Zsazsa and her Injection-Site Tumor

A Chihuahua named Zsazsa developed a large injection-site fibrosarcoma after a rabies shot.  Looking for information, Angel Moran (Zsazsa’s  “mom”) e-mailed Kris Christine, Founder of the Rabies Challenge Fund.  Below is Angel’s side of their communication. Kris’s beloved dog Meadow also had a mast cell cancer develop directly on the site of his rabies shot 3 months after it was administered, and he died after it metastasized. The Rabies Challenge Fund is a nonprofit group working to prove that the rabies vaccine gives immunity for at least seven years, thus limiting the number of shots a dog has to get.  The Fund relies exclusively on donations from pet lovers. Please give if you can.

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Angel Moran, writing Sunday, August 30, 2009

Dear Kris: My chihuahua was recently diagnosed with fibrosarcoma. It is at the presumed injection site of her rabies shot. The vet said there is no correlation to her cancer and the injection site but from what I am reading I don’t believe what I am being told. Any studies you have would be greatly appreciated. She developed the lump within 3 months of her booster shot.

Kris sent Angel information from vet journals that we can send you or your vet. 

Other info Kris sent: In a DVM360 article (8-1-08) entitled  Vaccination:  An Overview,  Dr. Melissa Kennedy states: “Adverse reactions have also become a major concern in small animal medicine. …. These fall into two general categories. The first is immediate hypersensitivity. This may be a local or systemic response, and is due to pre-existing antibody to the agent. This is the classic “allergic reaction” to the vaccine and can be life-threatening.  The second is a delayed response, requiring days of longer to develop. The vaccine, seen as foreign, elicits a significant inflammatory response and is especially true for adjuvanted vaccines. This response can manifest as a granuloma, or more seriously, a fibrosarcoma.”  She added: “The likelihood of adverse reactions in dogs has been found to correlate with the size of the dog and the number of inoculations given, with higher risk associated with small size and multiple inoculations.”

Angel writing Monday, October 12, 2009

Kris, I just wanted to give you an update. I had to have my Zsazsa put down this past week. The vet who helped me care for her said the only way to determine 100% her cancer was from the rabies vaccine was to do a biopsy. We agreed to have it done just for our piece of mind and to have her count if this vaccine caused her death. Dr. Amy went to the company who created the vaccine … and she feels the vaccine caused it and explained we have her brother who we are concerned about as well. [The manufacturer] has agreed to pay for the biospy and claim they have no reports of this vaccine causing this cancer in dogs. They are interested in the results. I applaud the Dr for contacting the company and getting them to agree to pay. She warned we couldn’t sue the company but it’s not about that, it’s about the dangers of the rabies vaccine and the numbers not being accurate. Thank you for fighting for our beloved animal’s who can’t fight for themselves.

Angel writing Thursday, October 22, 2009

Dr. Amy called today with the biopsy results for Zsazsa. It was a soft tissue spindle sarcoma and/or with (not sure) peripheral nerve sheath tumor. Dr. Amy thought she had removed the entire tumor but based on the results it was much deeper and she said we made the right decision that Zsazsa would have needed radiation and chemo along with having to have her limb removed. She feels certain it is related to the vaccine and has reported the results to [the manufacturer]. Dr. Amy is going to fax me the results and notes and once I have them I can scan them in and send to you if you would like them. Dr. Amy said they have seen an increase in this type of cancer in dogs and feel it is related to vaccines but they need studies to proof this.

Virbac’s response:

You may be aware of misleading claims circulating on the Internet about the lead content of Pet-Tabs®. These inaccurate claims are substantially short of facts and intended to scare consumers. Virbac Corporation (Virbac), marketer of Pet-Tabs®, wants to assure our customers that Pet-Tabs® continue to be a safe and beneficial product for their pets.

The claims of increased lead don’t hold up to scrutiny. Most of these web postings refer to the results from a testing facility, ConsumerLabs.com (CSL). Further, Dr. Robert Jay Russell is distributing this misleading information and using it on his website. The lead content in Pet-Tabs® (as reported by CSL in 2009) is more than 500 times below the chronic toxic dose for dogs as determined by the National Animal Poison Control Center. However, while CSL admits that safe lead limits for dogs are not defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), CSL goes on to compare the lead levels in pet supplements to FDA and California warning label requirements for safe lead levels for humans. Virbac conducted its own study, highlighted below, that shows such a comparison has no scientific basis.

Virbac strongly refutes the information provided by CSL and Dr. Russell’s assumptions about the danger of the lead content in Pet-Tabs®. Dr. Russell’s assessment that Pet-Tabs taken as recommended would cause lead poisoning in dogs is inaccurate and is not based on facts or scientific findings.

Just the fact that the claim is being made is of great concern to us at Virbac Corporation. We are committed to the health and well being of your pets. We assure pet owners that consumption of

Pet-Tabs® by your pets will not contribute to any significant levels of lead in the body. Pet-Tabs® are manufactured to the rigorous specifications of the industry’s governing bodies, including the United States Pharmacopoeia (USP), and in accordance with legal requirements and good manufacturing practices.

Here are the facts:

History of Lead: It is difficult to completely eliminate the background level of lead in any product and particularly in products containing calcium. Lead is in the environment, in the air we breathe, in the food we eat and the water we drink. It has increased significantly from prehistoric times to the present because of human activity and has resulted in increased levels of lead exposure in even the remotest regions of the world.^1,2

Lead Testing in Pet Supplements: Testing a single lot of a single product, as done by CSL, can produce misleading results. Virbac hired an independent firm to conduct lead testing of commercially available multivitamin supplements for pets to determine the levels of lead present. For comparison purposes, a limited number of human vitamin supplements were also tested. A total of eight brands were submitted for testing, including the brand CSL reported as LEAD FREE (in 2007 & 2009), the brand Dr. Russell states he personally uses, the human brand suggested by Dr. Russell’s veterinarian, and Pet-Tabs®. A total of 49 lots were analyzed and ALL the lots tested were found to contain some amount of lead. It is noteworthy to report that even within each brand tested the amount of lead varied from lot to lot. These results show that it is highly unlikely to find any pet supplements that do not contain lead and testing a single lot of a single product can be very misleading.

Virbac would like to emphasize that:

•    ALL OF THE VITAMIN BRANDS TESTED ARE COMPLETELY SAFE FOR DOGS, based on the expert evaluation of the independent lab.

•    Even the single highest lot of the 49 tested for lead (which was not a Virbac product) is still OVER 300 TIMES BELOW THE TOXIC CHRONIC DOSE as reported by The National Animal Poison Control Center.

•    Even if CSL’s test results are taken as representative, a dog weighing 25 lbs would have to ingest 562 Pet-Tabs® per day for an undetermined period of time to reach the published chronic toxic dose of 145 µg/lb.  The recommended dose of Pet-Tabs® for a 25 lb dog is 1 tablet per day.

•    Pet-Tabs® have the National Animal Supplement Council Seal (NASC) and Virbac conforms to the requirements of the NASC and reporting of adverse events.

•    Pet-Tabs® have been used and trusted by veterinarians and pet owners for OVER 50 YEARS.

Virbac’s intention in conducting these tests was to demonstrate that some level of lead exists in most, if not all, supplements and is nearly impossible to completely eliminate. It is Virbac’s belief that, as a market leader, Pet-Tabs® was singled out by a CSL and Dr. Russell. Virbac would like to further clarify that their assessments did not accurately reflect the results that were reported or the potential dangers of lead to dogs. Since the primary goal of our report is to clarify the facts surrounding lead in pet supplements and since our findings determined all products tested were safe, we have decided not to release the brand names of the competitive products tested.

Lead Poisoning in Dogs: The lowest known published chronic toxic dose of lead in dogs is 145 µg (µg = microgram, 1000 µg = 1 milligram)/lb of body weight.³ However, not all lead that is ingested is absorbed from the stomach and intestines. Various factors including high calcium and iron diets will significantly reduce lead absorption and subsequent accumulation of lead in the body. The recommended dose of Pet-Tabs® for a 25 lb dog is 1 tablet per day. The µg/lb exposure from ingesting a Pet-Tab® tablet containing 6.45 µg of lead, the lead concentration in the single lot of Pet-Tabs® reportedly tested by CSL, would be 0.258 µg/lb. Therefore, a dog weighing 25 lbs would have to ingest 562 Pet-Tabs® per day for an undetermined period of time to reach the published chronic toxic dose of 145 µg/lb. For dogs weighing over 25 lbs, the µg/lb exposure would be even lower than 0.258 µg/lb.

To determine what level of lead poses a hazard to human health, the FDA has established safe/tolerable exposure levels for age and sex groups, termed provisional total tolerable intake (PTTI) levels.⁴ These levels were established by evaluating the blood lead levels associated with toxic effects in humans based upon specific end points. There are no PTTI levels established for dogs, nor do the California warning label requirements cited by CSL apply to dogs.

Absorption, release, and excretion of lead in humans is influenced by several things including age, gender, health status, nutritional status, existing body burden of lead, and the duration of the exposure over a lifetime which are quite different in humans versus animals. Estimated risk in humans is often extrapolated from animal data by applying a safety factor of 1000 (accounting for uncertainties in extrapolating the animal data to humans) to the No Observed Effect Level (NOEL) in animals (NOEL/1000). The California action level for humans was derived in this manner. Applying the same level to dogs overestimates the risk of lead exposure in dogs and is not a scientific approach. Furthermore, in the case of animals, data often exists for doses that produce these toxic effects such as the published chronic toxic dose of lead discussed above.

Pet-Tabs is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

References

1. Casteel SW, Cowart RP, Weis CP. Bioavailability of Lead to Juvenile Swine Dosed with Soil From the Smuggler Mountain NPL Site of Aspen, Colorado. Fundam Appl Toxicol 36, 177-187, 1997.

2. Ruby MV, Schoof R, Brattin W, Goldade M, Post G, Harnois M, Mosby DE, Casteel SW. Advances in evaluating the oral bioavailability of inorganics in soil for use in human health risk assessment. Environmental Science and Technology. 33:3697-3705, 1999.

3. Demayo A, Taylor MC, Taylor KW, Hodson V. Toxic effects of lead and lead compounds on human health, aquatic life, wildlife plants, and livestock. CRC Crit Rev Environ Contr 12:257–305, 1982.

4. Mindak WR, Cheng J, Canas BJ, Bolger PM. Lead in Women’s and Children’s Vitamins. J Agric Food Chem 56, 6892-6896, 2008.

1)      Commercial dog food is “fast food.”

Heavily-processed fast foods (burgers, fries, tacos, etc.) as a big diet component can cause major health problems in people. How can fast foods be good for dogs? Only dog food manufacturers think this nonsense makes sense. Dogs and people share roughly 75% the same genetic makeup, and we have similar nutritional needs. What we’re doing to our own health with processed foods, we’re also doing to our dogs. And it’s happening faster.

2)      People food is good for dogs.

Despite what you’ve heard from friends, vets and pet food manufacturers, wholesome ”people food” is good for dogs.  People food is only bad for dog food makers. The same fresh, nutritious foods people eat can offer your dog the nutrition he needs and save you a mountain of vet bills.  It just takes a little education to learn the small differences between human and canine nutritional needs. (Hint: no onions, grapes or raisins. Rinse off rich spices and sauces. Go easy on carbs and avoid wheat and corn.)

3)      Don’t presume the food your vet sells is a superior product.

Veterinarians, like medical doctors, learn relatively little about nutrition in school. Much of what they do learn comes directly from pet food company vets, sales reps, articles, studies, and seminars. If your vet hasn’t studied and experimented on his or her own with raw or homemade diets, it’s unlikely that he or she  knows bad food from good, and may be acting on outdated information or superstition. And if vets profit from selling one brand, and not another, they have a conflict of interest that may influence their opinions. (Some may even be prohibited by a manufacturer from selling more than one brand.)

4)      The quality of processed commercial foods is suspect.

Dog food may legally contain “4-D” meat: meat from dead, dying, diseased and disabled animals. Add a little road kill, mill floor sweepings labeled as grain, and corn contaminated with high levels of pesticide (yes, really) and you have a recipe for ill health. The cheaper the food, the cheaper the ingredients, the worse the nutrition. Read the labels!

5)      Kibble does not clean teeth.

Almost all dogs age three and over have dental diseases. Most of these dogs eat kibble. That should tell you something.  Although a small study once suggested that kibble might clean teeth better than canned food, better doesn’t mean effectively. Hoping to avoid brushing our dog’s teeth, we too willingly grasp at kibble’s unsubstantiated health benefits. But pretending that kibble or hard treats will keep teeth clean will only lead to huge vet bills, lost teeth and much canine suffering.

6) “Complete and balanced” does not mean “optimum.”

“Complete and balanced” means that a food meets minimal theoretical health requirements for the average dog.  Food boasting that it conducted Feeding Trials often just test only the lead product in a line of foods.  Trials, too, are for only a small number of dogs for a short period of time. Over time, nutrient and enzyme deficiencies are inevitable. Of course, complete and balanced is better than not complete and balanced, but again, better does not mean good.

7)      Feeding the same food day after day limits nutrition.

Imagine eating corn, rancid fat and chicken wings (without meat) every meal of your life, with the same mix of cheap vitamins and minerals added. Nutritionists urge people to eat a variety of foods, both for improved nutrition and also to prevent allergies. Dogs need variety, too. But variety can cause gastrointestinal upset in dogs, right?  In the short run, yes. Nutritionally-deprived animals have sick guts. In fact, intestinal upset when switching foods is a sign your dog needs more variety. Once good nutrition has healed a dog’s digestive system, the dog can eat different foods every meal — just as people do. Just switch foods gradually over several weeks while your dog’s gut heals.

8)      Kibble is not better than canned.

Whereas canned food is preserved by the process of canning, most kibble is preserved artificially. (Ever contemplate how much preservative must be required to retard spoilage of food left out all day?) Kibble begins as a dry cooked meal whereas canned food is canned fresh.  Kibble is exposed to more heat than canned (destroying nutrients). Worse yet, kibble is linked to kidney and bladder problems in cats, and to bloat, a deadly problem especially for large, broad-chested dogs. It’s also dehydrating. Of course, canned isn’t perfect either. Fresh is best, raw or cooked. Next best is frozen prepared food and then dehydrated and freeze dried foods, all available at better pet stores.

9)      Some common foods can be hazardous to canine health.

Cooked bones and rawhide chews can cause major health problems requiring emergency surgery. Wheat-based treats can bring on allergies. Onions, grapes, raisins, chocolate, the article sweetener Xylitol and other common foods can be toxic for dogs and must be avoided.

10)   Corn kills.

Most kibble is loaded with corn, a cheap filler. Unfortunately, the corn isn’t the luscious kind you and I eat. It’s feed corn (like cattle eat), or cheap feed corn remnants. Even corn meal dust counts as corn. The corn may even have been condemned for human consumption, there being no upper level of pesticide contamination for pet foods. If that weren’t bad enough, corn (which gives us both high fructose corn syrup and corn oil) is fattening. Any wonder so many dogs are obese and suffer from diabetes?

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Improving your dog’s diet can add years to your dog’s life and save you a fortune. It doesn’t require a lot of work or expense. It just requires a little knowledge and the desire to give your dog the healthy body he or she deserves. Check out the two chapters in my book, Scared Poopless: The Straight Scoop on Dog Care. (Read an excerpt about dog food myths.) And check out Dog and Cat Food Labels: Marketing Tricks That Cost You Money and Dog Food: What to Feed and Why.

Don’t forget to sign up for our e-newsletter and read more about nutrition at our other blog.  Please bookmark this article to help others find it.

Technorati tags: dog food, dog, dogs, dog diet, dog nutrition, dog food labels

“We found a stray dog and so we have no idea what her vaccination history is or even if she has been spayed. She is probably about a year old at the most…looks like a small yellow lab.

I want to just have her vaccinated for parvo and distemper only and of course we have to have her vaccinated for rabies. But my question for you is how long to wait between the spaying and the vaccinations? And how long between before she gets her rabies shot? And which order do you recommend having all of this done? I know I have seen this information somewhere on the Internet before but it was a long time ago and I just can’t seem to find it now.

I would really appreciate any advice. At this point I don’t even know which thing should be done first, the spaying or the vaccinations.

Note: I got this question from Kat after she watched one of our K9Author YouTube Videos on vaccinating dogs.

Response: Hi Kat.  I’m no fan of the rabies vaccine because of its many adverse reactions. Neither do I like the idea of vaccinating a stressed dog; the vaccine may not “take” and the chance of side effects increases.

However … because most people wouldn’t be comfortable handling a strange dog with no shot history, I’d either have a titer test done to test immunity for rabies (which would prove immunity and not harm the dog, but would cost $150 or so and not allow you to get a license) … or I’d vaccinate.  If you do vaccinate, wait 3 or more weeks before spaying (or neutering) or giving another shot. If you can have a holistic vet or homeopathic vet give the shot, that would be great.  A homeopathic remedy given with the rabies shot can help prevent a reaction.

I would never vaccinate against anything else at the same time as the rabies shot. Instead, I’d have the vet do a titer test for parvovirus and distemper (the two most important diseases) to see if vaccination is even necessary. (This simple blood test should cost $60 – 80 total.) This is the safest route. Because the dog is an adult, she may well be immune to both diseases.

If you decide to vaccinate against parvo and distemper, do NOT do it at the same time as rabies or surgery. And do not vaccinate with a combo shot containing other, probably unnecessary vaccines. Wait 3 weeks or more after rabies or spaying.  Surgery and vaccination are major assaults to the immune system and should be spread out. Specifically tell your vet to never vaccinate during, or within a week or two, of surgery. If your vet does vaccinate without your permission, file a complaint with your local veterinary board. This is a violation of the legal doctrine of informed consent.

As to whether you should spay or vaccinate first, it depends on what you perceive the risks to be: pregnancy or disease. If you can keep the female away from males, go ahead and vaccinate first.

Note: I’m not a vet, but this is what I would do.

Here’s a second question from Kat:

I had actually called a vet earlier today to see how much they charge to titer test for parvo and distemper. At this particular vet’s it was $82.00 plus $43.00 for the office call. I had also called a spay and neuter clinic to see how much they charge to spay and they told me they could give her the vaccinations at the same time. I said, nope! I told them I would not have it done all at one time because I don’t think it’s healthy for the dog. I like your advice of having the rabies shot given first. So I think I will go ahead with that this Saturday then the spay and then the parvo/distemper all spaced 3 weeks apart.

I already ordered her a breakaway dog collar which is also a life saver. Thanks for all of your work in educating people and thus helping dogs to live happier, healthier lives. — Kat

My response:

Kat, you might try having the blood for the titer test tested at hemopet.com. It’s a nonprofit blood bank and testing facility run by renowned vaccine expert Dr. Jean Dodds. Her prices are usually better. Re the blood draw, it should cost no more than $25. It’s just a draw, done by a tech, not an office visit. Try negotiating with your vet … or try another clinic.

Good luck with your new girl and congrats on being such a good guardian to a stranger!

Another question from Kat:

Technorati tags: dog, dogs, vaccination,vaccines, rabies vaccine, shots

Anyway, on to phase two of this whole thing. I am going to be setting up a spay appointment for about 3 1/2 weeks from now. And also I’m going to be searching to find out about the titer testing for parvo and distemper.

Sorry for getting so wordy with this but I just wanted to let you know how we are doing and also to reinforce the fact that people really need to stand their ground about the vaccinations. Because they have innovative ways to try to convince you that your dog needs all of them and right now!

So finally we got up to the veterinarians. I told them we had found her two weeks ago and knew nothing about her history. So one of them asked if I wanted them to scan her for a chip. I said, sure. He said they are supposed to scan in that circumstance anyway. But I had the feeling he wouldn’t have if I had asked him not to. Anyway, he scanned and found nothing and told me I have a dog. I also asked them if they could tell if she’s been spayed.

•  Improve water.   Impure or insufficient water is dangerous.   Make sure you take water along with you on long or hot walks. Never let your dog drink sprinkler run-off or out of fountains (which likely contain toxic chemicals).  And if you’re drinking purified water, your pets should be, too. 

•  Get Your Dog Moving.  A fit dog is less prone to injury and has a healthier digestive system and heart.  Did you know that heart disease is a major killer of dogs? Like us, they need sensible exercise to live a long, healthy life. But take it easy. Dogs will do their best to keep up with joggers and cyclists even when they shouldn’t. Don’t ask them to exert themselves strenuously unless they’re in shape.

•  Stay slim.  Chubby dogs aren’t cute. They are health problems waiting to happen. Expect early onset of joint damage, diabetes and major organ disease. How can you tell if your dog is slender enough? (Studies show most of us don’t have a clue.) Make sure your dog has a slim waist and that you can find his ribs. Think slim, but not too skinny. And don’t result to diet drugs to slim your dog down. Just cut back on high fat foods and carbs (no corn, no wheat). Add steamed veggies (like broccoli, carrots or green beans) for snacks.

•  Reduce exposure to environmental stresses. Eliminate loud or jarring noises and protect your pet from air pollution and known allergens as much as possible.  We tend to think of pets as tough creatures of the wild, but they have no more tolerance to 21st Century life than we do.

•  Think shade.  Dogs with thin coats, fair skin and those with a summer buzz cuts are susceptible to skin cancer.  Apply nontoxic sunscreen made for dogs — remembering that they may lick it off so it needs to be safe for a human baby to swallow.  And always provide shade and cool water.

•  End second-hand smoke.  Second-hand smoke is as bad for dogs as it is for you and can cause lung infections, respiratory problems and even asthma and lung cancer.  So please stop smoking, for your dog’s sake if not for yours. 

•  Just Say No!   Health aspects aside, it’s cruel to blow pot smoke into an animal’s nose or to give them alcohol.  Make sure your kids know this!

•  Think Comfort.   Dogs, like people, like soft beds and the kind of temperatures Goldilocks would like — not too hot and not too cold. If you sleep indoors, your dog should sleep indoors, too. They’re family. 

•  Eliminate chemical exposure.  Beware herbicides, pesticides, road grime and other potentially carcinogenic substances, and consider safer alternatives to toxic products.  Read the Product Inserts for all pet meds. (If you have to rush to the hospital if you consume them, don’t let them near your pets.) Know that something as seemingly inocuous as cocoa mulch can prove deadly. Also, pets love to eat off the floor; this means they’re consuming your cleaning products, too.  So make sure they’re child safe.

•  Stop emotional stressors and physical abuse.  If dogs are constantly being taunted by another family member (canine or feline or human), stress will win.  This is animal cruelty. Fix the situation.
  
          Our canine friends (and feline friends, too) need our help to lead long and healthy lives.  Stress shortens the lives of pets … and destroys their happiness.  It’s no exaggeration that Stress Kills!

Other articles you may like include: Vaccinating Unhealthy Pets: Beware Reactions & Vaccine Failure, Vaccinating Dogs: 10 Steps to Eliminating Unnecessary Shots and Pesticides & Preventatives Poisoning Pets?

Tags: dog, dogs, dog shots, dog vaccination, health

Rabies-vaccine-induced Ischemic Dermatopathy forced the retirement of Peaches from competition. See the disease on her haunch and ears.

Peaches, Judy Schor’s champion agility dog, retired when she developed Ischemic Dermatopathy after a rabies shot. In March, Judy raised $30,000 with her benefit for the Rabies Challenge Fund, a nonprofit trying to prove that the vaccine gives immunity for at least seven years. Fund researcher Dr. Ron Schultz , and co-Founder Dr. Jean Dodds, spoke about the dangers of the rabies vaccine at the benefit. 

Here is how a shot changed Peaches’s life as told by Judy:
 
As a well intentioned and responsible pet owner, I take my pups in for their annual Well checks and Dental’s. And like clockwork, every 3 years, as required by law, my dogs would get their 3 year Rabies vaccine.
 
In early April of 2007, I took my beloved Rat-Terrier Peaches in for her 7 year Rabies booster. We returned home and nothing unusual noted, however in retrospect, maybe I was remiss in noticing any lethargy or changes as I really never thought that a legally required vaccine could/would cause any harm.

 
So that day, no immediate changes noted, however nearly two months later, in early June 2007, I took Peaches back to the DVM where she had received the Rabies vaccination because she had developed bi-lateral (one on both ears) wedge shaped ear (pinnae) sores.  The doctor dismissed me with an antifungal, antibacterial, antibiotic cream.
 
Peaches competed successfully in Agility through the summer of 2007. She appeared to feel well but the ear lesions remained. During this period, Peaches developed a strange round yellowish skin/fur color change on her right rear haunch. Even the texture of the fur over that area became changed…Silkier feeling, but with a yellowish cast in her otherwise white fur.
 
I had her back again to her regular vet during the summer, but still they could not explain the pinnae sores, neither could they now explain the hair color change…and so we continued competing thru the summer.  I used the cream which seemed to help a little. I began attributing the color change to all of her swimming in the pool, much like blondes whose hair color would change due to the chemicals in swimming pools. Little did I know what journey we were in for.
 
In October of 2007, Peaches entire right rear leg (and gradually her belly) became very edematous (swollen). She was taken to many specialists. Peaches had blood-work, ultrasounds, x-rays, MRI’s, lymph node aspirates, lymph node biopsies, skin biopsies, etc. Then after all this, the DVM’s stated they could find nothing wrong with her. They decided to manage her symptoms with high doses of steroids. My poor little girl, it was heartbreaking to see her suffering from the ill effects of both the drugs and the disease.
 
I spent many late winter nights crying filled with the sadness that I was going to lose my Peach, and the frustration of KNOWING there was something wrong and I had to get to the bottom of it.
 
Then sometime in early February, at one of her Vet visits, I put the symptoms together when one specialty DVM said to me; “When was Peaches last vaccination?”
 
As I got back into the car with Peaches I called the local vet who had given her Rabies booster, and asked that question. I received the name of the vaccine manufacturer, lot number of the vaccine, date it was given, and where it was given..it was given in the right rear haunch where the color change had occurred!
 
That night I went home and began my research on “Google U”, putting in all the symptoms along with the term “vaccination”. My husband, an M.D. was shocked and amazed at the Clinical Studies I pulled up on the net that pointed to exactly the symptoms and disease process that Peaches was experiencing.
 
What I found was a disease written about by well known academic Veterinary DVM’s and labeled “Rabies Vaccine associated Ischemic Dermatopathy”.
 
(I called the vaccine manufacturer and gave them all the details and they asked me to send them all reports which I dutifully did for months until the diagnosis was finally made).
 
My husband and I brought in all the documents from vets across the country on this autoimmune disease caused by the Rabies Vaccine, but our Specialty DVM’s would not label her with this diagnosis. Why? Why? Why wouldn’t they help us? We just wanted to get it diagnosed and treated properly. I heard about the Rabies Challenge Fund and Dr. Jean Dodds. I called her. She got right back to me and she gave me hope and support. Dr. Dodds’ support reinforced us in knowing that I was on the right path and gave me the strength to continue fighting to get a proper diagnosis. And so we continued…
 
We asked the Board Certified Internist and the Board Certified Dermatologist to please make an appointment with Dr. Daniel Morris DVM ACVD at the University of Pennsylvania, as he was one of the authors of one of the many case studies on this autoimmune disease I had pulled up on Google.  We waited 2 weeks without our Specialty DVM calling Dr. Morris. It felt like an eternity with Peaches so sick. I kept calling and asking our Internist to please call and make an appointment for Peaches with Dr. Morris. Nothing.
 
Again, Why? Why was this so hard when we had the clinical studies and documents in our hands that directly pointed to what was wrong with Peaches and the name of the right Doctor to go and see? Why wouldn’t they make the appointment for us? I needed to make Peaches better. I needed someone on my side and that would help her. I was so frustrated and sad.
 
Then sensing where I was at emotionally, enter my husband and hero, Marty Schor, M.D. Marty got on the phone, and less than one week later we were in Dr. Morris’s office at the Matthew J. Ryan Small Animal Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania.
 
We met with Dr. Daniel O. Morris at University of Pennsylvania, and within minutes after checking over Peaches; he at all the months of photo documentation,  at all of the medical reports, studies, biopsies, and said to us, “If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, it’s a duck!”
 
Oh my, how simple! And what a relief to have been finally validated!
 
Peaches “official” diagnosis by Dr. Morris finally occurred in early March of 2008 and by that time had cost us approximately $12K to obtain once we added all the tests and DVM visits up.
 
Finally Peaches was put on the proper meds. She went into complete remission fairly quickly, and was able to compete for 2 trials in October, one year after she became critically ill. I treasured every moment of running with her again. As my friends who are here know, I cried with happiness at the end of each run.
 
Peaches was off all her meds for 3 and a half weeks when symptoms began to reappear with a vengeance.
 
And now she is on meds again and we are trying to keep this awful disease at bay.
 
I am hopeful Peaches will stabilize once again and remain healthy. I treasure every moment with her and her “fur-sisters”!
 
I hope you will, and do, treasure your time with your pet, as you can NEVER believe this will happen to you. [And please donate to the Rabies Challenge Fund.]
  
Very Truly Yours,
 
Judy Schor

PS  People reading this article have asked me about Peaches’ treatment regimen. I am not a veterinarian but this seems to working well for her:

Peaches is fed a home cooked diet now, sautéed meats and I add Honest Kitchen Force (grain free formula). I make up a 3 day food supply at a time and put it into a Pyrex dish in the fridge.  She gets only healthy whole protein sources mixed in, no kibble or processed food, and I think it has made a huge difference.  

I also add into her weekly diet hard boiled eggs, salmon, tuna. She eats well!

Supplements Peaches receives daily or twice daily:

1 Tbsp of a premium refrigerated fish oil twice a day
400 mg’s of NATURAL Vit. E twice a day
1 Tbsp of “Biotin Plus” once a day
1 capsule of acidophilus in each meal. (I open it and add it to warm water in her dish and then add all the other supplements, then her food..)

Peaches is also on 200 mgs of Pentoxyphylline (prescribed med) twice a day. She is now in remission and doing very well. I am very hopeful we will be discontinuing the above med in the next few months!

***     
Peaches’ Career: ADCh Southern Sands Peaches TM-B, JCH-B, *2007 USDAA Regional GP Finalist, AX, AXJ, Clean Run’s Ultimate 60 Weave Pole Breed Champion, CGC    (Retired at 7 yr’s, due to Rabies Vaccine induced Ischemic Dermatopathy ~ Diagnosed by Dr. Daniel O. Morris DVM ACVD Matthew J. Ryan Small Animal Hospital, University of Pennsylvania)

Learn more about rabies vaccine adverse reactions including tips for vaccinating more safely at What You Must Know About the Rabies Vaccine    Also see readers’ rabies vaccination stories (or post your own) my Truth4Dogs.com blog: The Rabies Vaccine and Your Dog: Side Effects

 Technorati tags: dog, dogs, vaccination,vaccines, rabies vaccine, vaccine reactions, adverse reactions, shots

Michael Dym, VMD

For the past several decades, the conventional standard of practice has been to give puppies and kittens, as young as three to four weeks of age, multiple viral vaccinations every few weeks until they are about five months old, then repeat the practice very year through their golden years. Years ago, veterinary immunologists and renowned vaccine experts Ron Schultz, DVM and colleague Dr. Phillips wrote in the XI edition of Kirks Current Veterinary Therapy (used in all vet schools), that yearly vaccination for viral diseases is medically unnecessary and is a practice that “lacks scientific validity,” indicating that immunity to most core viral vaccination persists “for years to the life of the animal.”

In 1997, the first International Veterinary Vaccines and Diagnostics Conference concluded that the duration of immunity is likely more than five years for the clinically important companion animal vaccines. Yet, veterinarians continue to routinely over-vaccinate both puppies and adult/senior dogs and cats.

More recently, evidence has emerged that, along with the nutrient-poor processed commercial pet foods, over-vaccinating has been a major factor in the development of the epidemic increases in autoimmune diseases, seizures, hormonal disorders and cancer seen in younger pets. There’s even evidence that genetic changes have occurred due to over-vaccination over many generations. Vaccinating pets with chronic immune mediated illnesses or cancer, or even a history of cancer, is contraindicated, as all vaccine inserts that come with the vaccinations say for “use in healthy animals only.” Studies are now under way to document that even rabies vaccination has immunity that probably lasts from five to 10 years . (Please see the Rabies Challenge Fund and Truth4Dogs.org).

I recommend that animal guardians become better informed about which vaccines are appropriate for their pets and how often or if they should be given or repeated. The health of our canine and feline companions depends upon learning the truth, just as we are now learning the truth about fresh, more nutritional foods.

In practice for 18 years, Dr. Dym developed an interest in holistic and homeopathic veterinary medicine and has studied with Richard Pitcairn, DVM, and PhD, author of Dr. Pitcairn’s Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. He practices in New Jersey. For additional information, please visit Dr. Michael Dym’s website.

Note from Jan: Find more in-depth articles on vaccination at my Truth4Dogs.com blog.
Vaccinating Unhealthy Pets: Beware Reactions & Vaccine Failure
Vaccinating Dogs: 10 Steps to Eliminating Unnecessary Shots    
Titer Test: Don’t Vaccinate Your Dog Unnecessarily
On my website: Rabies Vaccine Information and Vaccinating Dogs: What Your Vet Won’t Tell You

dog, dogs, dog shots, dog vaccination, vaccines, pets

As far as I could tell, the sum total of her day’s exertion had consisted of lounging on the gym floor with her best friend, Jiggy, watching me lift weights.  Still, she looked injured. Her left leg hovered centimeters above the floor, with her thigh clamped in close to her body with such force I couldn’t pry it loose.  This whisp of a canine weighs a mere four pounds. I weigh more. That muscle spasm was strong.

Now, no one does pitiful better than Chiclet does pitiful.  She’s minuscule and wishbone fragile, a drama queen with an angel’s face. But this day, with her rump curled under so tightly, she was clearly in real pain.

My gym’s just a few blocks from the office of my dog Jiggy’s chiropractor, Dr. Bridget Chelf, so I dropped by.  Bridget shares office space with my vet, so I figured one of them might be in. But no one was. It was late Friday.

I took Chiclet home and massaged her back and leg, looking for a sore knee or hip to blame but finding only spasms. The massage seemed to help and it was Friday evening now. I decided to see how she felt the next day.

On Saturday Chiclet was better although she still showed signed of distress. I massaged her a few times, holding pressure on trigger points until muscles relaxed, then went on with my day. I’d had a lot of experience as a chiropractic patient myself, as had Jiggy, so I understood muscle spasms. I didn’t panic.

Then Sunday morning something odd happened. Chiclet’s muscles clamped down again with a vengeance, and snow-white slobber streamed down from her mouth like a ribbon of phlegmy yogurt. It was  then that I panicked. Did this have something to do with the ear infection she’d been fighting? Or her leg pain? Or maybe the stress of it all?

My little girl’s muscles were so badly in spasm that cradling her rump was like holding a vibrator stuck on “high.”  I called my vet, Tamara Hebbler, and she agreed it sounded like muscle spasm. Tamara said she’d call Jiggy’s chiropractor at home, but suggested that in the mean time I go buy two strengths (30C and 200C) of a homeopathic remedy called magnesia phosphorica.  (Different strengths work on different “levels.”) She said to give Chiclet a mixture of the two (3 beads or so of each resting for 30 seconds in a tablespoon of spring water), a little given every two hours for several days, at least 20 minutes away from food.

Tamara also suggested I feed Chiclet a little, although it had been my instinct to fast her because of the white drool.  Tamara reminded me that little dogs are prone to hypoglycemia, and that fasting absent proven gastro distress (like vomiting or diarrhea) may not be the right course of action.

I guilted my husband into going to the health food store to buy the remedies while I worked on Chiclet’s back and psoas muscles (in the groin area).  Soon, Bridget the Chiropractor called and suggested we meet at her office at noon.

Bridget confirmed that indeed Chiclet’s psoas muscles were in spasm, as was her diaphragm.  Twenty minutes later, with Rescue Remedy to calm her, laser stimulation to combat inflammation, gentle motion palpation of her spine,  and Trameel (homeopathic anti-inflammatory cream) on Bridget’s working fingertips, Chiclet was 1000% better.

My little girl would need a few more chiropractic visits to keep her condition from becoming chronic, but the worst seemed past. Bridget suggested a dose when we got home, and before bed, of homeopathic Arnica Montana 200C and Hypericum 200C, something I always keep on hand for injuries, bruises, surgery and such.  I should have given it at the first sign of distress, but I had been embroiled in a life and death struggle with my computer (a losing battle) and was no longer thinking clearly. Sorry Chiclet.  I try to be a good mommy, but I’m only human.

Backtracking to the beginning, before I called my holistic vet (holistic sounds like  witch doctor to my medically-disinterested husband), he suggested I get a second opinion from a “regular” vet (the kind with surgical suites and stainless steel counters).

Since I hadn’t yet had a first opinion from the “witch doctor” or chiropractor, that seemed premature. What could a “regular” vet do anyway?

I posed this question to a veterinarian certified in chiropractic, homeopathy and acupuncture, Dr. Margo Roman. She responded:

“Using a strictly conventional approach, they would probably suspect a musculoskeletal issue and start with X-rays of the back and pelvis. A CT scan or MRI might be required to decide if there could be a lumbar disc, or a possible mass or lesion, causing pain.  A Myelogram (which uses a special dye and an X-ray to make pictures of the bones and the space between bones) may also clarify any disc involvement.

“A steroid, NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory) or other pharmaceutical pain medication would most likely be given.  They’d do blood work and evaluate the possibility of an infection or other blood abnormality before giving pain meds (in case of liver issues) and in case they needed to do surgery. The dog may be hospitalized and placed on IV fluids with a catheter just in case they needed access to other intravenous treatments.

“The cost for all the above, not counting what could be on-going pain or anti-inflammatory meds and follow-up visits, would be around $2,500. (If this was an emergency visit, add on an additional fee.) And they haven’t even tried a possible surgical treatment that could run between $2000 to $7,000 more. In these harder economic times, using integrative holistic options has to be part of the more kinder and gentler approach. In this case, chiropractic with homeopathy was the most correct course of action and saved little Chiclet a lot of unnecessary tests and risks.”

There are a few more problems with the conventional treatment. Steroids suppress the immune system and have numerous potential side effects; NSAIDs can damage the liver.  X-rays and scans as valuable they can be do offer an unnecessary dose of radiation while showing nothing about a muscle spasm. A broad spectrum antibiotic given just in case Chiclet had an infection would also destroy good intestinal bacteria and predispose her to secondary yeast and bacterial overgrowth.  All of these conventional approaches have their merit when needed, but sadly they are too often chosen first instead of the less invasive methods.

“Asking for these options is difficult when the caring veterinarian hasn’t had training in integrative methods.  Try suggesting that your vet get the new book Integrating Complementary Medicine into Veterinary Practice by Bob Goldstein et all.”

Chiclet’s chiropractor and holistic vet eased her pain inexpensively and non-invasively in about 20 minutes, and I learned how to relieve her pain if it happened again. It cost far less  than the emergency room visit. (An appointment Sunday and another Monday cost $160.) Most importantly, Chiclet’s treatment left her relaxed — and less stressed.  In my book, that’s a happy ending.

*** Looking for a chiropractor (human or canine) or holistic vet in the San Diego North County area?  Reach the chiropractor, Dr. Chelf at 858-792-7296.  Contact the vet, Dr. Hebbler at 877-738 4673 or HealingHope.net.

*** Elsewhere in the US, click here to learn more about finding a good vet or chiropractor (or working with one who’s less than perfect).

***Consider giving your conventional vet Dr. Roman’s amazing video, Dr. DoMore. She interviews numerous vets on why they’ve added integrative (alternative) methods to their practices. (It’s the last item on my shopping page.  All proceeds benefit her nonprofit Center for Integrative Veterinary Care.)

*** Check out our newest blog post at Truth4Dogs.

chiropractic, chiropractor, dog, dogs, muscle pain, muscle spasm