— from Gwen Stamm —
I grew up thinking that vaccinations for dogs were always a good thing. Recently when I adopted my first adult dog in 20 years I discovered that many of the earlier “best practices” on booster vaccinations for adult dogs were no longer valid.
According to Dr. Ronald Schultz, a professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, puppies absolutely need to be vaccinated for canine parvovirus, distemper and adenovirus, but for decades he has also spoken out against over-vaccinating adult pets. In a 1992 paper he said, “Extending the revaccination intervals for canine core vaccines does not place the animal at increased risk to developing preventable disease, but it does reduce the potential for adverse reactions.” Some adverse reactions to over-vaccination can be mild (fever, facial swelling, anorexia, vomiting) or severe (susceptibility to infections, neurological disorders, aberrant behavior) and even fatal.
It wasn’t until 2003, as a member of the AAHA Canine Task Force (which provides vaccination guidelines to the veterinary industry), that Dr. Schultz’s over-vaccination concerns were finally acknowledged. As a result, the booster guidelines changed from 1 to 3 years for adult dogs. Although Dr. Schultz was instrumental in this 2003 decision, he goes on to say that it is even better “to run antibody titers” every 3 years. A “titer” is a measurement of how much antibody to a certain antigen is circulating in the blood at that moment. In his opinion, if the titer test shows immunity there is no need to re-vaccinate your dog.
Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM, considered one of the foremost experts in pet healthcare, also supports the use of titer tests every 3 years to prevent over-vaccination. In her paper, “Changing Vaccine Protocols” Dr. Dodds states, “…studies in refereed journals show that 90-98% of dogs and cats that have been properly vaccinated develop good measureable antibody titers to the infectious agent measured.” She goes on to say, “core” vaccines along with natural exposures last a minimum of 7-9 years, and likely are present for life.”
Recently a new titer test called Vaccicheck has been developed. It is faster and easier than the earlier titer tests since it can be done in the veterinarian’s office rather than sent to a lab. Consequently, this titer test is also less expensive. For example, a clinic in the Seattle area charges $55 for the Vaccicheck for dogs. If the dog shows lack of immunity they provide the required vaccinations for free.
For more information about pet vaccinations in general see Whole Dog Journal, August 2008, “Dog Vaccination Information”; August 2010 article “Over-Vaccination – Dog Owners Beware”; and March 2013, “Time for Vaccines?” Additional information can be found at Dr. W. Jean Dodds’s website. Look here for information on Vaccicheck. For a comprehensive list of adverse reactions to over-vaccination see the AAHA’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines.
A thoughtful, well written article Gwen. Thank you for your research into this timely subject concerning the vaccinations of pets, and for sharing this important information. We try so hard to do the right thing for our beloved pets with regard to nutrition and overall health, and the rules keep changing with new research. It is important to stay on top of it. I too read and appreciate the Whole Dog Journal. Hopefully we can find these titer tests offered closer to home so we don’t have to go off island for them.
Gwen,
A well researched article. As the “parent” of a dog with a compromised immune system, I appreciate all of the work you are doing in this area.