Dogs and Vaccines. What you need to know.

So yesterday someone posted on my Facebook timeline an article about dogs getting sick due to vaccines which I found interesting.  There has been a lot of debate regarding humans and vaccines. Having an adult son with autism, I have read many articles on there possibly being a link.

When my son was younger and due for his last MMR vaccine, I instead opted to get his titers checked. His results came back with antibodies, so why was he scheduled to get vaccinated? Anyway, that’s a debate for another time.  Fortunately for us, we were able to use blood titer levels as an exemption.

If you are not sure what a titer test is, it’s a test that will measure existing levels of antibodies to that disease in the blood. Antibodies are produced when an antigen (like a virus or bacteria) provokes a response from the immune system. This response can come from natural exposure or from the actual vaccine.

I want to reiterate that my intention with this post is not to debate whether or not you should vaccinate your dog. That’s a decision that you have to make on your own regarding your pet. As with everything, all pros and cons should be researched so that you can make a well-informed decision.

Let’s differentiate between the vaccines. First, you have the core vaccines which include parvo-virus, distemper, adeno-virus (canine hepatitis) and rabies. These vaccines are considered vital for your pet and are made to protect your dog from viruses. These are the vaccines that are recommended by The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). Then you have the non-core vaccines. These vaccines are given for Leptospirosis, Lyme disease, Kennel Cough and Canine Flu. Now these vaccines are optional and are administered based on your pet’s exposure. This will all depend on where you live and/or your lifestyle. These non-core vaccines are the ones that seem to affect pets the most. For example, there have been cases of dogs getting sick with auto-immune meningitis after receiving the lepto vaccine.

Then there is the problem of over-vaccinating your pet. Many canine vaccines researchers have found that immunity of many diseases can last a dog’s lifetime, much like humans. So why are they continued to be vaccinated?

Did you know that dogs get the same dose of vaccine no matter what size they are? A ten pound Chihuahua will get the same amount as a 115 pound Irish Wolf Terrier, could that be why a greater percentage of small dogs suffer vaccine reactions?

Below is an excerpt from PetMD regarding a detailed explanation from a 2005 study on this which appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, (JAVMA).

“The risk of a VAAE (vaccine-associated adverse events) in this study population was inversely related to a dog’s weight. This weight-response relationship was previously suggested by results of a [2002] study in which dogs of toy breeds had significantly more suspected VAAEs than other dogs, although body weight was not evaluated. The manufacturers’ recommended dose for all vaccines administered in our study was 1 mL regardless of body weight, and all vaccines were from single-dose vials. Vaccines, in contrast to virtually all veterinary pharmaceuticals, are prescribed on a 1-dose-fits-all basis, rather than by body weight. Prelicensing clinical trials investigate the safety of vaccines with doses in excess of label directions but only in a limited number of dogs. The results of this study suggest that trials in dogs that weigh > 10 kg underestimate the expected VAAE rate in smaller dogs.” So there is a connection.

Another thing to be informed about are the ingredients in the vaccines. We know that the vaccines contain the antigen in small doses, but these vaccines also contain fillers such as thimerosal/mercury and formaldehyde.  These have been known to cause reactions as well.

So what is one to do? As I mentioned above, like I did for my son you can ask your vet to run a titer test. Based on the results, you can make your decision to re-vaccinate from there.

Again this post is for information purposes only. Always speak to your vet and if you have concerns and your pups vet is not hearing them, then switch vets! There are holistic vets available as well that will work with you to take a more holistic approach.   A one size fits all approach should never be used when it comes to our beloved companions. If we don’t advocate for them, who will?

Below is another good article by JAVMA.   To titer or to revaccinate?