaccination

Aug 15, 2019   Tracey Aston   Vaccinations

One of the first things a new pet parent is told when choosing their new family member is to immediately schedule a veterinary appointment for the pet to get their first set of vaccines. We all want our pets protected against serious and potentially deadly illnesses but did you know that after your pet's first set of vaccines, they may be protected from those illnesses by antibodies in their blood? Dr. Ronald D Schultz, a veterinary researcher studying vaccines has said, “immunity induced by vaccination is extremely long lasting and, in most cases, lifelong.” Dr. Schultz has also advocated for weight-based dosages of vaccines. Currently, the same vaccines are given to pets regardless of size or weight, meaning a Chihuahua and a Great Dane both get the same dosage of vaccine.

Yes, vaccines save lives but over vaccinating a pet could have lifelong health effects and should be weighed with risk vs benefit. Vaccinations should ONLY be given to healthy pets with a health immune systems! All vaccinations contain chemicals, such as mercury, aluminum and formaldehyde and these or the vaccine itself could cause side effects ranging from mild to deadly. Adverse reactions can occur immediately after vaccination or years later.

Reactions possible immediately after vaccination:

Soreness or pain

*Injection site redness

*Fever

*Lethargy

*Facial Swelling

*Circulatory Shock

*Loss of conscious

*Death

Reactions possible weeks, months or even years after vaccination:

*Fibrosarcoma (tumor) at the injection site

*Seizures and epilepsy

* Quick onset Paralysis

*Allergies

*Muscle weakness

*Chronic digestive disorders

*Skin Disease

*Behavioral problems

*Autoimmune diseases, such as immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (ITP) and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). ITP is caused by an autoimmune attack against the dog's own platelets, leading to bruising and bleeding, and without treatment is potentially fatal. IMHA is caused by your dog's immune system producing antibodies that attack its own red blood cells leading to anemia. Both ITP and IMHA require lifelong treatment and medications.

Thankfully, more pet parents are advocating for titer testing. Titer testing - also called serum vaccine antibody tittering or serologic vaccine titering - is a laboratory test measuring the existence and level of antibodies to disease in blood. Now, with new research showing that immunity may last longer than once thought, more and more veterinary experts are advocating decreasing the frequency of most shots that typically have been given every year.

Dr. Ronald Schultz, states, “You should avoid vaccinating animals that are already protected, and titer testing can determine if adequate, effective immunity is present,” “It is often said that the antibody level detected is ‘only a snapshot in time.' That's simply not true; it is more a ‘motion picture that plays for years.'”

Pet parents want to do the right thing by their pets, and for decades, they believed that include yearly vaccines. However, with new breakthroughs in titer testing, over-vaccination is not necessary. Titer testing can reduce the risk of everything from side effects to serious autoimmune diseases. If your vet doesn't do titer testing, you can order a titer from Dr. Robb at Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.