“Proof” from Dr Schulz..
From: Dr Andrew Jones
Author: Veterinary Secrets Revealed
Website: drjonesnaturalpet.com
Re: “Proof” from Dr Schulz..
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Hello all.
I just finished reading an article from one of the world’s
foremost respected veterinary immunologists.
Schultz: Vaccines may not be necessary
Once a year, Ronald Schultz checks the antibody levels in his dogs’ blood.
Why? He says for proof that most annual vaccines are unnecessary.
Schultz, professor and chair of pathobiological sciences at School of
Veterinary Medicine, has been studying the effectiveness of canine
vaccines since the 1970s; he’s learned that immunity can last as long
as a dog’s lifetime, which suggests that our “best friends” are being
over-vaccinated.
Based on his findings, a community of canine vaccine experts has developed
new veterinary recommendations that could eliminate a dog’s need for
annual shots.
Every year, when we take our dogs to the veterinarian’s office, they
could receive up to 16 different vaccines, many of which are combined
into a single shot. Four of these products protect against life-threatening
diseases, including rabies, canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2),
canine distemper virus (CDV) and canine adenovirus type 2 (CAV-2);
the rest protect against milder diseases to which only some dogs are exposed,
including Lyme disease.
But, as many veterinarians are realizing, over-vaccination can actually
jeopardize a dog’s health and even life. Side effects can cause skin problems,
allergic reactions and autoimmune disease. Though the case in cats, not dogs,
tumors have been reported at the site of vaccine injections.
“These adverse reactions have caused many veterinarians to rethink the
issue of vaccination,” says Schultz. “The idea that unnecessary vaccines
can cause serious side effects is in direct conflict with sound medical
practices.”
For 30 years, Schultz has been examining the need to vaccinate animals
so often and for so many diseases. “In the 1970s, I started thinking
about our immune response to pathogens and how similar it is in other
animals,” says Schultz. “That’s when I started to question veterinary vaccination
practices.”
Just like ours, a canine’s immune system fires up when a pathogen,
like a virus, enters the body. The pathogen releases a protein called
an antigen, which calls into action the immune system’s special disease-fighting
cells. Called B and T lymphocytes, these cells not only destroy the virus,
but they remember what it looked like so they can fend it off in the future.
It’s this immunological memory that enables vaccines, which purposely contain
live, weakened or dead pathogens, to protect against future disease.
But, as Schultz points out, vaccines can keep people immune for a lifetime:
we’re usually inoculated for measles, mumps and rubella as children but never
as adults. So, can dogs be vaccinated as pups and then never again?
While evidence from Schultz’s studies on both his own dogs and many other dogs
from controlled studies suggests the answer is yes, Schultz recommends a more
conservative plan based on duration of immunity and individual risk.
Schultz says that core vaccines, or the ones that protect against life-threatening
disease, are essential for all dogs, yet he does not recommend dogs receive
these shots yearly. “With the exception of rabies, the vaccines for CDV, CPV-2
and CAV trigger an immunological memory of at least seven years,” he explains.
(Studies testing the duration of immunity for rabies shots show it lasts about
three years.)
For these reasons, Schultz suggests that dogs receive rabies shots every three
years (as is required by law in most states) and the other core vaccines no
more frequently than every three years.
Some non-core vaccines, on the other hand, have a much shorter duration of
immunity, lasting around one year. But, as Schultz points out, not every dog
should get these types of vaccines, because not every dog is at risk for
exposure.
Today, many vaccinated dogs receive a shot for Lyme disease. However, Schultz
says that the ticks carrying the Lyme disease pathogen can be found in only a
few regions of the United States. More importantly, Schultz adds,
“The vaccine can cause adverse effects such as mild arthritis, allergy or
other immune diseases. Like all vaccines, it should only be used when the
animal is at significant risk.” He notes that the Veterinary Medical Teaching
Hospital at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine rarely administers
the Lyme disease vaccine.
Another common vaccine that Schultz says is unnecessary protects against
“kennel cough,” an often mild and transient disease contracted during boarding
or dog shows. “Most pet dogs that do not live in breeding kennels, are not
boarded, do not go to dog shows and have only occasional contact with dogs
outside their immediate family,” Schultz recommends, “rarely need to be
vaccinated or re-vaccinated for kennel cough.”
Schultz says that it’s important for veterinarians to recognize an individual
dog’s risk for developing a particular disease when considering the benefits
of a vaccine. “Vaccines have many exceptional benefits, but, like any drug,
they also have the potential to cause significant harm.” Giving a vaccine
that’s not needed, he explains, creates an unnecessary risk to the animal.
Recommending that dogs receive fewer vaccines, Schultz admits, may spark
controversy, especially when veterinarians rely on annual vaccines to bring
in clients, along with income.
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P.S. I am wanting to make ALL of your vaccine questions as clear as possible. I am working on a NEW report: The REAL TRUTH behind Dog and Cat vaccines.
If you are interested in receiving such a report, post a comment here – see below.
It’s Your Pet. Heal Them At Home!
Best Wishes,
Dr Andrew Jones, DVM
Copyright 2007 Four Paws Online Ltd.
Tel: 1-800-396-1534
Fax: 1-250-352-1901
Hi Dr.Jones
I recently just asked you about vaccine requirements in cats. I have 4 cats 2 of which are due for an exam in 2 weeks. i too am a firm believer that we are over vaccinating our pets. I am going to pdecline the vaccines. I am very interecsted in the vaccine report. I would very much like to read about research being done to prove that our pets don’t need to be vaccinated every year.
Cindy G.
Moosup, CT
Have two dogs, a chocolate lab and a bichon frise, both aged 7. They have never needed vet treatment and only visited for annual booster vaccinations. Am wondering whether the non-need for annual vaccinations also applied to those given in the uk. Both dogs are extremely fit and I do not want to jeopardise their health in any way. Need advice on this please.