Posts Tagged ‘ distemper ’

What Everyone Needs to Know About Canine Vaccines by Ronald D. Schultz, PhD

June 12, 2012

For many veterinary practitioners canine vaccination programs have been “practice management tools” rather than medical procedures. Thus, it is not surprising that attempts to change the vaccines and vaccination programs based on scientific information have created great controversy and unique methods of resistance to the proposed changes have been and are being developed. For some practitioners the issues are not duration of immunity for the vaccines, nor which vaccines are needed for the pet, instead it is felt that every licensed vaccine should be given to every pet on an annual or more often basis. Ironically this is fostered by the fact that multivalent products with 7 or more vaccine components can be purchased for the same price or less than a product with one or two vaccine components. A “more is better” philosophy prevails with regard to pet vaccines. On many occasions practitioners say that “I know many of the vaccines I administer probably aren’t needed but it won’t hurt to give them and who knows the animal may need them some time during their life because of unknown risk.” I have also been told by many practitioners that “I believe the duration of immunity for some vaccines like distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis is many years, but until I find another way to get the client into my office on a regular basis I’m going to keep recommending vaccines annually.  Annual vaccination has been and remains the single most important reason why most pet owners bring their pets for an annual or more often “wellness visit.” The importance of these visits for the health of the pet is exceptional. Therefore, dog owners must understand the vaccines are not the reason why their dog needs an annual wellness visit. Another reason for the reluctance to change current vaccination programs is many practitioners really don’t understand the principles of vaccinal immunity.

A significant number of practitioners believe: 1) the annual revaccination recommendation on the vaccine label is evidence the product provides immunity for (only) one year. – Not True

2) that they are legally required to vaccinate annually and if they don’t they will not be covered by AVMA liability insurance if the animal develops a vaccine preventable disease – Not True. Furthermore, certain companies will not provide assistance if practitioners don’t vaccinate annually with core vaccines. Not True – In fact most of the companies have now demonstrated their core products provide at least 3 years of immunity.

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Don’t Vaccinate Your Adult Cat for Distemper! by Jean Hofve, DVM

May 25, 2012
By Jean Hofve, DVM

Seriously? Yes! Evidence is mounting that the common FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and paneleukopenia) vaccine may cause long-term damage to cats’ kidneys that increases with every booster. Here’s the report from Colorado State University:

The Center for Companion Animal Studies at Colorado State University has shown that cats vaccinated with FVRCP vaccines grown on Crandell-Rees Feline Kidney (CRFK) cell lines can develop antibodies to renal proteins, and that cats hypersensitized to CRFK cell lysates can develop interstitial nephritis…Cats administered FVRCP vaccines parenterally (by injection) have higher levels of circulating antibodies to these antigens than do cats who were administered a FVRCP vaccine for intranasal administration.

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Vaccination – One Vet’s Perspective

May 25, 2012

By Jean Hofve, DVM

Vaccination is an ongoing controversy in veterinary medicine today. Veterinary schools and specialty organizations are promoting fewer vaccines at longer intervals, while many practitioners stubbornly cling to their annual booster schedules. Who’s right, and what’s the truth?

The Science Behind Vaccines

As a responsible pet caretaker, you probably take your animal companion to the vet every year for a check-up and “shots.” You probably get one or more reminder postcards about it! But while an annual check-up is still vitally important for your pet’s health, vaccination—how many and which ones—is a stormy controversy among veterinarians.

Until recently, vaccinations were considered harmless and beneficial. But today, scientific evidence proves that there are many potential harmful effects.

Most common vaccines are made using a “modified live virus” (MLV), which means that the virus is alive and can replicate in the animal’s body, but has been modified so it does not cause disease, or at least not severe disease. Read more »

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