Can Canine Vaccines Cause Diseases?
Canine vaccinations put a lot of stress on a dog’s immune system. More and more holistic veterinarians have reached the conclusion that vaccinations can not only cause immediate side effects and allergic reactions, but they also contribute to a lot of long term chronic health problems, including skin allergies, arthritis, thyroid disease, recurrent ear and respiratory infections, inflammatory bowel disease, neurological conditions (such as aggressive behavior and epilepsy), autoimmune diseases, and cancer. In fact, it has been established that the rabies vaccine can cause cancer at the site of injection (vaccine particles have been found within the cancer mass in a number of cases) and many veterinarians now refer to this type of cancers as vaccine-site sarcomas.
A Low-Risk Way to Vaccinate Your Dog
As canine vaccines can potentially cause a lot of health problems, you may wonder if it is absolutely necessary to vaccinate your dog, and if so, what is the safest approach.
Dr. Hamilton, a holistic veterinarian and author of Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs, suggests that we should only vaccinate our dogs against diseases that meet all of the following criteria:
1. The disease is serious, even life threatening.
2. The dog is or will be exposed to the disease.
3. The vaccine for the disease is known to be effective.
4. The vaccine for the disease is safe.
Also, many holistic vets (e.g. Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Pitcairn) stress the importance of using single or simple vaccines instead of the combination vaccines which have become very common these days. This means vaccinating for one disease at a time. Dr. Hamilton rightly points out that natural exposure to diseases is usually one at a time, and so the body is more successful at responding to one vaccine at a time and producing immunity without adverse effects. Where possible, use only “killed” or “inactivated” vaccines as opposed to “modified live” since “killed” vaccines cannot grow in the body and therefore are safer to use.
It can be difficult to find a vet who has single vaccines readily available. You may have more luck if you seek help from a holistic veterinarian.
Which Vaccines are Absolutely Necessary?
The AAHA guidelines define distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies as core vaccines. Most holistic veterinarians, however, believe that the absolutely essential vaccines are distemper and parvovirus. Rabies vaccination poses a lot of health risks on a dog; however, it is required by law and we do not have too much of a choice.
Are Yearly “Booster Shots” Necessary?
Vaccinations do not magically lose their effectiveness 366 days after the last shot. In fact, studies have shown that the vaccines for parvovirus and canine distemper provide extremely good, long-term protection from the diseases for 8 to 10 years or more. “Booster shots” do not increase a dog’s immunity, but they do increase the risk of adverse reactions. There are no benefits and many risks to re-vaccinating for a disease your dog is already immune to. If you want to play it safe, there is a blood test called determining the “titer”. It can tell if your dog’s antibody levels for parvovirus or canine distemper remain high enough to resist infection. However, even with a low titer, most animals will still retain enough immunity to fight off infection. Parvo and distemper are almost exclusively diseases affecting young puppies, so while puppies definitely need the protection of vaccines, adults do not.
References
D. Hamilton, Homeopathic Care for Cats and Dogs (North Atlantic Books, 1999).
Pitcairn and Pitcairn, Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale, 2005).
AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines 2006 (http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/VaccineGuidelines06Revised.pdf)