Two Interesting Papers on Vaccination
and
To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate By Dr Charles E.Loops DVM
The following information is from Dr Loops and is reprinted with his permission
"Homeopathy is one of the rare medical approaches which carries no penalties - only benefits"-Yehudi Menuhin, Violinist.
"Yehudi Menuhin's statement reflects an important reason that I became interested in Homeopathy. After practicing traditional western medicine for about 10 years, I became disenchanted with chemical drugs as being the only approach in dealing with disease. I was frustrated with the lack of effective treatments for chronic disease, behavior problems, and the epedemic of allergic conditions. During my search for alternatives, my personal health was greatly improved with homeopathic treatment. This led me to the study of homeopathy and the incorporation of this great system of medicine in my veterinary practice. That was in 1989, and three years later I sold that practice so that I could devote myself solely to homeotherapeutics.
This is when my philosophy about disease changed and my interest in classical homeopathy began. I studied with Richard Pitcairn, DVM, going to workshops that he offered for several years. I completed a year of study with Linda Johnston, M.D., author of Everyday Miracles who had a very successful homeopathic practice in Ca.. I have studied extensively and continue to do so.
My practice is mainly by referral and 95% by telephone consultation. I have treated thousands of cases using the principles of classical homeopathy over the past years and I continue to find this system of gentle healing the most effective therapy that has ever existed. Sixty percent of my new cases have cancer and most of these several hundred companions each year survive longer and have more quality of life than cancer patients treated with western medicine or other modalities. The homeopathic approach is both very cost effective for guardians and gentle and natural for their companions.
Having practiced twenty years as a veterinarian, ten with western medicine and ten years with homeopathy, there is no doubt about which is the more effective system and which has the curative approact to disease. The side-effects of homeopathic treatment are better health and a heightened sense of well-being, a statement that can't be made in support of western medicine.
Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have
maintained for years that vaccinations are doing harm. Aside from the
immediate risk if vaccination side-effects sucb as allergic reactions
and anaphylactic shock, there are more compelling reasons to avoid
vaccinations whenever possible. Vaccinations represent a major assault
on the body's immune system. Attentuated organisms or chemicalled killed
viruses or bacteria are injected directly into the blood stream via
subcutaneous or intramuscular injection, an unnatural route of
infection. This profound insult, avoids the body's first line of
defenses, flooding the system with millions of organisms or viral
particles, causing irregularities and abnormalities in the immune system
which then manifest as chronic diseases in animals. The overall effect,
while potentially protecting the individual from a specific, acute
disease, is to weaken or create imbalance in the immune system so that
underlying tendencies to disease are brought to the surface. In other
words, vaccinations represent a major stress. Following vaccinations we
often see chronic problems begin such as epilepsy, skin allergies,
persistent upper respiratory infections, irritable bowel syndromes,
auto-immune diseases and cancer, just to name a few. < BR> What we are
now seeing are generations of over-vaccinated animals and these current
offspring are suffering the penalty of this medical abuse. Where
vaccinations have helped in eradicating or reducing the incidence of
severe, acute disease processes, the result has been to plague humanity
with more insiduous, chronic diseases that are difficult to treat or
even cure and that lower the quality of life for many individual and
animals.
After twenty years or practicing veterinary medicine, I am observing
chronic diseases that begin much earlier than before. Cancer before five
years of age in dogs and cats was a rarity and now it's not unusual to
see fatal cancers in two and three year old animals. And the incidence
of number of cases is definitely increasing. While poor breeding
practices, poor commercial diets and other environmental factors play
their part, I believe it is the practice of vaccinating an animal
repeatedly with multiple vaccinations throughtout their lifespan that
factors the most. We have genetically weakened our companions with this
practice. A normal dog or cat living to twelve years of age will receive
at least twenty and possible thirty vaccinations during their lifetime.
Fifteen or so of these shots will have four to seven disease fractions
present in each vaccination. In all of this, balance in nature has been
lost to the pharmaceutical-medical complex's philosophy, propelled in
great part by monetary factors, that all vaccinations are beneficial and
that vaccinating is always better than not vaccinating.
Risk of Exposure should be the main guideline for consideration of
whether to vaccinate and what to vaccinate against. If your cats are
indoor only or if your dogs' outside activities are on a leash or within
a fenced area under supervision, there is little risk. The other
considerations for a vaccine's use are its proven safety, its
effectiveness, and is the disease serious or life-threatening that the
vaccine is used for. Remember, VACCINES ARE NOT HARMLESS. Only vaccinate
if the threat is real. The following are some of my recommendations
concerning your companions' health in choosing whether to vaccinate.
1. If you can, don't vaccinate puppies under three months of age.
Vaccinations are much more stressful on the underdeveloped immune
system. Also, these vaccinations are much less effective at providing
immunity before three months of age. If you feel you must vaccinate, do
so with one vaccination of Distemper at three months, followed by a
vaccination for Parvovirus at four months of age, and stop with that. If
you can't find a single Distemper vaccine use the Distemper-measles
combination. Use killed vaccines only.
2. Kittens should only be vaccinated for Panleukopenia and not
before three months of age. All other vaccinations should be
avoided. One vaccine is sufficient.
3. Puppies and kittens can be given homeopathic nosodes
beginning at three weeks of age, if there is a potential for
exposure to Distemper, Parvovirus, or Panleukopenia. These nosodes can
be used until vaccinations are given or continued periodically for the
first year of life, if vaccinations are not given. Common sense should
be used in avoiding exposure of very young animals to other, possible
unhealthy, animals of the same species.
4. Booster vaccinations are completely unnecessary. Studies are now showing that these vaccinations are effective for many years and most probably for life. Vaccinated animals do not need any boosters. Homeopathic nosodes can be given periodically if you are concerned or if you think your animals live a high risk, life style.
5. Rabies Vaccinations should be given as dictated by state laws. Lyssin,
the homeopathic nosode, should be given within a few hours after the
vaccination. Clearly, the rabies vaccination is effective for many years
more than state laws require booster vaccination.
6. Booster vaccinations can cause SEVERE set-backs when an animal
is being treated homeopathically for chronic problems. They can
completely erase any progress that has been made towards improving an
animal's health.
7. My personal recommendation is NOT to vaccinate at all.
The best road to good health is feeding a diet rich in fresh foods, raw
meats for the carnivores, and avoiding vaccinations and allopathic
medications. Antbiotics and other allopathic drugs should only be used
in situations where their use is clearly indicated, and this should be
only in potentially, life-threatening situations. Every time you
suppress a symptom the body produces, you are potentially lowering the
health status of the body system. Treating with the correctly
prescribed, homeopathic remedy, herbs, or other non-invasive therapies,
not of a chemical nature, will enhance your health and your companions
health.
8. Commercial diets should be carefully chosen. Your
companion is at the mercy of your good or poor judgement in selecting
foods. Cats and dogs which have free access to the outside can to some
degree supplement their diet. Otherwise, they are totally dependent
on you. Science diets and Hill's dog and cat food products are
not good diets. They use chemical preservatives that have been shown
to cause problems in some animals, and they use by-products,
which are words on the ingredient label that need to be avoided at all
costs. This generally means food not utilized for human consumption. If
you feed a carefully selected commercial food, some supplementation with
fresh food is necessary to maximize your companions' health. Raw
poultry, beef, lamb, or rabbit and occassionally liver should be added
to the diet at least three times per week, and fresh vegetables in small
amounts should also be offered.
9, The best diet is a RAW FOOD DIET and we have recipes.
There are also many good books with recipes for raw diets.
Definition of Homeopathic Nosodes
(Pronounced no'-sodes), are remedies or medicines made from the disease itself and are diluted or potenized so only the energy exists. They are administered orally. So far, experince has shown no problem with side effects if the animal has been healthy.
The following is Dr Loops recommended schedule for Nosodes
SCHEDULE FOR IMMUNIZATION WITH NOSODES
FOR PUPPIES 3 WKS TO 6 WKS
[Begin or give nosodes on same day of each week]
A dose of nosode is 4-6 drops of the nosode on the tongue.
WEEK ONE - Give 30C Parvo Nosode once [twice] daily for 2 days
WEEK TWO - Give 30C Parvo Nosode once daily for 5 days
WEEK THREE - Give 200C Parvo Nosode once
WEEK FOUR - Give 30C Distemper Nosode [twice] daily for 2 days
WEEK FIVE - Give 30C Distemper Nosode once
WEEK SIX - Give 200C Distemper Nosode once
WEEK SEVEN - Wait
WEEK EIGHT - Give 200C Parvo Nosode once
WEEK NINE - Wait
WEEK TEN - Give 200C Distemper Nosode once
WEEK FOURTEEN - Give 1M Parvo Nosode
WEEK EIGHTEEN - Give 1M Distemper Nosode
REPEAT THE 1M DOSES EVERY 4 MONTHS WITH ONE MONTH IN BETWEEN THE PARVO AND DISTEMPER NOSODES. AFTER SEVERAL REPETITIONS THE SCHEDULE CAN BE STOPPED AT ONE TO TWO YEARS OF AGE DEPENDING ON THE POTENTIAL EXPOSURE.
For nosode kennel cough protection, give the 200C nosode once daily for two days, follow with one dose two weeks later. Wait until 6 months of age to begin. Repeat every 3-6 months depending on potential for exposure.
For nosode Heartworm protection, give the 200C nosode once daily for two days, follow with one dose two weeks later. Repeat once dose every 6 weeks.
Vaccination
Newsflash: Crossposting from: Dr. Ihor Basko
VACCINATION
NEWSFLASH Re: J
Dodd's vaccine protocol
I would like to make you aware that all 27 veterinary schools in North
America are in the process of changing their protocols for
vaccinating dogs and cats. Some of this information will present an
ethical & economic challenge to vets, and there will be sceptics.
Some
organizations have come up with a political compromise suggesting
vaccinations every 3 years to appease those who fear loss of income
vs
those concerned about potential side effects. Politics, traditions, or
the doctor's economic well-being should not be a factor in medical
decision.
NEW PRINCIPLES OF IMMUNOLOGY "Dogs and cats immune
systems mature
fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus vaccine is given after 6
months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the
pet (ie: canine distemper, parvo,feline distemper). If another MLV
vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine
neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or
no effect. The titer is not "boosted" nor are more memory cells
induced. "Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper
unnecessary, they subject the pet to potential risks of allergic
reactions and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. "There is no
scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual
administration of MLV vaccines "Puppies receive antibodies through
their mothers milk. This natural protection can last 8-14 weeks.
Puppies & kittens should NOT be >vaccinated at LESS than 8
weeks.
Maternal immunity will neutralize the vaccine and little protection
(0-38%) will be produced. Vaccination at 6 weeks will, however,
delay
the timing of the first highly effective vaccine. Vaccinations given
2 weeks apart suppress rather than stimulate the immune system. A
series of vaccinations is given starting at 8 weeks and given 3-4
weeks apart up to 16 weeks of age. Another vaccination given
sometime
after 6 months of age (usually at 1 year 4 mo) will provide lifetime
immunity." Giant Regards, Deb Stover <>< G.I.A.N.T. Schnauzer
Rescue
In the past there have been many different vaccination recommendations for dogs and cats from veterinarians across the United States based on the best available information. In light of new information, the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital is offering its clients the following vaccination program. This program is designed as the routine immunization program for Colorado State University's clients' dogs and cats living in Larimer County, Colorado, USA in conjunction with a complete physical examination and health evaluation. This program is modified for any patient with specific risk factors.
Not all available small animal vaccines may be suitable for our program. Infectious disease risk may vary and our routine vaccination program may not be suitable for all localities. Anyone using our routine vaccination program is encouraged to follow the guidelines that are its basis and use the program at their own risk.
For pet owners, your local veterinarian is your best resource to develop a vaccination program tailored for your pet. The health status and infectious disease risks of your pet should be considered in the selection of a vaccination program.
Our adoption of this routine vaccination program is based on the lack of scientific evidence to support the current practice of annual vaccination and increasing documentation showing that overvaccinating has been associated with harmful side effects. Of particular note in this regard has been the association of autoimmune hemolytic anemia with vaccination in dogs and vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats -- both of which are often fatal. With boosters (except for rabies vaccine), the annual revaccination recommendation on the vaccine label is just that -- a recommendation without the backing of long term duration of immunity studies, and is not a legal requirement. Rabies vaccine is the only commonly used vaccine that requires that duration of immunity studies be carried out before licensure in the United States. Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.
Based on the concern that annual vaccination of small animals for many, but not all, infectious agents is probably no longer scientifcally justified, and our desire to avoid vaccine-associated adverse events, we are recommending the described routine immunization program to our small animal clients.
This Program recommends the standard three shot series for puppies (parvovirus, adenovirus 2, parainfluenza, distemper) and kittens (panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calicivirus) to include rabies after 8 weeks of age for cats (Canary Pox Rabies only) and 16 weeks of age for dogs. Following the initial puppy and kitten immunization series, cats and dogs will be boostered one year later and then every three years thereafter for all the above diseases except for rabies in cats which receive the new safer canary pox rabies vaccine that requires annual boosters. Similar small animal vaccination programs have been recently adopted by other university teaching hospitals and the American Association of Feline Practitioners.
Other available small animal vaccines, which may need more frequent administration, i.e., intranasal parainfluenza, Bordetella, feline leukemia, Lyme, etc., may be recommended for CSU client animals on an "at risk" basis but are not a part of the routine Colorado State University protocol for small animals. Recent studies clearly indicate that not all vaccines perform equally and some vaccine products may not be suitable for such a program.
SMALL ANIMAL VACCINES SELECTED FOR OUR PROGRAM AT THE COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY VETERINARY TEACHING HOSPITAL
CANINE
Progard ®-5 (Intervet)
Modified live canine distemper, adenovirus type 2, parainfluenza, parvovirus vaccine
Progard ® KC (Intervet)
Canine parainfluenza, Bordetella bronchiseptica (intranasal)
FELINE
Protex ® -3 (Intervet, Inc.)
Modified live virus feline rhinotracheitis, calici, panleukopenia
Trivalent (Heska)
Modified live rhinotracheitis, calici, panleukopenia (intranasal)
Fel-O-Vax Lv-K ® (Fort Dodge)
Killed FeLV vaccine
CANINE AND FELINE* RABIES
Imrab® 3 (Rhone Merieux) (Dog)
Killed rabies vaccine - three year duration of immunity
Purvax (Cat)
A new canarypox vector rabies vaccine from Merial with a one year duration of immunity replaces Imrab®3 in cats.
NONROUTINE VACCINE RECOMMENDATIONS
To be used just prior to possible exposure to kennel cough carriers, i.e., shows, field trials, etc. May be repeated up to six times per year.
To be used ONLY IN HIGH RISK cats. Best protection: Two vaccines prior to 12 weeks of age, since younger cats are most susceptible to FeLV. One booster at one year of age.
For those interested in reading more about small animal immunization issues, the following is a suggested reading list.
SUGGESTED READING LIST