By far the easiest way to raw feed is to buy pre-packaged frozen raw foods.

These companies make the diet complete for you – all you need to do is take it from the freezer – defrost and serve.

 Companies I Like :

• Healthy Paws  — packages of patties ¼ lb each
• Complete diets – beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, salmon etc
• Chicken or turkey mince ( meat with bone only )
• Tollden Farms – packages of patties ¼ or ½ lb each
• Meat and Veggie Complete
• Meat and Botanicals Complete
• Meat and organs ( meat, bone and organ only )
• Urban Carnivore – boxes ½ lb patties
• Regular and Exotic meats –complete diets
• Nature’s Variety – bags of small medallions or ½ lb patties
• Easy to use small medallions –great for travelling

Tripett

• Canned green tripe – smelly but really healthy !
• It is important to give VARIETY using different types of meat complete diets.
• Give 3-4 meals per week of fish I use the canned fish from the grocery store   ( packed in water – salmon, sardines or Mackeral – take out the bones )
• Include some meals that are just plain meat and bone.

I like to feed :

• Beef , organ and vegetable in the AM ( complete diet )
• Chicken or Turkey meat with bone in the PM ( meat and bone mince )
• For puppies lunch can be 1 ¼ to ½ cup grain free kibble OR a can of fish OR a couple hard boiled eggs chopped.

How Much to Feed ?

• Puppies 10 weeks old should eat 1 complete patty per meal ¼ lb
• If feeding a kibble meal ¼ to ½ cup of dry food ( can add canned tripe or canned fish a couple teaspoons )
• As the puppy grows – increase the amount of patties fed per meal, by half a patty each increase.
• At or around 6 months of age – the noon feeding can be cut out. At this time increase the AM and PM meals. They should be eating  2 or more patties per meal.
• You are the best judge of how much your dog needs. Frenchies should be chunky without being FAT. You should NOT be able to feel the ribs easily, and the dog should not be acting hungry. If they quickly eat and look for more – increase the food – if they are not finishing their meals – decrease the amount fed.a
• Raw fed dogs should have small, dark, well formed stools – not too much odor – and bonus much less gas !! If the dogs gets a little too much bone –stools may be chalky and white – no problem….. just add veggies to the next meal.

 What if my dog has an upset tummy or digestive problems?

This is rare on a raw diet, but can happen.

I put my dogs on regular raw ground beef and you can add a little steamed oats ( a couple tablespoons ) also a great thing for loose stools is canned pumpkin !  …not the pie filling just regular canned pumpkin  ( also great for a treat ) Add a tablespoon to the meal – they love it !

Making your own raw food

(1) Meat ( should be the bulk of the diet )

• Ground Beef  ( regular course ground is what I use )
• Stewing Beef or Trim ( cut into bite sized chunks )
• Ground Turkey, Lamb, Duck, Venison, Buffalo etc with bone
• Chicken pieces – ADULT DOGS ONLY

(2) Bones

• Raw Chicken necks (  a frenchie favorite!  I fed these every night –I hold them for the dogs to crunch and bite off pieces– letting go only when it is safe for the dog to swallow  or cut them into bite sized pieces)  ADULT DOGS ONLY
• Raw Beef Marrow Bones 3-4 inch ( my dogs are given fresh bones once a week or so )

(3) Fish  ( should be fed 3 to 4 times per week )

• Canned mackerel  ( canned in water – be sure to drain and remove bones )
• Canned  sardines, salmon  (  should be canned in water only )
• Cooked fish – cod, halibut, salmon ( cooked in oil – be sure to remove bones)

(4) Organ meats  ( should be fed 4 times per week or more )

• Tripe – ground or chunked ( or canned )
• Beef liver, heart, kidney  — sliced or chopped or ground

I feed Tripe almost everyday – either as a meal or mixed with ground beef

I feed the organ meats 2-3 times per week only mixed with ground beef

( ¾ beef to ¼ organs –as too much organ meat will cause soft stools )

(5) Eggs  ( should be fed 2-3 times per week )

n  Large organic free-range eggs are best ( I prefer to scramble eggs lightly or hard boil )

(6) Dairy products  ( can be fed daily in small amounts –1-2 tablespoons )

• Cottage Cheese ( full fat )
• Yogurt ( plain )
• Cheese  ( I use cheddar )

 ** A note on Meat —You can use all raw also as long as you are not adding in any kibble ( this can cause digestive upset as kibble and raw food are absorbed at a different rate )

If you are concerned about feeding raw meat then you can cook the meat – DO NOT COOK ANY MEAT THAT HAS GROUND BONES IN IT !! )

n  Add 3-4 inches of water to the bottom of a large pot; add in a sprinkle of salt and ¼ teaspoon of chopped or pureed garlic. Add in meat 3-5 lbs at a time and cook on low heat–( boil ) the meat stirring occasionally.  DO NOT DRAIN THE MEAT   –serve with all of the juices.

 Veggies and Fruit

You do not “need” to add any veggies and fruit to your frenchie’s diet, I give only small amounts occasionally. My dogs do love fruit –Apples, Bananas, Berries, Melon and even oranges !!

I cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces and feed as treats.

If you would like to make a veggie / fruit mix to add to your meat – here is what you can do ….

(1)  Mixture of green and orange veggies

Recommended:     Green beans, peas, broccoli, romaine lettuce, zucchini

Carrots, squash, Cauliflower, tomatoes

(2)  Mixture of various fruits

Recommended:      Apples, oranges, bananas, berries, pears

(3) Canned Pumpkin – I add several tablesspoons to my veggie mixes

These veggies and fruits should be put into the blender and pureed. All veggies that must be cooked for human consumption (potatoes) etc should be cooked for the canine. Leave skins on fruit and veggies unless it is something that must be peeled for human consumption ( oranges ).

The veggie / fruit mix should make up no more than 10% of the diet,– ratio  1 cup meat to 2 tablespoons of veggies and fruit.

Essential Fatty acids

(1)    Omega 3 oils  — cod liver oil, cold pressed fish oil, Flaxseed oil, Hemp oil

(2)    Omega 6 oils  — safflower oil, evening primrose oil

These oils are combined on a 1 to 1 basis – I give 1/2 teaspoon Omega 3 oil and 1/2 teaspoon omega 6 oil per day.  The recommended fatty acids to use are cod liver oil or fish oil and evening primrose oil – these are both activated oils and are easier to absorb. *** My frenchies do not like the taste of fish oils …. So I sneak then in when I am feeding fish meals ….I use flax oil on a regular basis and safflower and olive oils intermittently.

 Supplements

(1)    Calcium —Bone meal –  powdered form or 1000 mg of calcium (crushed) once per day  Important note on calcium – do not add calcium if you are feeding Meat WITH Bone mixes or chicken necks – this is only for Meat Without Bone –hamburger etc  or if you are feeding a cooked meat diet)

(2)    Kelp  — powder

(3)    Alfalfa – powder

(4)    Vitamin C – powder or crystals ( sorbate )

(5)    Vitamin E  — capsules

These supplements are used daily in both the morning and evening meals. The amount for a 20 to 28 lb dog per meal would be      1/2 teaspoon Bone meal

1/4  teaspoon Kelp

1/4 teaspoon Alfalfa

1/8 teaspoon vitamin C    – not to exceed 500mg per day

Daily you can also give 1 capsule 200 IU Vitamin E  ( natural source )

Add INS and extras

Occasionally it is good to give other supplements and foods on occasion.

Apple Cider Vinegar – can be given a couple times per week — 1/2 teaspoon

Cooked Macaroni and Cheese

Mashed Potatoes

Cooked Oatmeal or Baby Cereal

Whole grain toast with butter

It is recommended to stay away from most grains while on this diet – dogs in nature do not consume grains and cannot properly digest or assimilate these products. This includes most pasta, rice, and wheat products. I do give the above foods occasionally in small amounts for variety.

Putting it all together –Recipes !!

For an adult Frenchie 25 lbs – 1 feed 1 pound of food per day ( usually 2 cups )

Here are some tried and true Frog Dog favorite recipes

Meat and Veggie delight

3/4 to 1 cup raw meat – beef, chicken, turkey, duck ……

1-2 tablespoons of pureed veggies and fruit

1/2 teaspoon bone meal

1/4 teaspoon kelp

1/4 teaspoon alfalfa

1/2 teaspoon flax oil

Mix all ingredients together and serve

Steak and Eggs

2 large eggs lightly scrambled or hard boiled and chopped

¼ cup of grated old cheddar cheese

1/2 cup of raw hamburger or stewing beef cut into bite sized pieces

Add eggs still hot to 1 side of the stainless steel feeding dish – sprinkle with grated cheddar. While the eggs are cooling and the cheese is melting – add the beef to the other side of the bowl.

Serve while eggs are still a little warm.

Fish Feast in a hurry

1/2 can of Jack Mackerel in water

1/2 teaspoon of cod liver or cold pressed fish oil

Drain fish and remove all bones, break up fish into bite-sized pieces, add oil — serve

Farm Dog’s Breakfast

3/4 cup of meat ( ground turkey, chicken, beef etc )

1/2  teaspoon of bone meal (delete if you are using a meat and bone mix )

1 egg lightly scrambled

¼ cup of cottage cheese

½ teaspoon of flax seed oil

¼ teaspoon kelp powder

¼ teaspoon alfalfa powder

Add meat to 1 side of the bowl, adding in the supplements and mixing. Lightly scramble the egg and add to bowl, add cottage cheese and serve. I keep all things separate in the bowl .. my dogs like it best that way !

Stinky Beef Bonanza

½ cup of Beef ( ground or stewing beef cut in bite sized pieces )

½ cup of Tripe ( ground, canned or cut into bite sized pieces )

½ teaspoon safflower oil / or flax oil

½ teaspoon of bone meal ( delete if using a beef and bone mix )

Add beef to the serving bowl – mix the oil and bone meal with the tripe and add to the top of the beef — serve

Crunchy Chicken Necks with Cream

½ pound of chicken necks ( 3-4 )

¼ cup plain yogurt

Hold the necks 1 at a time for the dog to crunch and bite off pieces– let go only when it is safe for the dog to swallow smaller pieces, or cut into small pieces

Give a small bowl of yogurt to finish off the meal

Frogdog Fish cakes

½ cup cooked fish

¼ cup mashed potatoes

¼ teaspoon of bone meal

¼ teaspoon kelp powder

¼ teaspoon alfalfa powder

½ teaspoon cold pressed fish oil

Mix all ingredients together and serve warm, can be rolled into bite-sized fish cakes if your frogger prefers that !

Liver lovers dinner

¾ cup of raw beef ground stewing beef cut into bite sized pieces

¼ cup of raw beef organs ground or cut into bite sized pieces ( heart, liver, kidney )

½ teaspoon of bonemeal

½ teaspoon flax oil

¼ teaspoon kelp powder

¼ teaspoon alfalfa powder

Mix all ingredients together and serve

Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

¾ cup of raw chicken ( can also substitute for cooked or rotisserie chicken cut into bite sized pieces )

¼ cup of cooked prepared Kraft dinner or any cooked pasta and cheese ( left over )

2 tablespoon of pureed fruit and veggie mix

½ teaspoon bone meal powder

½ teaspoon safflower or olive oil

Add chicken to the bowl – stir in veggies, oil and bone meal. Top with warm pasta and serve.

Cheesy Tuna Sandwich

1 tin of canned chunk Tuna in water

¼ cup of grated old cheddar cheese

1 slice of whole grain bread

1 pat of butter

Toast the bread lightly and butter –cut into bite sized pieces and add to the bottom of the bowl. Drain tuna and add on top of the toast, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve. I heat up this dish a little so the cheese melts.

Quick Frenchie Omelet

2 eggs light scrambled

¼ cup grated old cheddar

¼ cup of beef organs or tripe –ground or cut into bite sized pieces

Add organs or tripe to the bowl, Scramble eggs lightly add to on top of the organs, top with cheese. Serve still warm.

Feeding puppies

It is best to feed puppies 3 times per day until the age of 6 months; the lunch or midday meal should be the smallest.

Allow the puppy/ dog to chew on raw meaty bones a couple of times per week – marrowbones are best for this. Custom cut 3 inch at the butcher.

Where to buy

•  FISH — I buy this from the grocery store
• FRUIT AND VEGGIES  —fresh or frozen – Grocery stores – or farm markets in the summer
• OILS  – Global Pet Foods – or the Pharmacy
• SUPPLEMENTS (Bone meal, Kelp, Alfalfa, Sorbate)    Global Pet Foods

MEATS

• Ground Beef, Stew Beef and Liver– local butchers or I get mine from a meat wholesaler –delivered
• Chicken necks – Urban Carnivore or Tollden farms 1lb bags
• Ground Organs – grocery store or butcher, Healthy Paws, Tollden Farms
• Ground mixes – meat and bone patties  — Healthy Paws, Tollden Farms
• Tripe – Healthy Paws, Tollden Farms, Urban Carnivore or canned Tripett (global pet foods )

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The first fact:
Annual vaccination is fraud. Strong stuff, eh? There is absolutely no scientific basis for annual vaccination. It was just a practice that was started many years ago, probably because the shots weren’t working and someone had the bright idea to keep repeating it in case it helped. In fact, we have discovered that, far from helping, annual vaccination is destroying our animals’ immune systems. This is widely known in scientific circles – but vets are reluctant to look at the evidence too closely due to potential lost booster income. I am sorry to say this but long years of campaigning allow me to develop no other conclusion. The vets who have read my book they take it very seriously. However, most refuse to read it.

“Once immunity to a virus exists, it persists for years or life.” – Dr Ronald D Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University. My own six-year-old Golden Retriever – Gwinnie – gives a good example of this. Gwinnie was vaccinated ONLY as a puppy. We got her when she was five months old, already vaccinated. She was never vaccinated again. Last year, at the age of six, Gwinnie had a blood test and this revealed that she still has high antibody levels to distemper and parvo. The advice from Professor Hal Thomson at Glasgow University was “no need to revaccinate”. After SIX years.

DR Jean Dodds in America has just completed a study that shows much the same thing. You don’t NEED to keep vaccinating your dogs. There is one exception, and this is the leptospirosis component of the vaccine. Lepto is a bacterin, not a virus, and you can’t get permanent immunity to a bacterin. However, the vaccine has been described as ‘useless’ and there have been many calls for it to be withdrawn from the market. There are hundreds of strains of leptospirosis, but only two in the vaccine, AND it provides immunity (if at all) for only between three and six months. This means that your dog is probably unprotected against the two strains for around nine months of the year, and against all the other hundreds of strains for ever. Australian research shows that the lepto component of vaccines can cause horrendous side-effects, so top veterinary immunologists, microbiologists and pathobiologists have advised we don’t use it.

Fact two:
Vaccines can cause a whole range of diseases.
Skin problems: Frick and Brooks, in 1983, showed that dogs who were genetically susceptible to develop atopic dermatitis ONLY contracted the condition IF they were vaccinated before being exposed to an allergen. So – vaccines trigger skin disease.

Arthritis: there are many, many studies which show that vaccines can cause arthritis. Vaccine components have even been found in the bones of arthritis sufferers.
Cancer: Vaccine components have been found at the cancer sites of victims. Worse, they have been found at the cancer sites of the CHILDREN of the people who received the guilty vaccine. In other words, vaccines can cause inheritable cancer.

Leukemia: DR Jean Dodds has linked leukemia to vaccines. Also, Merck, a vaccine manufacturer, has linked leukemia to a leukemia-like retrovirus found in birds. Merck were investigating the link between this retrovirus and the eggs they cultivated the measles vaccine on. Distemper and measles are virtually the same virus, and both vaccines are cultivated on chick embryos.

Aggression: Vaccines are acknowledged to cause inflammation of the brain and, in severe cases, lesions in the brain and throughout the central nervous system. This condition, known as encephalitis, lies at the root of much aggressive and violent behaviour, autism, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder, and other neurological conditions (for example, CDRM, Ataxia, etc).
Autoimmune disease: It is widely acknowledged that vaccines can cause a whole range of autoimmune diseases, such as Cushings disease, Addisons disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, and many others. The scientific evidence is there for anyone who wants to look at it. DR Larry Glickman at Purdue University has found that routinely vaccinated dogs develop autoantibodies to a wide range of their own biochemicals. This means that vaccines cause dogs to attack their own bodies – which is what autoimmune disease is all about.

Fact three:
Some animals are genetically pre-disposed to suffer fatal reactions to vaccines, or to develop vaccine-induced disease. The Merck Manual (the doctor’s bible, published by a vaccine manufacturer) says that children with B and/or T cell immunodeficiencies should not receive live virus vaccines as the vaccine can stimulate a severe or FATAL infection. Not to put too fine a point on it, ‘fatal’ means death. Merck explains that features of B and T cell immunodeficiencies include eczema, dermatitis, heart disease, inhalant allergies, food allergies and neurological conditions. They say that humans suffering with any of these conditions, or from families with these conditions, should not receive live virus vaccines because the vaccine can kill them. Our dogs also have B and T cells, and B and T cell immunodeficiencies. So if your dog has allergies, or heart problems, or neurological problems . . . vaccines represent a life threatening risk.

Fact four:
Vaccines cause more diseases than they prevent. This is the one the scientists are currently arguing about. You can probably guess which way I’ve fallen on the debate. In my humble opinion, vaccination is probably the worst thing we can do for someone we love. Obviously, this is a scary statement.

Let me tell you a little about why I’m here saying this to you. Oliver, a beautiful Golden Retriever, lost the use of his back legs one day when he was four years old. We rushed him to the vet but he was dead by four that afternoon. For two years, I asked every vet I met ‘why?’ No one could tell me until I met a homoeopathic vet called Chris Day, and he asked me when Ollie had last been vaccinated. He told me it was a classic vaccine reaction, falling within three months of the shot. Since then I have met many people whose dogs died in exactly the same way. Prudence, another Golden Retriever, died of leukemia when she was six. The last time I vaccinated her, her eyes rolled in her sockets, and she climbed up on my back, begging me not to have it done. But we carried on because I thought it was good for her. Distemper and parvo are horrible diseases, of course – but so is leukemia. You don’t want to see a dog die this way. Samson’s back legs were paralysed the day after his second puppy shot. I thought maybe someone had put poison down because I didn’t know vaccines could do this. The next year he was boosted, and his head swelled up like a football and he ran around screaming – I now know that this was a massive allergic reaction to the vaccine. At the age of two we had a blood test done, and it came back autoimmune disease.

He died of cancer at the age of five. Having studied the scientific evidence, I know that Sammie was killed the day a vaccine destroyed his immune system. Edward and Daniel are three-year-old Golden Retrievers. Neither has ever been vaccinated. Not once. They are the healthiest two Goldens I have ever had the privilege to share my life with. No sickness, no diarrhoea, no allergies, no illness. The vet doesn’t know who they are – they have only ever visited to have their blood tested (both have antibodies to distemper and parvo . . . which means they’ve met the diseases but not succumbed). They also went to the vets a few weeks ago to have ticks removed. The vet remarked on how fit and healthy they were. But that’s it – their entire veterinary history at the age of three. Compare this with Samson’s veterinary history! I was literally at the vet every two weeks with Sammie. Edward and Daniel are fed real food – raw meaty bones, vegetables, etc. This means that they have optimal immune systems, so they are in a good position to fight any viruses or bacterins that come along. They also receive the homeopathic vaccine alternative. When they were nine months old, my older vaccinated dogs contracted kennel cough. My two homoeopathically protected pups didn’t cough once. A few days ago on the CHC discussion list, one of our members reported meeting two 17 year old Golden Retrievers on the beach. Both ran and jumped around like young ones. The owner told her that they had never been vaccinated and, as he was a butcher, he had fed them raw meat. Seven years into the campaign, we are beginning to see the results of not vaccinating and feeding real food. Canine Health Concern members are now constantly reporting that their dogs are incredibly healthy, and those who show are winning at all the shows.

Don’t blame the ‘irresponsible breeders’ – blame vaccines. Without vaccines, you too can hope for long-lived friends who get through their lives without the crippling debilitating diseases that have become common in the dog population.

One last fact: Vaccines don’t offer GUARANTEED immunity. Nearly all of the dogs in the CHC vaccine survey – which involved over 4,000 dogs and is still ongoing – contracted distemper, parvo, lepto, hepatitis, etc, within three months of being vaccinated.
I know that this post is going to unsettle and disturb many list members and I apologise for this. My motivation is that you don’t have to sit and watch your beloved friends die years before their time, or suffer from any of the many vaccine-induced diseases. We are making a terrible mistake on behalf of our animal friends. What we think is best for them is in fact the worst thing we can do. I am not alone in saying this – the very top veterinary specialists agree. We just need to get the other vets up to date. CHC members and people like your own beloved Bonnie are doing this through example. I promise you this – annual vaccination is coming to an end. We will look back in horror at what we used to do.

Catherine O’Driscoll
codriscll@breathemail.net

Frequently searched on our site:

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W. Jean Dodds, DVM
938 Stanford Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 828-4804; FAX (310) 828-8251

The challenge to produce effective and safe vaccines for the prevalent infectious diseases of humans and animals has become increasingly difficult. In veterinary medicine, evidence implicating vaccines in triggering immune-mediated and other chronic disorders (vaccinosis) is compelling. While some of these problems have been traced to contaminated or poorly attenuated batches of vaccine that revert to virulence, others apparently reflect the host’s genetic predisposition to react adversely upon receiving the single (monovalent) or multiple antigen “combo” (polyvalent) products given routinely to animals. Animals of certain susceptible breeds or families appear to be at increased risk for severe and lingering adverse reactions to vaccines.

The onset of adverse reactions to conventional vaccinations (or other inciting drugs, chemicals, or infectious agents) can be an immediate hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reaction, or can occur acutely (24-48 hours afterwards), or later on (10-45 days) in a delayed type immune response often caused by immune-complex formation. Typical signs of adverse immune reactions include fever, stiffness, sore joints and abdominal tenderness, susceptibility to infections, central and peripheral nervous system disorders or inflammation, collapse with autoagglutinated red blood cells and jaundice, or generalized pinpoint hemorrhages or bruises. Liver enzymes may be markedly elevated, and liver or kidney failure may accompany bone marrow suppression. Furthermore, recent vaccination of genetically susceptible breeds has been associated with transient seizures in puppies and adult dogs, as well as a variety of autoimmune diseases including those affecting the blood, endocrine organs, joints, skin and mucosa, central nervous system, eyes, muscles, liver, kidneys, and bowel. It is postulated that an underlying genetic predisposition to these conditions places other littermates and close relatives at increased risk. Vaccination of pet and research dogs with polyvalent vaccines containing rabies virus or rabies vaccine alone was recently shown to induce production of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, a provocative and important finding with implications for the subsequent development of hypothyroidism (Scott-Moncrieff et al, 2002).

Vaccination also can overwhelm the immunocompromised or even healthy host that is repeatedly challenged with other environmental stimuli and is genetically predisposed to react adversely upon viral exposure. The recently weaned young puppy or kitten entering a new environment is at greater risk here, as its relatively immature immune system can be temporarily or more permanently harmed. Consequences in later life may be the increased susceptibility to chronic debilitating diseases.

As combination vaccines contain antigens other than those of the clinically important infectious disease agents, some may be unnecessary; and their use may increase the risk of adverse reactions. With the exception of a recently introduced mutivalent Leptospira spp. vaccine, the other leptospirosis vaccines afford little protection against the clinically important fields strains of leptospirosis, and the antibodies they elicit typically last only a few months. Other vaccines, such as for Lyme disease, may not be needed, because the disease is limited to certain geographical areas. Annual revaccination for rabies is required by some states even though there are USDA licensed rabies vaccine with a 3-year duration. Thus, the overall risk-benefit ratio of using certain vaccines or multiple antigen vaccines given simultaneously and repeatedly should be reexamined. It must be recognized, however, that we have the luxury of asking such questions today only because the risk of disease has been effectively reduced by the widespread use of vaccination programs.

Given this troublesome situation, what are the experts saying about these issues? In 1995, a landmark review commentary focused the attention of the veterinary profession on the advisability of current vaccine practices. Are we overvaccinating companion animals, and if so, what is the appropriate periodicity of booster vaccines ? Discussion of this provocative topic has generally lead to other questions about the duration of immunity conferred by the currently licensed vaccine components.

In response to questions posed in the first part of this article, veterinary vaccinologists have recommended new protocols for dogs and cats. These include: 1) giving the puppy or kitten vaccine series followed by a booster at one year of age; 2) administering further boosters in a combination vaccine every three years or as split components alternating every other year until; 3) the pet reaches geriatric age, at which time booster vaccination is likely to be unnecessary and may be unadvisable for those with aging or immunologic disorders. In the intervening years between booster vaccinations, and in the case of geriatric pets, circulating humoral immunity can be evaluated by measuring serum vaccine antibody titers as an indication of the presence of immune memory. Titers do not distinguish between immunity generated by vaccination and/or exposure to the disease, although the magnitude of immunity produced just by vaccination is usually lower (see Tables).

Except where vaccination is required by law, all animals, but especially those dogs or close relatives that previously experienced an adverse reaction to vaccination can have serum antibody titers measured annually instead of revaccination. If adequate titers are found, the animal should not need revaccination until some future date. Rechecking antibody titers can be performed annually, thereafter, or can be offered as an alternative to pet owners who prefer not to follow the conventional practice of annual boosters. Reliable serologic vaccine titering is available from several university and commercial laboratories and the cost is reasonable (Twark and Dodds, 2000; Lappin et al, 2002; Paul et al, 2003; Moore and Glickman, 2004).

Relatively little has been published about the duration of immunity following vaccination, although new data are beginning to appear for both dogs and cats.

Our recent study (Twark and Dodds, 2000), evaluated 1441 dogs for CPV antibody titer and 1379 dogs for CDV antibody titer. Of these, 95.1 % were judged to have adequate CPV titers, and nearly all (97.6 %) had adequate CDV titers. Vaccine histories were available for 444 dogs (CPV) and 433 dogs (CDV). Only 43 dogs had been vaccinated within the previous year, with the majority of dogs (268 or 60%) having received a booster vaccination 1-2 years beforehand. On the basis of our data, we concluded that annual revaccination is unnecessary. Similar findings and conclusions have been published recently for dogs in New Zealand (Kyle et al, 2002), and cats (Scott and Geissinger, 1999; Lappin et al, 2002). Comprehensive studies of the duration of serologic response to five viral vaccine antigens in dogs and three viral vaccine antigens in cats were recently published by researchers at Pfizer Animal Health ( Mouzin et al, 2004).

When an adequate immune memory has already been established, there is little reason to introduce unnecessary antigen, adjuvant, and preservatives by administering booster vaccines. By titering annually, one can assess whether a given animal’s humoral immune response has fallen below levels of adequate immune memory. In that event, an appropriate vaccine booster can be administered.

References

Dodds WJ. More bumps on the vaccine road. Adv Vet Med 41:715-732, 1999.

Dodds WJ. Vaccination protocols for dogs predisposed to vaccine reactions. J Am An Hosp Assoc 38: 1-4, 2001.

Hogenesch H, Azcona-Olivera J, Scott-Moncreiff C, et al. Vaccine-induced autoimmunity in the dog. Adv Vet Med 41: 733-744, 1999.

Hustead DR, Carpenter T, Sawyer DC, et al. Vaccination issues of concern to practitioners. J Am Vet Med Assoc 214: 1000-1002, 1999.

Kyle AHM, Squires RA, Davies PR. Serologic status and response to vaccination against canine distemper (CDV) and canine parvovirus (CPV) of dogs vaccinated at different intervals. J Sm An Pract, June 2002.

Lappin MR, Andrews J, Simpson D, et al. Use of serologic tests to predict resistance to feline herpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, and feline parvovirus infection in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 220: 38-42, 2002.

McGaw DL, Thompson M, Tate, D, et al. Serum distemper virus and parvovirus antibody titers among dogs brought to a veterinary hospital for revaccination. J Am Vet Med Assoc 213: 72-75, 1998.

Moore GE, Glickman LT. A perspective on vaccine guidelines and titer tests for dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 200-203. 2004.

Mouzin DE, Lorenzen M J, Haworth, et al. Duration of serologic response to five viral antigens in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 55-60, 2004.

Mouzin DE, Lorenzen M J, Haworth, et al. Duration of serologic response to three viral antigens in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc 224: 61-66, 2004.

Paul MA. Credibility in the face of controversy. Am An Hosp Assoc Trends Magazine XIV(2):19-21, 1998.

Paul MA (chair) et al. Report of the AAHA Canine Vaccine Task Force: 2003 canine vaccine guidelines, recommendations, and supporting literature. AAHA, April 2003, 28 pp.

Schultz RD. Current and future canine and feline vaccination programs. Vet Med 93:233-254, 1998.

Schultz RD, Ford RB, Olsen J, Scott F. Titer testing and vaccination: a new look at traditional practices. Vet Med, 97: 1-13, 2002 (insert).

Scott FW, Geissinger CM. Long-term immunity in cats vaccinated with an inactivated trivalent vaccine. Am J Vet Res 60: 652-658, 1999.

Scott-Moncrieff JC, Azcona-Olivera J, Glickman NW, et al. Evaluation of antithyroglobulin antibodies after routine vaccination in pet and research dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 221: 515-521, 2002.

Smith CA. Are we vaccinating too much? J Am Vet Med Assoc 207:421-425, 1995.

Tizard I, Ni Y. Use of serologic testing to assess immune status of companion animals. J Am Vet Med Assoc 213: 54-60, 1998.

Twark L, Dodds WJ. Clinical application of serum parvovirus and distemper virus antibody titers for determining revaccination strategies in healthy dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc 217:1021-1024, 2000.

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The great news is that annual boosters are no longer considered necessary every year for pets by a growing number of veterinarians, veterinary researchers and over half of the veterinary colleges. The good news is that your pet can be protected for life by a small number of vaccines in its first year of life. The bad news is that many pet owners are not aware of this information.

My object with this article is not to discuss whether vaccinations are effective in preventing disease. I believe they do work to prevent acute diseases most of the time. I also believe they are capable of “grafting” on to the vaccinated individual a debilitating range of chronic problems while causing life-threatening reactions in others. Just as we cannot expect every human being to have the same degree of intelligence, so too can we not expect every individual pet to react smoothly to vaccinations. So, yes indeed, you do put your pet’s health at risk each time it is given an unnecessary vaccination.

Although a direct causal relationship is yet to be discovered scientifically, there are now studies by veterinarians, such as Dr. Larry Glickman at the University of Purdue, that indicate an increase in auto-immunity following vaccination.

Dr. Mike Lappin of Colorado State University has shown that the antigens from Crandall Feline Kidney Cell Culture (which are used to produce feline viral vaccines) produce antibodies in cats that attack cat kidney cells. In his study, distemper vaccines given to kittens in a typical pediatric schedule produced these same antibodies and these anti-kidney antibodies persisted for at least six months. Whether these antibodies are involved in the development of chronic progressive renal failure in cats has yet to be determined, but it certainly raises a red flag.

The incidence of fibrosarcomas in cats (a life-threatening cancer definitively linked to vaccinations) is now as high as 1 in 400 cats in some parts of the U.S., possibly higher.

Thus, it is the safety of vaccines that is at issue. No long-term safety studies of more than a couple weeks have ever been done, not just for pet vaccinations, but for human vaccinations as well. Yet, vaccinations have been embraced by the medical community as both safe and effective. Statements implying that vaccines are safe in the long term are without basis.

When puppies and kittens are first born, the milk they consume from mom is loaded with antibodies in most cases that will protect them for the first 6-12 weeks of life. Vaccinations administered during this period will not result in antibody production in the majority of these young animals because the antibodies they received from the milk will “neutralize” the vaccine virus before it can create a response from the youngster’s system.

Therefore, it makes little to no sense to be giving vaccines before 8 weeks and my opinion is that they should be delayed to 12 weeks. Prior to 12 weeks, there is minimal benefit, but the immature immune system is placed as risk for bad reactions. I advise my clients with puppies to still socialize them, but to use common sense regarding their out-of-home activities before 12 weeks. This strategy has proven perfectly fine for over 3 years now.

After 12 weeks, giving puppies and kittens vaccinations will result in their own active immunity (antibodies they produce) over 90% of the time. It would be very rare for any animal to require a second booster for any one virus. I also recommend that the vaccines be separated out so they receive only one virus antigen at a time (eg. Parvo first followed by Distemper at 16 weeks), thereby minimizing risk of reactions. In this region, Distemper and Parvo are the only diseases I vaccinate for in dogs, other than Rabies for those requesting it.

In the case of kittens, if they will always be indoor cats, I do not administer any vaccinations. If they will go outside, I wait until 2-4 weeks before their first venture outside (usually after 4 months) and then administer one Distemper vaccine only. Studies from the early 1980’s demonstrated that it was virtually impossible to infect cats over one year old, under experimental conditions, with the feline leukemia virus, even by injection.

For all of these animals, the choice is the owner’s as to which vaccines they want their pet to have or whether to vaccinate at all. I simply provide the information for them to make an educated decision. I have seen too many vaccine reactions to do anything less.

Blood tests can be done any time from a month following vaccines to measure circulating antibodies and will confirm that your pet’s immune system is primed to take on exposure to these viruses. Any level of antibody indicates that memory cells of the immune system are active and boostering is unnecessary. These tests are by no means suggested every year, but can be a helpful tool to guide re-vaccination decisions.

The likely outcome of giving a booster is that, once again, antibodies already “on board” will simply neutralize the vaccine virus and no benefit is gained whilst again risking harmful reactions.

A lot of pet owners are under the misconception that, because their pet goes outside, to the park, etc, where they might be “exposed” to diseases, their immune systems require a regular “reminder” in the form of a vaccine. This defies logic. On the contrary, regular “exposure” helps the immune system stay primed, making the annual vaccine even less needed.

Although I have stated this in previous articles, I cannot emphasize enough that any pet receiving a vaccination should be 100% healthy. This excludes vaccinating pets with any health problems whatsoever, including diseases in “remission” such as skin diseases, cancer, thyroid problems, to name a few, and especially not those with a history of autoimmune disease. Please understand that you are not benefiting your pet at all by vaccinating while unhealthy.

As the American Veterinary Medical Association states, “Veterinarians must promote the value of the exam and move away from their dependence on vaccine income.” Unfortunately, veterinarians stand to lose big, according to Dr. Ron Schultz, leading immunologist and outspoken critic of annual vaccine practices, when the numbers of those requesting vaccines drops.

Annual checkups are important to maintain and will help pick up on health concerns before they become a big problem. If vaccines are recommended, don’t forget to ask about safety issues and studies to show they are needed. Ask about the blood test mentioned earlier. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Remember, medicine is always in a state of change and change we must in regards to pet vaccinations.

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MINIMAL VACCINE USE

W. Jean Dodds, DVM

HEMOPET

938 Stanford Street

Santa Monica,  CA 90403

310-828-4804; Fax 310-828-8251

e-mail: hemopet@hotmail.com

Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable.  The schedule is one I recommend and should not interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory.  It’s a matter of professional judgment and choice.

Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus annually thereafter. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian.  In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request.                                                                                                            .

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