Vaccines May Be The Single Biggest Contributor to the Decline of Our Pet’s Health
Really?
I don’t think so. In fact their statement is somewhat misleading, and further entrenches those who are in the ‘no vaccine’ camp.
Clearly vaccines have helped thousands of animals. Rabies for instance is fully preventable with vaccines.
I, in fact suggest that your dog or cat be vaccinated for rabies if they are at risk of contracting the disease.
But there is now some pretty powerful research suggesting that the rabies vaccine may give lifetime protection to your dog or cat (minimal 7 years), and should not be given yearly.
Research has demonstrated that overvaccination can cause harmful adverse effects in dogs, raising significant concerns about the current vaccination protocols.
The Dangers of Rabies Vaccination
The rabies vaccine, one of the most potent veterinary vaccines, is associated with a host of severe adverse reactions. These include polyneuropathy, auto-immune hemolytic anemia, autoimmune diseases affecting various organs, anaphylactic shock, aggression, seizures, epilepsy, and fibrosarcomas at injection sites. The Rabies Challenge Fund points out the medical unsoundness of administering this vaccine more often than necessary to maintain immunity. Despite this, state laws often require a 3-year booster interval, which may be excessive.
Broader Implications with Common Vaccines
Apart from rabies, routine canine and feline vaccines such as those for distemper, parvovirus, and Lyme disease, among others, have also been linked to adverse effects. Dr. Ronald Schultz from the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin highlights that many of these annual vaccines are unnecessary. He checks his dogs’ antibody levels annually to prove that most do not need yearly shots.
Adverse Effects of Other Vaccines
Dr. Schultz also notes that even region-specific vaccines, like those for Lyme disease, can cause complications such as mild arthritis and other immune diseases, further supporting the argument against widespread annual vaccination.
Link Between Vaccines and Chronic Diseases
Many common chronic conditions in pets, such as allergies, arthritis, and cancer, can be traced back to an inappropriate immune response triggered by vaccines. When vaccines are administered repeatedly, they can provoke the immune system to react adversely.
Personal Approach and Recommendations
Given these risks, I have chosen not to vaccinate my middle-aged dogs or cats anymore, as the potential harms now outweigh the benefits. They were vaccinated as young animals and are no longer at high risk for infectious diseases. I recommend a very limited vaccine protocol, focusing on a small number of core vaccines only administered to puppies and kittens.
A Call for Veterinary Associations
It is crucial for pro-vaccine veterinary associations to acknowledge the risks associated with vaccines openly. Presenting both sides of the vaccination debate can foster a more balanced discussion and may encourage those skeptical of vaccines to reconsider their stance.
Conclusion
The decision to vaccinate pets should be a personal one, informed by thorough research, discussions with veterinarians, and considerations of the specific risks your pet faces in your region.
P.S. In my upcoming webinar on Dog Health and Nutrition I am discussing my Advised Dog Vaccine regimen. What to vaccinate with, what to avoid, and when to STOP.
I agree completely with the limited vaccine regime. I have a kennel and do not require vaccines for the dogs. I leave that up to the discretion of the owner. Once my dogs are 7 years of age I do not do any other vaccinations other than rabies and only do it because the state requires it. I’ve never vaccinated for Bordetella or lepto.
I agree with why should animals be vaccinated every year when we as children only need jabs then. The problem with this is though, if you want to put your animals in boarding kennels to go on holiday here in England, they wont be accepted without up to date vaccines. Which is a right pain in the backside!
Great article on vaccines Dr. Jones. I couldn’t agree with you more. My midsized dog had enjoyed amazing health up to 11 years old when a new vet suggested that she had vaccines again. She had had none since she was a puppy. He gave her the gammut plus Rabies(which we had no need of) Soon after she developed Cushings Disease and terrible mites. It was downhill from there. I have since learned more about holistic animal health and love that you support that. My cat recently developed Hyperthyroid. She would yowl at night for food and early morning. She was losing fur and weight.(I assumed this was her problem) I bought her Thyroid Support Gold from Pet Wellbeing and overnight she stopped her yowling, her appetite normalized and she has stopped pulling out all of her fur. She is 17 years old. It has the Bugel weed in it among other things. Do you sell something similar? Just wanted to share that good news!
Keep up the great sharing. Thank you!
I live in Serbia, where annual vaccination is required by the law. I am a very lucky one to have a veterinarian who understands the risk of vaccination. To avoid such frequent vaccination I buy the vaccine from him, but never give it to my dog. He puts the marks in my dogs passport and we are done. Maybe this does not looks all right, but my dogs health is more important then the law. She is five years old and was never sick. Of course we use Dr. Jones supplement.
I disagree with vaccinations in general. We only have the drug companies’ ‘word’ of their effectiveness and the ‘results’ of their testing. Needless to say, I don’t trust them, especially after reading how they edit the ‘results’ of their research to show what they want to show, put unsafe drugs on the market to further line their pockets, invent diseases so they can sell more drugs, etc. I have 14 cats at present – all were either abandoned pets or ferals. They got their first set of shots at the time of their neutering/spaying when I first adopted them and the only one they have gotten since is rabies – and ONLY when the vet insists on it before doing any procedure. They are all totally indoor cats and healthy. Two are approaching 15 years of age. I disagree with the State law requiring yearly rabies vaccinations and while my vet does work with me, I can’t afford the titer test for 14. It’s very frustrating.
I have 2 dogs; one female that has been rescued from a shelter and a male bought privately.
The “girl “was 3 months young when we got her and was given all the vaccinations required to that point- by the shelter staff. Within 4 Months in our care, she started to develop health problems- Lots of health problems. Where we live we don’t have a holistic Vet, so we went with the conventional treatments-BIG mistake. By the age of 18 Months she was a mess and we were told to put her done. We tried every Vet in town just to get the same answer. The weird thing about it, no one really knew what the problem was; had lots of diagnostics, from mange to Lupus.
At that point I have decided to take the problem in my hands and started researching alternative healing- Thank you Dr Jones 🙂
Now she is 6 years young but she is not 100% “over the hill”…she is just about 90%,improving steady.
My “boy ” instead ,has never had a vaccination in his life, ever or any medication and he is the picture of health.
I chose NO vaccination; but I chose a natural organic Raw diet, a diet as close as possible to what they would normally eat in the wild and plenty of exercise.
This way their bodies, the gut and the immune system are strong and healthy and able to deal with the odd pathogens.
Yes, it can be expensive but I prefer to spend the money on keeping them healthy and happy instead of spending the money on vet bills and watching them being in pain and miserable- Sorry,No offense meant Dr Jones 🙂
Trust the Mother Nature and have no fear to learn from it!
It is mandatory in our part of NY that our pets get rabies shots every year and we have to send proof to the City Clerk’s Office. Now I am worried after reading this article that they are damaging our dogs in so many ways.
What can I do, as there is no other choice?
Thank you
There are homeopathic remedies that can help. So called ‘nosodes’ that you give after vaccination. If you have a homeopathic vet in your area consult them?
Hi Gina,
an option would be to look for a holistic Vet in your city and ask them for advise…but try to get more than just an opinion.
I know a beautiful lady in Nevada ( USA), the founder of holistic animal hospital….maybe it is a good place to start. Her name is Pat McKay; ph. nr 775-313-5884; email: pat@patmckay.com ….also she has a great website; I think is http://www.essential4all.com…if it hasn’t changed – just Google her name. Good Luck!