Does Your Pet Need the Needle? - October 2011

By Dr. Moira Drosdovech, Kelowna, BC

"Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life on the animal. The practice of annual (pet) vaccinations lacks scientific validity or verification. The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination."-- Professors Tom Phillips and Ron Schultz, "Canine and Feline Vaccines," Kirk's Current Veterinarian Therapy XI

What else needs to be said about vaccinations in pets? The above statement sums it up in an unambiguous manner and has been quoted very often in the last 8-10 years since it was printed. Many veterinarians in the last decade have begun questioning whether over-vaccination, while not yet validated scientifically, may be causing a good deal of unnecessary chronic illness in our pets.

What is a pet guardian to do? My position is that we do over-vaccinate beyond what is necessary to provide adequate disease protection in dogs and cats. I also feel, as do many veterinarians, that some, not all by any means, of the chronic problems we see on a daily basis, including the likes of seizures, allergies, chronic GIT upsets, immune-mediated diseases, and others, may be triggered by vaccinations. So, yes indeed, you do put your pet’s health at risk each time it is given an unnecessary vaccination. This is not to say that without vaccinating, we would no longer see these illnesses. We would. The question is would we see less? I think so. So there is a trade-off.

For the most part, we should continue to vaccinate for the most severe and prevalent illnesses that we have vaccines for in order to prevent the acute illnesses that can kill or permanently damage pets, but we should only vaccinate to produce adequate immunity and we should only do so once the pet’s guardian is fully informed of the potential risks associated with this potent medical procedure and the risks associated with not vaccinating at all or vaccinating only occasionally.

All pets should have a once yearly checkup. Blood tests, known as titre tests, can be done any time to measure circulating antibodies and, while they do not guarantee protection, they do confirm that your pet’s immune system has responded to either vaccinations or natural infection. Although there is controversy regarding what level constitutes adequate protection, my stance is that any level of antibody indicates that memory cells of the immune system are active and boostering is unlikely to be necessary in most cases. Most, if not all, veterinary schools as well as most of the major veterinary associations have been recommending the three year vaccine protocol for several years. There is even a 3-year vaccine licensed for use in dogs that has been available for over a year now. This is good news for pets. Personally, I feel even a 3 year interval is too frequent, but that is based only my experience, not scientific studies, and it is up to you to do your own research and discuss the issues with your veterinarian. I cannot emphasize enough that any pet receiving a vaccination should be 100% healthy and it should be noted that all vaccines are tested in and recommended for healthy animals. This means vaccinating pets with health problems, including diseases in “remission” such as skin diseases, cancer, thyroid problems, to name a few, is akin to vaccinating ‘off label’ and may possibly lead to unexpected reactions. In my opinion, any pets with a history of allergies, cancer, seizures or autoimmune disease should not undergo vaccinations unless absolutely necessary.

 Annual checkups are important to maintain and will help pick up on health concerns before they become a big problem. If vaccines are recommended, don’t forget to ask about safety issues and studies to show they are needed. Ask about the blood test mentioned earlier. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Remember, medicine is always in a state of change.

Dr. Moira's Bio: A practicing veterinarian for 20 years, has been in Kelowna since 1990, first owning Rutland Pet Hospital and now, after selling the former, Pawsitive Veterinary Care, opened in 2000 and focused on primarily holistic health care. She welcomes new clients and loves to educate! Kelowna (250) 862-2727. - Dr. Moira Drosdovech Website - Email