Reply to :ALL
OK guys - guess I haven't posted on this topic in a while. For the long-time members this will be a repeat...so skip as you wish.
Short form in my own lay-terms:
HEALTHY dogs' immune systems have the capability to "remember" exposure and immune response to any threat to the body. Once exposed - whether it is from puppy shots, walking in the park, picking up something on the floor of the groomer's shop - wherever - the body starts to mount a defense and then it remembers that response and the next time the dog is exposed the body responds again. No need for any "reminder" vax or boosters. That's why if you forget the boosters your vet wants you to give - if you go past the "due date" by six months - but your dog is still out and about in parks, your yard, etc. - the dog does not get sick.
Compare to humans: WE do not need annual vaccinations - or even THREE YEAR vaccinations - to fight off most illnesses. We healthy individuals are not normally at risk for measles, chicken pox, mumps, etc. - all the things we were vaccinated against in childhood. Same for dogs.... When my 15 year old Gizmo passed a year ago she had not had any vax in years and years - - and years and more years. When my 14 year old Rosie passed not long ago, she had not been vaccinated in years as well. Neither had been seriously ill with anything during that time. And I live in the middle of the desert where the winds blow in all kinds of germs and the varmits carry all the other kinds of germs. Why? Because their immune systems remember the last response they built to these illnesses.
Point of fact: I had a dog WITH DISTEMPER here in my house for several weeks. None of my other dogs - old or young - contracted that very contagious illness. Why did that dog get it? Because he had received vax under an old protocol for show dogs requiring parvo and distemper shots for puppies every 10 days until 20 weeks of age - and then again at six months. It killed his immune system.
Vaccines have a place - but not on a regular basis. Healthy dogs do NOT need shots every three years. Healthy dogs do not need any shots after (perhaps) the first year boosters. I don't even give those. I have 3 generations of dogs that have received only puppy shots and still had immunity in the 3rd generation from the dams.
With tip of the "respect hat" to Doc Lori - even Bordatella is a ridiculous thing to repeat and repeat and repeat. It's like a cold to a healthy animal - and the vast majority recover from it with no attention at all. In fact, many of the long-time breeders I know never give Bordatella for just that reason. Give a dog a shot every six months - geesh. Fact is, the Bordatella shot covers FEW of the strains of Bordatella out there - there are dozens of them. So you may give the shot for 6-12 varieties - but what if your area is infected only with the 14th and 22nd varieties? You've put chemicals in your dog but they treat nothing. Same with automatic worming of puppies. It's nonsense! It is NOT true that ALL dogs have worms when they are born. I've NEVER had any puppies with worms - and I NEVER worm the pups. I always do stool samples at their first vet visit and encourage buyers to do the same.
Think people, think! It's common sense. Feed poorly and vaccinate often and you will kill your dogs - or create a weak immune system that brings on terrible consequences later in life...arthritis being one of the major illnesses suspected of resulting from vax.
Feed well (fresh/natural foods) and vaccinate minimally - and your dog will live the long and healthy life it is intended to do.
There are so MANY scams out there - in every facet of our lives. This is one of them - scare the people into "saving" their pets - so that vaccine manufacturers reap the profits. Probably the state of NY is in "cahoots" with the local veterinary bigwigs.
Please read the post regarding Dr. Dodds and Dr. Shultz response to the NY bills. And please send your own e-mail to the congresspersons. We need to speak out on these topics....
Tania (the long lost moderator)
