Truth4Dogs

In-Office Titer Test Kit

Blood antibody titer testing (a simple blood test) is the best way to determine if an animal or human has received immunity from vaccination.  (Just giving a vaccine proves only that you’ve given it, not that it worked.)

Testing your pup after her ”puppy shots” tells you if immunity was achieved, potentially eliminating unnecessary revaccination.  (Remember, every vaccine brings with it the potential for adverse reactions, ranging from a fever to even death.) Testing a new adult dog, or a dog with unknown vaccination history, helps determine if further vaccination is necessary and tells you which vaccines, if any, to give.  In the US, most experts recommend testing for parvovirus and distemper. Most other vaccines are either unnecessary in many areas or don’t confer immunity long enough to bother testing. At this time, titer testing is NOT a legal substitute for rabies vaccination.

If your vet doesn’t test titers as a routine matter before revaccinating, or if the cost is prohibitive, I hope you’ll tell your vet about a new inexpensive, quick in-office test.  I am writing about it for information purposes only hoping it will  help promote titer testing before routine revaccination.  I do not profit  financially from this new test.     — Jan

To learn more about testing titers, including how often to test and why it is often safer and less expensive than revaccinating, read my article about titer testing.   Upcoming is a short article sent to me by Biogal, the maker of the new test, the Canine VacciCheck. Test kits are available for dogs, cats and birds. Read more »

Is your puppy or adult dog acting strangely, being aggressive, fearful, phobic, hyperactive or depressed? Many of these and other canine “problem” behaviors can result from thyroid dysfunction, or a vaccine or drug reaction. Even food with a high sugar content can cause behavior problems, as it can with children.

Before calling your dog trainer to “fix” your dog’s problem, read what these three veterinarians (specializing in three different fields) have to say. Retraining may still be required, but check out your dog’s health first.  Maybe the behavior was caused by thyroid disease, vaccination or medication.  [Note: The highlights below are mine - Jan Rasmusen.]

THYROID DISEASE AS A CAUSE OF BEHAVIOR CHANGES

“The principal reason for pet euthanasia stems not from disease, but undesirable behavior” wrote pet vaccination and thyroid expert, W. Jean Dodds, DVM.  Below is an excerpt from “Behavioral Changes Associated with Thyroid Dysfunction in Dogs” by Drs. Dodds and Linda P. Aronson:

… an association has recently been established between aberrant behavior and thyroid dysfunction in the dog, and has been noticed in cats with hyperthyroidism. Typical clinical signs include unprovoked aggression towards other animals and/or people, sudden onset of seizure disorder in adulthood, disorientation, moodiness, erratic temperament, periods of hyperactivity, hypoattentiveness, depression, fearfulness and phobias, anxiety, submissiveness, passivity, compulsiveness, and irritability. Read more »

My friend and colleague in the war against over-vaccination, Australian Elizabeth Hart, posted this as a response to my article, What to Do When Your Dog Has a Vaccine Reaction  I’m posting it here, instead of as a comment,  because the subject is so important. Here’s what she said:

Over-vaccination of pets is a multi-billion dollar international scam. But where are pet owners to turn to for protection from this unacceptable practice of over-servicing? Certainly in Australia there is little in the way of effective regulation of vaccine products, or consumer protection for users of veterinary services.

For many years pet owners around the world have been coerced by poorly educated veterinarians into having repeated unnecessary, and possibly harmful, vaccinations for their pets. This is a great shame on the veterinary ‘profession’. Read more »

IS THIS AN EMERGENCY?  If your dog is breathing heavily, his face is swelling and eyes watering, and/or he’s vomiting, has hives or is having a seizure or collapsing, your dog is having a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. CALL YOUR VET IMMEDIATELY! and start for your vet’s office or an emergency facility while, preferably, someone else drives.  (You do know where the nearest emergency vet is, don’t you?) 

Your vet may not recognize your dog’s symptoms as a vaccine reaction and probably won’t want to believe or admit that the shot he/she administered brought on this problem.  If you believe it’s a vaccine reaction, be strong. You know your dog better than your vet does. Above all, keep your wits about you. Don’t be pressured into doing anything that doesn’t feel right. For example, if your dog has her first seizure ever soon after vaccination, she is probably having a vaccine reaction; she probably does NOT suddenly have a brain tumor requiring a $800 MRI!  As they say, when you hear hoof beats, think horses not zebras!  Read more »

I recently posted Rabies Vaccination: 13 Ways to Vaccinate More Safely.  Adverse reactions to rabies vaccines are the most common reactions reported to the USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics.  Some reactions are mild — but others can prove deadly. A little knowledge can help you prevent many of them.  

After reading my article, Patricia Jordan, veterinarian, vaccination expert and author of Mark of the Beast, sent me some additional cautions to pass along (condensed with her permission).  Please read my first article in addition to this one.  Here are Dr. Jordan’s tips augmented with a few thoughts from me:

1. Get the vaccine name, serial number, lot number and expiration date.  Vets move away, retire and lose records — and vaccines are recalled. You’ll be prepared in case an adverse reaction shows up (which could be as long as 10 years later as in the case of mast cell tumors).  Even if your dog or cat has an immediate reaction, you’ll want to  file a report with the manufacturer yourself.  (Sometimes medical expenses will be reimbursed by the manufacturer, but too few vets take the time to report the reaction.) Read more »