Re: vaccination- article

["Deb & Boyd McFail" <bdmcfail@alaska.net>]

Great article Gina, thanks for posting it for us!
Debs

----------
>From: Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>
>To: brierpups@fast.cs.utah.edu
>Subject: vaccination- article
>Date: Wed, Jun 14, 2000, 5:09 PM
>

> Hi All,
>
> I was going to send you guys a ditty on not over exercising young dogs but
> can't find my file (ugg) but found this one on vaccinations that was
> written by my good friend and your puppies auntie Ellen.  Ellen is a
> Certified Veterinarian Technician and she writes for her breed club  health
> issues.   I have invited her to be on our list as an advisor but right now
> she and Doug are going through a dog trauma of their own.   Their 6 year
> old Beagle Beau just had to have major surgery for a ruptured disc in his
> neck.  So I doubt we will be hearing from Ellen anytime soon.  Ellen and
> Doug have two Beagles they rescued and three Harriers (not
> rescues).  Harrier:  Tall Beagle, <smile>.   Ellen shows in conformation
> with the Harriers and does obedience work too.  Doug has been working in
> agility with Beau and hopes to be able to return Beau to the sport in a
> year or so.  Beau is one of the worlds sweetest Beagles and excels at
> everything he is challenged with.  He has his CD which in hounds is an
> accomplishment.  Hounds put their noses to the ground and are usually
> gone.  Not Beau!  Anyway here is an article Ellen wrote on Vaccinations
> that I think you will find interesting.  I am back to searching for files
> exercising.
>
> Gina
>
>
> Vaccinations  Are we over doing it or not?
>
> One of the hottest topics in veterinary medicine right now is vaccinations.
> Vaccinations have been widely used for several decades now with great
> success.  Distemper and adenovirus are rarely seen anymore.  Parvovirus
> continues to plague puppies but no longer affects adults, nor does it have
> the devastating effects it had when it first surfaced in the 70's.  The
> questions that are arising now concern the necessity of vaccinating as
> frequently and as heavily as we do.
>
> The problem this issue presents is that there have been very few studies of
> any kind on either side of the issue.  And to further compound the problem,
> most of the studies done have not been of sufficient length.  While there
> are appropriate, long-term studies under way, the data will not be
> available for several years.  There are very knowledgeable and respected
> opinions on the varied issues concerning vaccination, but even most of them
> state that more research is needed.
>
> A vaccine works by introducing an antigen into the system of the dog.  An
> antigen is a substance that will stimulate an immune response and thus
> create an antibody.  Antibodies attack the antigen and render it harmless
> to the body.  Once the body has created antibodies, it retains a 'memory'
> of that antibody and can produce it if that antigen is detected again.  The
> 'memory' only lasts a certain amount of time.  And therein lies a big issue
> for our current vaccines.  How long does a dog's body maintain the 'memory'
> for each antigen?  This question can be answered in a couple of different
> ways. One is by long-term studies that will create average 'memory life
> span'. (These are called 'Duration of Immunity' studies an are only
> required for rabies vaccine.) The other is by conducting titers on your
> dogs.  A vaccine titer is done by drawing blood from your dog and sending
> it to the appropriate laboratory.  There it will be tested to see how well
> the antibody memory is functioning.  While these tests are a little
> challenging to decipher they may tell your veterinarian if your dog has an
> acceptable level of protection against disease.  Currently, titers are
> expensive, certainly far more than the vaccines, but should running titers
> become more popular, it may be possible to lower the price.  Check with
> your veterinarian for prices in your area.
>
> One of the issues involved with vaccination is that we are over-vaccinating
> and this may be causing such problems as auto-immune hemolytic anemia in
> dogs and vaccine-associated fibro-sarcomas in cats, as well as other immune
> related diseases.  Another is that we are vaccinating for diseases which no
> longer pose a threat or do not pose a threat in certain geographical
> areas.  For example, leptospirosis rarely occurs on the west coast however,
> it is fairly common in the North-eastern area of the USA, yet will still
> routinely vaccinate against it in this area.
>
> Some veterinarians and veterinary schools have adopted new vaccination
> protocols specific to the geographical area and the individual pet.  These
> new protocols encourage less frequent vaccinations and vaccines tailored to
> your area and your pet's exposure risk.  For example, at Colorado State
> University, they now advocate (for their geographical area and with full
> examination of the pet) the standard 3 shot series for puppies including
> parvo, adenovirus, parainfluenza, and distemper, but excluding
> leptospirosis and coronavirus.  After the puppy series, the dog will be
> boostered one year later, and then every three years, as opposed to every
> year.  Bordetella (intranasal) vaccine is recommended on an 'at risk' basis.
>
> Yet another question revolves around the use of the 'combo' vaccines.  Some
> feel that these simply aren't healthy and provide far too much stress on
> the immune system.  It is possible to break up the vaccines into several
> different components and also give them at different times.  For example,
> rather than giving the standard DA2LPP-C (distemper, adenovirus,
> leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvo and corona), you can give a DA2PP and
> give the remaining components at a later date.  It is also becoming a
> popular recommendation to not give more than one type of vaccine at a
> time.  For example, if your dog is due for rabies, DA2LPP-C, and
> bordetella, you may want to give each vaccine a month apart.
>
> I've barely touched the surface of this issue, and as you can see, it is
> fairly complex.  There are many other issues about which I have not
> written, due to lack of space.   At this point, until the data from the
> long-term studies is available, each dog-owner needs to make decisions
> about their pets' vaccinations in concert with their veterinarian.  You may
> want to discuss the issue with several veterinarians as there are many
> viewpoints.  Then take that information and decide what you are comfortable
> with.  Keep in mind that if you board your dogs at commercial kennels, or
> attend dog obedience or other classes, they may still require the standard
> vaccinations.  Also, rabies vaccination is controlled by your state or
> province and you must vaccinate your dog against rabies according to the
> laws that govern your area.
>
> For a suggested reading list on this topic, please visit
> http:www/cvmbs/colostate.edu/vth/savp2.html
>
> By Ellen Parr CVT
>