Could annual vaccines not only be unnecessary, but actually harmful to your dog's health?  You bet!

As adults, we don't overload our bodies with annual boosters, and we certainly wouldn't do that to our elderly family members.  So why do we inflict this upon our pets, regardless of their health or age?  Especially when our common sense tells us that vaccines should last more than one year. 

There is no scientific evidence that annual vaccines are necessary.  In fact, once animals achieve immunity from their initial vaccines, it can last for years, maybe even for life, without boosters.  Over-vaccination appears to be causing a whole host of serious medical problems, particularly with the immune system, including allergies, seizures, anemia and cancer.  Then there's the issue of adjuvants. Thimerosal, mercury, and aluminum-based adjuvants are still being allowed in veterinary vaccines. Your pet is being exposed to potential antigens that could abnormally stimulate their immune system, and cause chronic disease.

To make matters worse, there are no adjustments in dose for size or age of your dog. Your 10-pound Miniature Dachshund receives the same vaccine as your 150-pound Rottweiler.  A study of more than 2,000 dogs in the United Kingdom by Canine Health Concern showed a 1 in 10 risk of adverse reactions from vaccines.

The current recommendation (put forth jointly by the United States Department of Agriculture and the drug companies) from many veterinarians is for dogs to receive rabies, parvovirus, distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, coronavirus, hepatitis, lyme (borelia), and bortadella (kennel cough).  Year after year, over your pet’s lifetime, all of these shots add up to a serious vaccine overload resulting in poor health and disease.  Unfortunately, there is little motivation for the veterinarian industry to change the most lucrative part of its practice.  Vaccinating your dog when they are already immune does not provide any additional immunity, and it creates an unnecessary health risk.  There is evidence to support that, like humans, dogs can be vaccinated with certain vaccines early in life and be protected for their lifetime.  With the exception of rabies, the core vaccines may last at least seven years and should not be given more often than every three years.

Recommendations:

I do recommend going in for annual wellness checks, they are important for reasons other than vaccines; however, I do not recommend annual vaccines.  Rabies vaccines are required by law.  Ask for the 3-year vaccine if you plan to vaccinate your pet against rabies, it's the same as the 1-year.  Find a holistic vet that uses the homeopathic rabies vaccine detox, called Lyssin.

Ask for a Vaccine Titer Test:  this is how you can determine if your pet has adequate immunological protection from previous vaccines.  Antibody levels can be measured from a blood draw.  Re-vaccination is probably not necessary. 

Do not support any boarding facility, groomer, training facility or veterinarian that requires you to vaccinate your pet more than necessary.  Find providers that accept the Titer Test.  There is ample evidence proving the dangers of unnecessary repeated vaccinations.  So, talk to your vet about the risks and most importantly....educate yourself.