Dangers in Pet Vaccinations – Are They Really Necessary?

Most pet owners aren’t aware of the dangers in animal vaccinations that have been discovered in recent years. The major veterinary associations now agree that vaccinations can trigger all sorts of maladies, from allergies to cancer – but most pet caretakers (and many veterinarians, it seems) haven’t gotten the word.

“With vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and severity of these side-effects in our pets has increased dramatically. Most of the problems involve the immune system. After all, the immune system is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. But they do so in a very unnatural way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system.” Dr. Donna Starita Mehan DVM

Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Ph.D..- “Annual revaccination provides no benefit and may increase the risk for adverse reactions. The percentage of vaccinated animals (those vaccinated only as puppies) protected from clinical disease after challenge with canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and canine adenovirus in the study was greater than 95%.” Current and Future Canine and Feline Vaccination Programs. Dr. Ronald Schultz is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine, UW-Madison. Schultz, R.D. – Current and Future Canine and Feline Vaccination Programs. Vet Med 3: No. 3, 233-254, 1998

Dr. Charles E Loops DVM – “The first thing that must change with routine vaccinations is the myth that vaccines are not harmful. Veterinarians and animal guardians have to come to realise that they are not protecting animals from disease by annual vaccinations, but in fact, are destroying the health and immune systems of these same animals they love and care for Homeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for some time that vaccinations do more harm than they provide benefits. Vaccinations represent a major assault on the body’s immune system…. Vaccine induced chronic diseases range from life-threatening conditions such as auto-immune crises to conditions destroying the quality of life of an animal as in chronic skin allergies.”

Dr. Dee Blanco, D.V.M – “You take healthy animals and often very quickly after you vaccinate, you can see simple things like itching of the skin or excessive licking of the paws, sometimes even with no eruptions and licking of the air. We see a lot of epilepsy/seizure, often after a rabies vaccination. Or dogs or cats can become aggressive for several days. Frequently, you’ll see urinary tract infections in cats, often within three months after their [annual] vaccination. If you step back, open your mind and heart, you’ll start to see patterns of illness post-vaccination.” (veterinarians have also observed vaccinosis symptom of severe inflammation of the tail)

Dr. Pat Bradley, DVM  –
“In a general and frightening context, I see the overall health and longevity of animals deteriorating. The bodies of most animals have a tremendous capacity to detoxify poisons, but they do have a limit. I think we often exceed that limit and overwhelm the body’s immune system function with toxins from vaccines. The most common problems I see that are directly related to vaccines on a day to day basis are ear or skin conditions, such as chronic discharges and itching. I also see behavior problems such as fearfulness or aggression. Often guardians will report that these begin shortly after vaccination and are exacerbated with every vaccine.”

Dr. Dennis Macy DVM – “We should not allow politics and tradition or greed to enter the decision (on frequency of vaccination). Changing vaccination schedules doesn’t have to mean less profit, but that you have more income from some clients and less from others. Veterinarians and the industry need to have guts to be honest with ourselves and assess the risk and not be trapped in tradition.” – Dr. Dennis Macy in “Are We Vaccinating Too Much?” AVMA Journal, 1995

Dr. Christina Chambreau, DVM – “Routine vaccinations are probably the worst thing that we do for our animals. They cause all types of illnesses but not directly to where we would relate them definitely to be caused by the vaccine. Repeating vaccinations on a yearly basis undermines the whole energetic well-being of our animals. Animals do not seem to be decimated by one or two vaccines when they are young and veterinary immunologists tell us that viral vaccines need only be given once or twice in an animal’s life. First, there is no need for annual vaccinations and, second, they definitely cause chronic disease. As a homoeopath, it is almost impossible to cure an animal without first addressing the problems that vaccines have caused to the animal, no matter what the species.”

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association – Adverse events diagnosed within three days of vaccine administration in dogs
A study of more than 2,000 cats and dogs in the United Kingdom by Canine Health Concern showed a 1 in 10 risk of adverse reactions from vaccines. This contradicts what the vaccine manufacturers report for rates of adverse reactions, which is “less than 15 adverse reactions in 100,000 animals vaccinated” (0.015 percent).  Additionally, adverse reactions of small breeds are 10 times higher than large breeds, suggesting standard vaccine doses are too high for smaller animals.

The Pet Wellness has been successful in getting the Texas Department of Health Services to propose a rule change. It will be published for public comment in October. In the meantime, we must truly marshal our forces to counteract what is surely to be a nasty fight. There is so much myth and misinformation surrounding rabies in companion animals. Our laws are at least 20 years behind our knowledge of vaccinology.  Please help  (sign the petitions) us get wider awareness of the proposed rule change and the need for people to speak out on the need for reform in rabies laws, starting with an exemption for sick and senior pets.

A great number of studies have shown that when you vaccinate an animal, the body’s inflammatory cytokines not only increase dramatically, but so do the brain’s inflammatory chemicals. Many pet guardians observe changes in a pet subsequent to the first series of animal vaccinations – lethargy, vomiting, itching, ear or eye discharge, to name but a few. The veterinarian will reassure you that these symptoms are normal. Sadly, for some companion animals, these symptoms worsen and lead to death. For other pets, they lead to a lifetime of health problems.

[Quotes found on Shirley's Wellness Cafe]

What does AAFCO mean, and does it really matter?

The definition as shown on the AFFCO website shows:

The term AAFCO stands for the Association of American Feed Control Officials. A basic goal of AAFCO is to provide a mechanism for developing and implementing uniform and equitable laws, regulations, standards and enforcement policies for regulating the manufacture, distribution and sale of animal feeds; resulting in safe, effective, and useful feeds. The Association thereby promotes new ideas and innovative procedures and urges their adoption by member agencies, for uniformity.

Purpose and Function of AAFCO:

The purpose of the corporation shall be to establish and maintain an Association through which officials of any state, dominion, federal or other governmental agency and employees thereof charged with a responsibility in enforcing the laws regulating the production, labeling, distribution, or sale of animal feeds or livestock remedies may unite to explore the problems encountered in administering such laws, to develop just and equitable standards, definitions and policies to be followed in enforcing such laws, to promote uniformity in such laws, regulations and enforcement policies, and to cooperate with members of the industry producing such products in order to promote the effectiveness and usefulness of such products.

What a mouthful, eh? Let’s dumb it down a bit. On another website, ‘Pet Connection‘ – they define AAFCO as:

…a private group that defines food and feed ingredients, and sets standards for nutritional levels for pet foods and animal feeds, as well as for feeding tests conducted under AAFCO guidelines.

AAFCO is not a regulatory body, but an association of state and federal regulatory agents. They also consult with advisers from the pet food and livestock feed industries, and with academics and researchers. And while they’ve unquestionably conquered the pet food marketplace, their guidelines have garnered criticism from a number of sources.

That’s a bit easier to understand. So, if you see ‘AAFCO Approved’ on your bag of Cat Food – you will know that it meets regulatory guidelines for Pet Health… but does it really matter? There has been quite a bit of controversy that I have recently come across about whether or not it means anything to have ‘AAFCO Approved’ on your pet food bag.

In the words of Quinton Rogers, DVM, PhD, one of the AAFCO panel experts, “although the AAFCO profiles are better than nothing, they provide false securities. I don’t know of any studies showing their adequacies and inadequacies.” Rogers also states that some of the foods which pass AAFCO feeding trials are actually inadequate for long term nutrition, but there is no way of knowing which foods these are under present regulations (Smith, 1993).

A “maintenance” claim requires that 6 out of 8 healthy dogs or cats are kept alive for 26 weeks on the diet, without losing more than 10 percent of their body weight or having certain blood levels fall below specified levels, and passing an examination by a veterinarian at the trial’s beginning and conclusion.

The controversy is that the AAFCO’s passing guidelines don’t give the overall stamp of “perfect for your pet’s health” . This does not cover the lifetime over all foundation of health for the animal. It just keeps them alive and able to pass a Veterinary Clinic physical. Some may say “better than nothing”, and I agree – it’s in the very least ‘balanced nutrition’, but definitely not a defining approval of THE BEST for your Cat/Dog.

While veterinary nutritionists acknowledge that some foods formulated to meet AAFCO guidelines would flunk a feeding trial, it’s a good start. But doesn’t cover everything in whole.

I personally feel a little disturbed that they run ‘trials’ on live animals. I feel it’s a bit unfair for those who experience a “flunked” test. Wouldn’t the Pet owning world be better off if a Whole and Organic diet was the standard and requirement for Pet Health? There are so many pet foods available at the store that are literally junk for your animals health. In my opinion, those foods would be IAMS & Friskies to name a few. Thankfully quite a few “cheap” brands have come out with Organic and whole food. In which case, I would say their ‘Organic’ brands are good. But the other is still junk My equivalent to their food would be like us trying to live on cake our whole life. Sure it has ‘some’ good ingredients, but the overall health benefit is not good at all.

To name a few ingredients to determine ‘junk’ from good food, is to know what a by-product is (from Wiki):

Meat by-products are ground and cleaned slaughtered meat carcass parts such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs, bones, heads, and intestines (and a small amount of feathers in the case of chicken meat). The terms meat by-products or animal by-products are often used in reference to the ingredients included in commercial pet foods.

Are you in the mood for a big piece of carcass? GROSS! I grew up with Cats & Dogs my whole life. We had neighbors who raised chickens and ever so often our Cats would catch one (tee hee) and they ate ALL the good meat and never the guts and certainly not the feet! Same with random birds and mice. They knew what was good for them, so why are we feeding them feet, necks, undeveloped eggs and intestines? GROSS!!! blah!

For Cats – who are by nature ‘carnivores’ , the first ingredients of ANY food should be a ‘whole meat’. Not corn or wheat (or guts). They don’t need carbohydrates, so why should the first few ingredients be carbs?  The first ingredient in the list determines what the largest portion will be in the food. Thus, it should be meat. Same goes for dog food.

So AAFCO may be the determining factor of what food will keep your dog/cat alive – but does it really tell you what the BEST food for your Cat and Dog will be? No. They simply brand the food that will help keep your pet alive… not necessary healthy.

I will say that it is better than a non-approved AAFCO cat/dog food. My 2 cents would be to pick Organic, and actually provide whole and top-notch nutrition for your pet. This would give them lifelong health. ♥

View lists of Cat & Dog Food that will actually keep your pet HEALTHY:

• dog food holistic
• cat food holistic
  

cat.kittens Kneading Blanket

Since Hero was just a kitten he would nurse any wooly blanket. It wasn’t just any blanket, but those that had material that mimicked fur. At first I was weirded out, wondering why he would do this – even as he got older. I thought it was because he missed his Momma Kitty when he was a kitten. But even today – over 2 years old he still does this!

As I read through some articles and books on Cat behavior, I found that some cats just need to be soothed, like we adults need comfort food (i.e. Chocolate or our favorite blanket or TV show, etc).  Kitties will push and pull their paws in and out on soft surfaces like blankets, for instance – Hero doing this behavior on any fur-like blanket/material.  Sometimes this is accompanied by a bit of drooling. Your kitty may look absolutely content during such episodes and may even purr. Hero looks like he’s in seventh heaven and purrs like an engine, lol!

Several theories exist for the behavior. Some people think it stems from them being weaned too young. Some think it is because they were weaned too late. The most logical explanation, however, is that it’s simply a comfort behavior that cats remember from when they are babies. Nursing kittens use similar paw and arm movements to stimulate milk flow from their mothers’ nipples. Momma Kitty also kneads the sleeping area to create a nice soft surface for her and her kittens. Whatever the precise reason for kneading, one thing is for sure: A kneady cat is a happy cat.

Cat kneading motion can be painful if your cat is in the habit of kneading with its claws bared. Kittens knead with their claws retracted because their Momma Kitty prefers it that way. You can train your kitty to knead with claws unretracted, by gently tossing them off your lap when they use their claws, and praising them when they kneads gently without using their claws. Or you could just put a nice thick blanket on your lap and relax. This is one of Clark’s favorite things to do, is get our big furry blanket that Hero loves, and takes his afternoon nap with Hero.

Kneading is a sign that your cat is happy, comfortable and relaxed. You should feel proud if your cat deems you worthy of sharing this pleasure and it’s your cat’s way of saying he’s glad you are there. It’s nice to be ‘kneaded’!

Clark and I bought Hero a ‘buddy’. He LOVES this stuffed animal dog we bought him, particualrly for the ‘fur-like’ material he has. He literally drags this puppy around the Apartment wherever he goes, and can go for hours just kneading it. Check out this video and picture. It’s his best friend, next to Tiny Kitty:

For behavioral disorders similar to this ‘kneading’, you may want to check out this other post:

• Why does my cat like to eat plastic and suck on blankets?

Get your Kitty his/her own ‘Buddy’ to Knead and pal around with like Hero’s:

Click Here