article in Whole Dog Journal on vaccinations

There is an EXCELLENT article in Whole Dog Journal this month about the changing vaccination protocols in the U.S. It goes into what the "official" recommendations are, and why some vets either don't know about them or don't act on them. It talks about which vaccinations you SHOULD get and how often, which you should NOT get, and which you need to evaluate for yourself based on where you live and risk factors.

It's truly an excellent article, and if you don't subscribe to the magazine, get the 14-day free trial so you can read it. You can also purchase the single article for $10, but if you're going to do that just go ahead and subscribe for the year for $16.

I am in no way affiliated with this publication, but it has wonderful information every month.

The article is called "Shots Fired" and their website is here: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com.

 

I couldn't get to the article through the magazine -- but I was able to find and read new vaccine recommendations by googling

2006 AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines

I don't know how to set up a link to share -- if someone is interested and knows how to do this -- please help.

It was an interesting study. Thanks Jami for posting it!

I was surprised that they are not recommending vaccinating against Corona. I have been reading and hearing some controversy about this vaccine and disease. My vet (as of January) was still using it. I don't know if he is still recommending it this year.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Corona vaccine?


Lepto was another vaccine that concerns me. I know that there have been several confirmed cases in the NW Indiana area. In the past, my vet has not routinely recommended the vaccine -- I wonder if this year he is going to start recommending it!

Does anyone have any thought about Lepto?

And finally, does anyone know if the AAHA is just one of many organizations that makes these recommendations -- or are they they the ones that set the standards. I get confused sometimes with soooooo many experts that have sooooooo many contradicting opinions. I don't know who to believe!

 

The article has info on all of those questions - it's much more than just the guidelines.

Let's see. The article refers to Dr. Jean Dodds and Dr. Ron Schultz as the premiere experts in vaccinations and immunology. Dr. Schultz points out in those AAHA guidelines that it says to re-vaccinate *no more than* every three years, which can be interpreted to mean "never again." He emphasizes several times that immunity lasts for life.

Coronavirus. The article says it's not recommended because it's not very prevalent. It also doesn't make dogs sick. A puppy less than 6 weeks old may get it and have a loose orangey stool that resolves itself on its own within 24 hours. Puppies over 6 weeks of age are immune to it whether vaccinated or not. Vaccine companies couldn't even test it on sick dogs, because they could never manage to get any dogs to get the disease! So no need for that one.

Leptospirosis is more difficult. Only four strains of lepto are covered by the vaccine, and the antibodies only last a short time after vaccination. Many dogs have reactions to the vaccine, and many simply don't respond to it at all - meaning it is not protecting them. If your dog is at a high risk for getting Lepto, then Dr. Schultz recommends using the 4-strain shot (rather than the 2-strain shot) first at 12-14 weeks, repeat in 2-4 weeks. Another dose at 6 months and one year, and thereafter every 6-9 months. But this is only if your dog is at high risk of getting it, because a LOT of dogs have bad reactions to the shot.

There are many ongoing tests to determine how long vaccines last for. Many are turning out to last for the life of the animal. Rabies and parvo last for at LEAST 7 years and probably for life. Go to http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/rabiesChallenge.html if you want to donate to Dr. Dodds' Rabies Challenge Fund for research on the rabies vaccine.

There is also a sidebar in the article that mentions how combo shots are bad. Those 5-in-1 or 6-in-1 shots put a lot of strain on a puppy's immune system and they include shots the dogs don't need. They recommend monovalent shots, which means there is a single antigen in each shot. Your vet may have to order these special, so make sure you request them in advance of your appointment.

It is stressed many times in the article that after a couple of puppy shots (never before 6 weeks old) and a booster at a year, you are done. No more shots necessary (except where required by law).

Oh, and the only difference between "one-year" and "three-year" shots is the packaging on the bottle.

This is Dr. Dodds' recommendations: http://www.dogsadversereactions.com/MinimalVaccineUse.html. And I really like the recommendations and info on this page: http://www.tollwest.com/vaccine.html. The links in the middle of that page are good as well.

My own dogs got puppy shots before I knew any of this. Nala got a LOT of puppy shots. But when she got her last set of shots plus rabies at 16 weeks, we stopped. She hasn't had any shots since then. Bonnie went through rescue at a year old, so she got a set of shots and her spay at that time. I haven't vaccinated her since then either. I take in foster dogs. I have had parvo puppies and dogs with kennel cough and other respiratory illnesses, and my dogs have never been sick.