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Are you playing games
with your dog's health...
Do
you know anyone whose healthy dog has suffered an inexplicable illness shortly after a routine
vaccination? Does your club insist on annual boosters? Following his request on the Desperately
seeking... page to find 'single vaccinations,' Keith Powell set out to find the right vet to
help him. His search makes interesting reading.
I know of many people, including myself, whose healthy dogs have suffered an
inexplicable illness shortly following regular vaccinations. Our dogs do not become ill from
the vaccination itself but, after attending a lecture in 2000 given by Dr. John Angles (1), I
do hold the view that certain breeds and certain dogs are more susceptible to immune-medicated
diseases than others.
However, Dr Angles has the view that, at present, the benefit of vaccination
outweighs the problems but for those dogs who are susceptible to 'the problems,' there is no
way of identifying particular individuals, and vaccinating these dogs is a bit like playing
Russian Roulette. In the Akita population, he has found there is a 9.3% prevalence of a dog
falling foul to one of the serious immune-mediated diseases and this prevalence does not follow
particular breed lines.
He believes that, if a dog is susceptible, one of the booster jabs sets up a
hypersensitivity and the following vaccination sets up the auto-immune system to react in some
unpredictable way! This could present as a blood disease, particular organ failure or joint
problem. The number of possibilities is too long to list.
I also strongly believe in the benefits of vaccination, but I refuse to play
Russian Routlette with the health of my dogs. Instead I have the necessary full puppy
vaccinations and, at yearly intervals, have a blood test to indicate my dog’s antibody status,
costing about £40/dog. Canine parainfluenza and leptospira vaccinations are short lived, should
be repeated annually and not detected by the tests used by my vet but canine parvovirus,
distemper and adenovirus are detectable. My dog's immune status is then recorded on its
individual caccination record card should a dog club or kennel wish to see it.
The record of my dog’s antibody levels are attached and it makes fascinating
reading. Why these levels fluctuate is difficult to say, as is the reason for some levels going
off the scale – I’ll leave that for the vets to debate.
My recent
note on the Agilitynet (February 2006) was to find a vet or a supplier of single
vaccines. Although one vaccine company is now recommending the canine parvovirus, distemper and
adenovirus vaccinations together once every three years, with annual jabs for parainfluenza and
leptospira. However, I am led to believe most vets continue follow the routine of annual
boosters for all five common viruses.
It was very exasperating to find that very few vets could supply single
vaccines. I now know that parvo, parainfluenza and lepto can be obtained singly but adenovirus
and distemper usually come as a joint combination. However, the suppliers only sell any of
these in multiple packs of ten or more for each vaccine.
Following numerous fruitless calls to local vets, I was beginning
to feel very despondent as no one was able - or willing - to supply single doses
of vaccine. But, I finally managed to source the single vaccinations that I
require. This means that I can continue to blood test my dogs
and remove the need to play Russian roulette with their 'vaccination' health.
I hope that this article will provide those worried about canine vaccinations
with an alternative route to follow.
(1) Dr John Angles
1999 B.V.Sc, M.V. Studies. Ralston Purina Lecturer in Small Animal Special Medicine,
The University College, Dublin. His research is focused on looking for gene or chromosome
markers to determine which dogs are susceptible to immune related disease following
routine vaccinations, within certain breeds. |
Vaccination Levels of Keith Powell’s
Dogs
|
Magic |
Kats |
Quinn |
Kelmi
|
DoB |
26/4/00 |
9/7/02 |
6/10/04 |
23/9/05 |
Breed |
Finnish Lapphund |
Japanese Akita Inu |
Border
Collie |
Kromfohrlander |
Virus |
Measure of blood titres indicating antibody levels
|
October 2001
|
|
|
|
Parvo |
4096 |
|
|
|
Distemper |
2896 |
|
|
|
Adenovirus |
8192 |
This
new
puppy |
|
|
October 2002
|
arrived
& vaccinated
|
|
|
Parvo |
4096 |
August 2002 |
|
|
Distemper |
2896 |
|
|
|
Adenovirus |
2048 ê |
|
|
|
October 2003
|
|
|
|
Parvo |
4096 |
4096 |
|
|
Distemper |
2896 |
128 |
New
dog |
|
Adenovirus |
892 ê |
512 |
visited
for 3 weeks |
|
October 2004
|
July 2004 |
|
Parvo |
4096 |
4096 |
|
|
Distemper |
11584 |
1448 é |
New
puppy arrived & |
This
new puppy |
Adenovirus |
4096 |
512 |
vaccinated
Dec 2004 |
arrived & vaccinated |
December 2005
|
November 2005 |
Parvo |
64 # |
32 # |
256 |
|
Distemper |
1024 ê |
181 ê |
28 # |
# = booster |
Adenovirus |
8192 é |
512 |
16 # |
required |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Titre level indications
|
|
Parvo &
|
Distemper
|
Action recommended
|
Adenovirus
|
(a blood disease)
|
Under 4 |
No sig. antibody |
Booster required
|
Under 8 |
No significant antibody |
4 to 84 |
Low antibody titre |
Booster required |
8 to 32 |
Low antibody titre |
85 to 128 |
High titre, immune dog |
No need for booster
|
64 to 512 |
Moderate titre, immune dog |
|
|
No need for booster
|
513 to 1024 |
High titre, immune dog |
About
the author...
Keith Powell's
first love in the
canine world was the large Japanese Akita. It took him two years to find the right dog, which
came to him in 1997. It was a gentle giant and he trained her to be a PAT Dog, working with
young children at Frimley Park Hospital. Keith says, 'I suppose the first dog you own is always
special. It took him many years to get over the loss of his 'teddy bear' friend when it died of
an auto-immune illness in 2001, a few weeks following routine vaccination.
In 2000 he
bought a Finnish Lapphund, mainly to be a companion to his Akita. His Akita did agility so from
the end of 2001 onwards, he consumed himself in agility with his Lapphund who has gained much
respect, success and interest, competing in Midi competitions. Magic, his Lapphund, an early
holder of the Agility Warrant, is a Senior dog looking for that elusive second agility win to
make her Advanced. She has won her class twice at Crufts. The pinnacle of their success was
finishing fourth in the British Open in 2005, being selected for England B at the Kennel Club
International and finishing second in the inaugural KC Nations (Midi) Cup representing England,
their team beating England A!
Keith has
another Akita now, from Italy and is training a Border Collie for next season (2007). He has
just taken on a Kromfohrlander puppy from Holland to be his next Medium dog for the 2007-2008
season.
Keith is now
looking forward to training his two newest dogs, the first he has bought specifically for
agility, He plans to reduce his weekends away competing, picking those events where he can
enjoy his new 'second hand' caravan and anticipating the luxury of accessories that work – his
previous caravan being 29 years old and showing its age!
From Mike Afia...
I was interested in the article about vaccinating each year. About four months after
my Spaniel got his booster, he collapsed with an auto-immune blood disease. He is still on
medication and will be for the rest of his life. His blood is now stabilising, and my collie is
regularly done. Needless to say, my spaniel will never see another of these vaccinations.
(19/02/06)
Revised 2nd May 2021
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