Hi Nancy,

I have a rescue that I adopted almost 2 years ago. She was having petite siezures during backward sneezing the first few months we had her. She had been given all her vaccinations and spayed - huge stress on the immune system. She hasn't had any more vaccinations since then and we have used homopathics to detox her, and only occassionaly backward sneezes in reaction to wheat products. But nothing like when we got her, she actually fell over on the floor during each episode.

Anyway, appreciate your article and have seen the ravages of over vaccination in my own dogs. boo hoo, lost one to cancer.

My cat was diagnosed with kidney failure over a year ago. At that time the vet (at North Deering Veterinary Hospital) told me there are some who believe that distemper shots (possibly among others) put too much of a stress on the kidneys. There's nothing conclusive that I know of, but since Max only has a third of his kidney function, I think this time we're going to skip it and be nice to his kidneys.

thany you, Nancy, for such a timely report. Your column is excellent, informative, enlightening, and funny. Perhaps if enough people begin requesting annual titers, local vets will begin to acknowledge "vaccinosis" and other problems caused by "preventative" treatments. Keep up the good work.

Excellent info Nancy!
I hope some vets read it. I helped update VT's rabies law the same way last year, so this year annual licences only require rabies within three years instead of two. As a former ACO (animal control officer, aka "dog catcher"), I must concur that annual vet exams are still necessary as are annual registrations or licencing, to make you check your records and give a little monetary help to the local ACO's and spay/neuter programs. Use that vet visit to insist your vet do the titers or find a lab that does, I had to go to 8 vets in VT before finding one who would send the titers to a lab (for more than the price of the six-way vacc!) Also, there's only one who uses homeopathics on dogs in northern VT, and he's so busy he won't take any new clients. So despite the number of vets around, getting them to help our dogs naturally is the current challenge. Happy hounds, Thia

Cheers for the hardwork in Maine - you are leading the way in educating the public about pet over-vaccination.

If the public just starts asking pointed questions of their veterinarians in person (and not of the mostly brain-washed to sell staff - and they are brain-washed by the pharmaceutical companies and the vet that pushes them to help the business run a good profit, it is not their fault). Let the vet educate their staff, just make sure to ask a LOT of questions before you vaccinate. Education before Vaccination is a simple step to perserve your pets' health.

Go Maine!
Julie in California

Would like to know if there are any kennels that are accepting titers instead of vaccines in Southern Maine? I have decided not to do vaccines on our two Dobermans, except for 3 yr rabies, but when they do have to be kennelled, I end up having to do shots so I can get them in. Having in home care is not feasible for these two, they are happier in a kennel than staying home alone.
Any ideas on how to get around this annoying problem?
Hollis Center, ME

Hi Phyllis,
I called a few kennels that I have worked with in the past and they both told me they accept titers, but still require kennel cough. They both chose not to be named but suggested that you call around. :)))
-Nancy

Please sign this petition. Type in Proheart in the search box if it comes up.

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?ProHeart

I believe that many of us have had our pets over vaccinated because
we listened to our vets erroneous suggestions. I know I did and had
two healthy dogs die in the past 10 months for no other obvious reasons. I
have been told that one of my dogs went into CHF because of the
overload of vaccinesthat were given each and every year as is standard but is wrong
protocol.

If your pets has been over vaccinated please email the law firm and tell them.

petvaccine@childresslaw.net

Please go to the following websites that have a lot of information backing this claim up and please help save some doggie & kitty lives.

www.critterfixer.com
www.dogsadversereactions.com
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/vetandpetunhealthcaremalpractice/
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/doghealth2/
www.rimadyldeath.com

Great job Nancy, thank you for standing up for all the pets out there.

Nancy~Thank you so much for the informative and timely article. On April 15, 2005 after exhaustive efforts to diagnois my 5 year old corgi's condition AND visits to 4 vets (including 1 diagnostic "specialist" in Portland who shall remain nameless) we were told that Sadie had less than 2 weeks to live. All of them agreed that she had terminal liver disease and all categorically denied that innoculations had anything to do with her condition. I am absolutely POSITIVE that Proheart was the cause. So without their support we began our research and developed a holistic treatment plan including daily doses of vitamins and various herbs including milk thistle...proven to heal a damaged liver. Can you believe that none of the vets even mentioned this well known fact? I am happy to report that Sadie is doing amazingly well! It's titer tests for us in the future...and far less trust in the veterinary world.

Hi Francine,
What an amazing story. Pro-heart 6 is a (voluntary?) recalled heartworm product that was given by injection and touted as lasting 6 months.
Can you share with us what holistic treatment you followed and where you found out about it?
So happy to here that your Corgi is doing well.
-Nancy

Hi Nancy~
Thanks for your note. Sadie received her last proheart injection in '04 just a couple of months before this drug was recalled. When I heard that it had been taken off the market I immediately contacted my vet...seems they hadn't heard about it yet...hmmm?
Our holistic approach to "healing" her damaged liver is quite detailed and includes 1.) a modified raw diet (fresh vegetables and no red meat) w/ Wysong dog supplements, garlic, soy & flax seed oil 2.) 100 mg of Milk Thistle/day (to repair and rejuvenate liver) 3.) Vitamin E supplements (anti oxidants and aids circulation) and SAM-e (stimulates liver regeneration) 4. Ursodiol 100 mg/day aids in removing toxins from the system (must be prescribed by your vet)
5. Plenty of LOVE and SUNSHINE!
There are a number of good resources out there both online and in hard copy....we've taken away valuable information from all of them. For me, I found Cyndi Smasal's book HOPE FOR HEALING LIVER DISEASE IN YOUR DOG an excellent resource; Dr. Pitcairn's book should be on every "care givers" reading list...
Before our "treatments" Sadie had lost 1/4 of her body weight (she had been unable to hold down food for nearly 20 days). Today she has regained all but 1 pound, LOVES her food, is bright eyed & free of jaundice and her energy levels increases every day. We are thankful for each day...she is such a joy!

Good article. Fortunately, my vet in Cape Elizabeth noted on my annual reminder postcard that my dog was vaccinated 2 years ago and is not scheduled for re-innoculation until next year. But I will ask about testing for the antibodies for the other vaccines.
Right now, a major concern of mine is that my dog tests positive for Lyme every year, even though he has no signs of the illness and I treated him with antibiotics when he was first diagnosed three years ago. I think the tests they use indicate prior exposure, not current infection. I don't think animals should be given heavy doses of antibiotics every year as a precaution any more than people should be abusing them. Most people consider their pets to be members of the family and treat them as they do their children. The practice of treating them like barnyard guinea pigs will be a thing of the past if we stay educated and stand our ground.

Let's not forget the cats!
Visit:
www.vas-awareness.org
and
www.catshots.com
to learn about the deadly side effect of vaccines in cats -
vaccine/injection related sarcomas.

All medicaitons have inherant risks. Even the vitamins we all stuff down our throats have horrible risks. You take Johns Wort with a particular antidepressant and it can kill you. You take too much vitamin E and your on coumadin - well-all I can say is -don't stick yourself.
I have a number of points.
1. If nbc reported- it is is true? well maybe. After 4 heavy years of watching politics I turned my tv off with the exception of c-span -because for two years i watched my local and national not tell the turth. I have seen people hurt personally because of untrue news stories. Not on NBC but on another station I actually witnessed the news being bought and paid for.
Yes some dogs have terrible reactions to vaccinations but I would put forward another theory about poor breeding practices that affect in immune system of a dog that makes it easier to get immunological disorders. Just a thought.
Thats why I support, as a person that rescues Golden Retrivers, my friends that support responsible breeding and also canine cancer research.
This is not something that happens with just animals-it happens with humans also. Looks at diseases like MS.
I don't know any veternarians in Maine but I know hundreds of them in Florida. It is a huge topic of discussion.
I can assure you that most agonize over vaccinations. Untill a few years there was no real researach going on because basically there was no money to pay for it.
Most veternarians I know are well versed in this issue -because they have to be.
If people are really concerned then find a researacher -raise some money -do some studies and get them published. Not only does it give you credibility but in the end does an incredible humane service.
I'm sure that most people reading Nancy's Blog have never seen a dog die from distemper. I have. It quite horrible. Two summers ago we have 8 golden s in a row die ahorrible death from distemper.
Nancy you should not feel guilty about what happened to your beloved dog Dina. Brain tumors in dogs are caused by a variety of things.

Cyndi Lenz RN
www.goldenrescuesouthflorida.com

One critical point that has been left out, and MUST be understood: the "3-yr. vaccine" and the "1-yr vaccine" are the same identical pharmaceutical product--NO difference in the vial contents AT ALL. The re-labelling is a loop hole for shelters and vets to continue sending out those recall cards for yearly boosters.

Why do we have to give Rabies shot every three years?They should except a titers test in it's place. It's like taken your car that is full of gas and trying to pump more in. I must remind everyone about titers testing. There is no such thing as " Oh! your dog is low on the titers test so he needs another shot WRONG!!! This means that the dog is not fighting any kind of infection and if it is high, this means he is fighting a disease. But if it shows up at all the animal is fully covered. If you did a titers on a new born puppy it would show it was fully protected through the Mothers milk!!! Keep talking to others and let us get the MERCURY POISON OUT OF OUR VACCINES AND WE COULD STOP CANCER!

After reading everyone comments you all need to go to the book store and pick up THE NATURE OF ANIMAL HEALING BY MARTIN GOLDSTEIN, DVM. if you truely love your animals. A Vet that really speaks out and tells the thruth to pet owners. It's the answers you need to know. Tell Others.

A new book on pet vaccines, VACCINE GUIDE FOR DOGS and CATS, is excellent. Visit http://www.thinktwice.com/ani.htm for more information.