Truth4Dogs

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 »

Some veterinarians are avid readers of veterinary journals and attend the seminars of top experts. They’re always up to date on the latest scientific findings regarding vaccination.

Others, not so much.

Would you know if your vet vaccinated appropriately, according to the latest suggested protocols? Would you know if your vet took every precaution to avoid unnecessary shots and adverse reactions?  Here’s how to find out.

Pictured: Sasha, whose death after over-vaccination prompted activism

Dangerous Vaccination Practices

Your dog’s health is at risk if your vet:

• Has ever failed, prior to vaccinating, to evaluate your dog’s current health … or failed to ask if your dog has ever reacted badly to shots … or failed to determine your dog’s age and current lifestyle … or failed to check his or her file … or failed to ask if your dog has been vaccinated elsewhere in the past three years.
• Even once vaccinated your dog without your express consent.
• Even once vaccinated without fully explaining the risks, benefits and alternatives to vaccinating. (Learn your vet’s Liability Related to Vaccination.)
• Vaccinates your adult dog yearly with combo shots or against parvovirus and distemper.
• Argues if you question the need for a shot or ask about titer testing instead of vaccination.

Read more »

Despite the huge tumor on his mouth, this sweet dog was given 7 shots 4 weeks before this photo was taken. The tumor grew 10-15% after the shots."

Most knowledgeable vets agree that certain animals should NOT be vaccinated (absent proven, urgent need such as inevitable exposure to a life-threatening disease). These  include, but aren’t limited to, pets with autoimmune disease … pets undergoing chemo, radiation or surgery (even dental cleaning or neutering) … pets with autoimmune disease, cancer, severe allergies and skin diseases … pets fighting an illness or parasites … pets stressed from shipment or a move to a new home … malnourished pets … and dying housebound pets.  Assaulting the immune systems  of these animals with vaccination has been likened to throwing gas on a raging fire.

Vaccination is big business and an old habit.  Dogs and cats need an advocate with common sense (and a strong backbone) to stand up for their pets. That means you!

So why shouldn’t you vaccinate a sick, stressed or geriatric pet? For one thing, the pet may develop adverse reactions ranging from fever to seizures to autoimmune disease to anaphylactic shock  and even death. (Click this link  to see other possible adverse reactions.) Furthermore, shots administered to an unhealthy animal may fail to provide immunity while giving you the false security that your dog is protected.  On top of that, Read more »

When vaccinating our dogs, most of us rely on our vets, trusting that their advice is up-to-date and not biased by economic or political concerns.  Unfortunately,  unless vets stay current on veterinary journal reading (no easy task) … and actually assimilate new findings … and decide to forgo significant vaccination income, their advice may lag well behind many years behind what experts now advocate.

Vaccination is a serious medical procedure with the potential for adversely affecting health, both in the short and long term. Experts now advise us to vaccinate each dog according to his or her individual needs.  But  how do you cut back without endangering your dog’s health?  Here are 10 ways to eliminate unnecessary shots while actually improving pet health.

1. Always consider locale, lifestyle, risk and vaccine effectiveness. Bordetella (kennel cough) is for dogs in poorly-ventilated close quarters (like kennels), not for pets sometimes playing with others. Leptospirosis is a disease of wetlands and woodlands, and the vaccine may not protect against the actual disease in your area. Lyme is only for dogs in areas with Lyme disease. Furthermore, each of these vaccines has dangerous side effects and their efficacy is questionable. Don’t give them without proven need and benefit.

2. Eliminate vaccines on the “not recommended” list of the American Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Task Force as well as most veterinary organizations and schools. These include Giardia and Coronavirus (found in many combination shots).

3. Say no! to combination shots. Combo shots (called names like DHLPPC) assault your dog’s immune system with five or seven vaccines at once. Given for (false) economy and convenience rather than health or safety, combination shots are linked to autoimmune disease and other major health problems. Also, they invariably contain unnecessary and even dangerous vaccines.

4. Stop vaccinating against diseases for which your dog may already have immunity. Read more »

When Woody, beloved dog of holistic vet Dr. Paula Terafaj, was diagnosed with cancer of the spleen and liver, she set out to help Woody battle his own cancer without toxic chemo or surgery. Her fight to help Woody resulted in a series of articles on cancer care. Even if your dog doesn’t have cancer, and I very much hope he or she doesn’t, I hope you’ll bookmark this page. 46% of dogs dying of disease now die of cancer, so this is information, sadly, many of us may someday need.

I personally am no expert on canine cancer, so I’m happy to bring you this piece by a vet. Dr. Paula also allowed me to post Part 1 of this series, first published in her own blog. Read Part 1 by clicking here. We’ll publish Part 3 in a few weeks. And now, Part 2. Read more »