Canine Care

DANGERS OF VACCINES

Please read this page and watch these videos before giving your pet another shot!
They will give you all the facts!

We will cover all types of shots including Rabies, Lyme etc…

Never give a rabies shot to a sick dog or with other vaccinations, or during any other procedure including dental cleanings, spays, neutering.

Never do combo shots

Never give any vaccinations to older dogs and sick dogs

DO NOT let your vet intimidate you is they insist on yearly vaccinations. Your pet belongs to you, and you have the ultimate say in the matter. Remember You are in charge of your pets health. Stand up and say NO. If they don't respect your choices - then find another vet who does. They are out there.

Donna Starita Mehan, DVM - “Routine” vaccination has adverse side effects, either short or long term. 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. 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 & Future Canine & Feline Vaccination Programs. Vet Med 3: No. 3, 233-254, 1998 more. A chart provided in the report shows immunity levels for all vaccines currently given to dogs lasting a minimum of 5 years with most lasting 7-15 years!

Don Hamilton, DVM - Yearly “boosters” are unnecessary, provide no benefit if given (will not increase immunity). Thus boosters are either a legal issue (Rabies) or a manipulation issue (inducing clients to come in for examination rather than directly suggesting an examination).

Charles E Loops DVM – “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.”

WHOLE DOG JOURNAL ARTICLE - a must read! http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/13_8/features/Annual-Pet-Vaccinations_20036-1.html
A well know animal sanctuary's view on shots: http://www.jersanctuary.org/2011/04/yearly-vaccinations-veterinary-malpractice/#respond

Another great read on why your dogs don't need shots after their initial 1st set of vaccines - http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/lifelong-immunity-vets/?inf_contact_key=64983c807fd7a1a783bfbcccf81ccb5bfb4b9468607e78f7486a81aefa99ff2e

Check out this article from DOGS NATURALLY MAGAZINE - http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/a-large-vaccine-problem-for-small-dogs/?inf_contact_key=62f7212762c7b30b94376de4ce2300b5b8d20d74f583b7c49d493ebb04689cd9

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A NATURAL IMMUNITY TREATMENT? YES!!! http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/prevent-parvo-and-distemper-without-vaccination/?inf_contact_key=aee0bbe0c17d91e83da685d18e87ccb4ee433c6700357399ab1dc09d1dd075ea

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Read this before giving your dog it's next RABIES shot
(if you have an indoor cat don't give shots!)

There are precautions to take to make it SAFER. Note: this is an expanded version of an article by Jan Rasmusen previously published by DogsNaturallyMagazine.com

Animal Control sends a notice stating that your dog’s rabies vaccination is due. Some of us will vaccinate readily. Because it’s legally mandated, it must be safe, right? Besides, what choice do we have?
Others of us panic, desperate to avoid the shot at any cost. We remember what happened the last time our dog had a rabies vaccination. We wonder, will our dog survive another? 
World-renowned pet vaccination scientist, Dr. Jean Dodds, wrote recently: “Rabies vaccines are the most common group of biological products identified in adverse event reports received by the USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB).”   
An adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine may exact a high price – to your dog’s health and your wallet. Here’s what you need to know to make vaccinating your dog safer:   

1. Learn to recognize adverse reactions. Short-term reactions include vomiting, facial swelling, fever, lethargy, circulatory shock, loss of consciousness and even death. (If your pet appears distressed, contact your vet immediately.) Reactions occurring days or months after vaccination can be difficult to recognize. They include:
• Fibrocarcinomas (cancer) at the injection site • Seizures and epilepsy • Autoimmune disease • Chronic digestive problems • Allergies • Skin diseases • Muscle weakness or atrophy • Pica (eating inappropriate materials, including feces) • Behavioral changes (aggression, separation anxiety, compulsive behaviors and more)  
If you suspect a health or behavior problem may be connected to a vaccine, you may have to convince your vet. It’s common to hear “it couldn’t be the shot” or “a reaction like that is impossible.” Even the drug’s manufacturer (to whom you should immediately report the reaction — giving them the brand and lot# — may deny the connection. Insist on seeing the product’s package insert,  viewable on-line or from your vet. Also know that long-term reactions aren’t usually documented or even studied. Note: a vaccine reaction, especially one supported by your vet, may entitle you to compensation for medical expenses from the drug manufacturer.
2. Vaccinate healthy dogs only. Vaccinating an unhealthy animal can exacerbate illness and do irreparable harm. Also, immunity may not develop after vaccination because of the dog’s compromised immune system. This is especially dangerous as you may presume immunity that does not exist. Pets with autoimmune disease or cancer are obviously “not healthy,” but neither are pets suffering from stress from a move or surgery, a virus or infection, or allergies or skin problems or any other condition compromising health. (Never allow your pet to be vaccinated during surgery.)

3. Ask for a rabies vaccination exemption.  If your dog has documented health problems, ask your vet to apply for a rabies vaccination extension or exemption. Many localities permit them even if state law doesn’t specifically allow them. If your vet won’t apply for an exemption, go elsewhere. You may want to contact a holistic vet who may better understand the dangers of vaccinating an unhealthy animal. If local law forbids exemptions, change the law. Numerous states are in the process of adding exemptions to their laws. Click this link to check your state’s rabies law and pending exemptions. 
 
4. Don’t vaccinate against rabies within three weeks of other vaccinations or medication for parasites. Multiple vaccines given at once greatly increase the chance of reactions.  Multiple vaccines are especially risky for small dogs.

5. Make sure your dog gets the correct vaccine. If you’re vaccinating a puppy, make sure your vet administers a one-year vaccine initially (as late as legally possible) and a three-year vaccine (or whatever is required in your area) thereafter. The one-year and three-year vaccines are virtually identical medically – but not under the law.  A one-year shot must be followed by re-vaccination a year later. Note: the one-year shot is not safer than the three-year (except that it may contain fewer adjuvants).  

6. Vaccinate at the safest time. Vaccinate in the morning, early in the week, and don’t leave the area for at least an hour if possible. Watch for reactions for at least the next 48 hours. Reactions occurring when the closest vet’s office is closed can prove disastrous, even fatal.

7. Tell your vet you want a Thimerosol-free vaccine. Thimerosol (mercury) in vaccines has been linked to adverse reactions. Merial, for one, makes one- and three-year thimersol-free rabies vaccines: IMRAB® 1 TF and IMRAB® 3 TF. Make sure you see “TF” on the label. (If your vet doesn’t carry the vaccine, you may have to vet shop to find the vaccine you want.  You might also ask why the vet why he/she doesn’t carry it.)

8. Find a vet trained in homeopathy to vaccinate your dog.  Certain homeopathic remedies given before, during and after vaccinating can lessen the chance of ill effects from vaccination. Click the link to find vet referral lists.   

9. Report all vaccine reactions to your vet and make sure they’re recorded in your pet’s file. Have the vet sign relevant pages, get copies and put them in a safe place. (Vets lose records, retire and move away.) Also report the reaction to the drug’s manufacturer. (You’ll need the vaccine lot number.) Vets are notoriously bad at reporting reactions, but exemptions to rabies vaccination and drug safety require documentation.

10. Don’t vaccinate within a week of travel. Pets experiencing reactions on route can die for lack of immediate medical assistance.  (Find a list of emergency clinics by area at http://www.vetsnearyou.com/ml2/?v=352875029&u=0880F1AAC5EF9BA40210818080F807184B&gclid=CKOmmcXvm6QCFQY-bAodawLaEg  (I cannot guarantee the clinics’ expertise, but at least this is a place to start.)

11. Keep copies of vaccination records and titer tests in your car(s) and license tags on your dog’s collar or harness. Otherwise, you may be forced to re-vaccinate if your pet bites someone, runs away and is taken to a shelter or if you have to board your pet unexpectedly.

12. Do not administer a rabies vaccine yourself. It will not satisfy legal requirements and you’ll have to have a vet vaccinate again. You will also be unprepared to deal with a potentially life-threatening reaction.  Similarly, a vet’s office may likely be a safer place to get the vaccine than a mobile clinic.

13. Support the Rabies Challenge Fund.  World-renowned scientists, W. Jean Dodds, DVM, and Ronald D. Schultz, PhD, are working as volunteers to increase the interval between rabies boosters by proving that the vaccine gives immunity, first, for five years, and then for seven years. (The study is in year four now.) They’re also working to establish a blood “titer standard” to provide a scientific basis to avoid unnecessary boosters with a simple blood test. This nonprofit group is supported solely by dog lovers and dog groups. 

Before the next notice from Animal Control arrives, do your homework. A little time spent learning about the rabies vaccine can mean the difference between your dog’s wellness and serious illness. 

Note: a veterinarian/author who specializes in over-vaccination issues read this article and wanted to add a few points.  Click here to learn what this veterinarian says about preventing vaccine reactions. 

Please visit Jan Rasmusen's website for more on the dangers of shots!

THE BIG SCAM--RABIES VACCINATION By: Dr. John Fudens, D.V.M.

I would like to give you, the reader, the truth about the so called required vaccinations, particularly rabies. There are two basic forms of law. One is the legal Constitutional and Common law that this country was founded on, and the other is "colorable" law passed by Administrative agencies/bureaucrats who have been given so called authority to pass laws. Black's Law Dictionary 5th Edition defines colorable law as "That which is in appearance only, and not in reality, what purports to be, hence counterfeit, feigned, having the appearance of truth." Yes, I study the law, am a paralegal, and have an extensive law library.
So any and all mandatory rabies vaccination programs are colorable law, in that they have been passed and mandated upon the pet owning public by certain vested interest groups. Who are these groups? First and foremost are veterinarians, in general, and veterinarian medical organizations. Second are the local animal control personnel, bureaucrats and politicians. What are their reasons? GREED, POWER AND CONTROL. Both these large powerful interest groups stand to benefit greatly by having rabies mandated by colorable law.
Veterinarians receive a large percentage of both their gross income and profit from vaccines given in the office. On average vaccines cost 60 to 95 cents per dose and are charged to the client at $15 to $25 per injection and substantially more in the large cities. Therefore, if veterinarians lobby to have a colorable law passed to give rabies vaccine every year that enhances their financial picture.
The veterinary medical societies, by working with other groups and area politicians, are rewarded by increased prestige and professional standing in the community. After all we are protecting you from the dreaded disease rabies, whether it exists or not. Some areas of the country are more enlightened and fortunate to have the rabies vaccine mandated every three years. You can be assured the rise of rabies is never taken into account as to whether the vaccine should be required or not. More on this later. The local government personnel benefit by extending more control over our lives, enriching the public treasury with fees, tags and fines, and giving the appearance that local government is doing something about animal populations, disease and risks to the public. Since rabies vaccines have been mandated, what county or area has seen less dog and cat bites, better animal control, more public awareness and educating of pet owning responsibility, better birth control of unwanted animals, less euthanasia of animals and decreased growth of animal control facilities?
These special groups and lobbies will use any argument, realistic or not, to justify their position. They are excellent at using the media to spread the lies and distortions. Examples: We have increased numbers of dogs biting people, pitbulls attacking and killing children are on the increase, more dogs and cats are running loose terrorizing neighborhoods, killing wildlife and other domestic stock, etc...ad nausaem. The only thing rabies vaccination is for is the protection from rabies virus, all other justifiers for the vaccine fall under human control and exist because there are a certain number of humans, connected to animals, who are irresponsible. Rabies is spread by the bite of an infected animal. The number of dog/cat bite cases in the U.S. that expose humans to rabies is as rare as shark attacks. This low incident rate has nothing to do with mandatory vaccination as the number of cases was low before the mandatory requirement.
Let me give you an example of Pinellas County, FL where my Affinity Clinic is located. I secured information from Pinellas Animal Control through the Freedom of Information Act. The record of animal control starts in 1964. From 1964 to 1978 there were zero cases of dog rabies in the county. Magically in 1978 rabies vaccine was mandated to be given every year and all dogs tagged and licensed. WHY? Well it seems four veterinarians, with animal control bureaucrats, pushed the county board of supervisors to pass a law mandating rabies vaccination every year. There were three local vets and one professor from the State Veterinary College who were behind this. It was interesting reading their letters pushing this law and the minutes of the county meeting. There was talk of dogs biting people (no actual figures given), dogs running loose, animal overpopulation, rabies on the increase in the U.S. (the increase was in wildlife, not dogs), etc.,etc. Not once was the issue discussed that there was no rabies in the county in dogs. To this date there still has not been one case of dog rabies, including the population of dogs whose owners, GOD BLESS THEM, do not vaccinate for rabies. Let's go further.
From 1964 to 1989 there were no cases of rabies in cats in Pinellas County. Magically in 1989 a law was passed mandating rabies vaccination, tags and licenses for all cats. Same tired worn out excuses were used. Since the 1989 law there was one cat with rabies contracted from the bite of a bat. DO YOU READERS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE JUST STATED? This is standard throughout the Country. No allowance is made for dogs/cats who never leave the house or yard, could never be exposed to rabies under any circumstances, or who are so ill, old or at the end of their life cycle that the rabies vaccine would throw them over the edge. No, all dogs and cats are treated the same because we have the bogeyman, rabies, stalking the streets waiting to strike unprotected dogs and cats.
Is there rabies in this Country? You bet. Are there areas of this Country that have rabies in their wildlife population and do some dogs/cats become infected? You bet. But let's be realistic. Rabies has been on this earth long before man walked here and will be here long after we are gone. The only way to get rid of rabies is to remove mankind and the upper animals susceptible to the virus. Then maybe the virus will die off. It is a self limiting disease in the wild as it is fatal. So the virus has an extremely hard time spreading far and wide.
What is wrong with targeting those areas of the Country that have a problem with rabies using a realistic and specially formulated program that will protect the population at risk? Too logical and the special groups don't make any money. Why not educate the pet owner to the risks and dangers and let them decide whether the immune system damage from rabies vaccination is greater or lesser than contracting the disease. We do have a God given Constitutionally secured right to LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Public health officials always have the right to mandate emergency health care procedures in case the public, in general does not respond properly. But why should every day, month and year be as if an emergency or crisis exists? And why should we have more and more control of our lives taken from us?
The vaccines, particularly rabies, are a political and economic scam being forced upon pet owners because they do not know the truth. Rabies, nationwide, is nowhere near the problem the veterinarians, media, politicians and bureaucrats would like you to believe. If you wish more of the truth go to your local city or county government building and look up the codes and statutes concerning vaccines and rabies. Get figures from local animal control for rabies in dogs, cats and wildlife in your area. Then you can start to fight back, take control of your life, and protect your pet from the only dreaded disease that is important--special interest groups pushing their program leading to vaccine induced damaged immune systems. Only you can set yourself free.
Current Veterinary Therapy by Kirk, the textbook bible for veterinarians in general, has an article on canine and feline vaccines by two researchers. Near the end of the article is a paragraph called Annual Vaccinations. It states "The practice of annual vaccinations lacks scientific validity or verification. There is no immunological requirement for annual vaccinations. The practice of annual vaccinations should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law." Sure, if we can't manipulate you with annual vaccinations let's pass a law to get you into the office. Nice trick!
Well reader, it is your choice. I can only hope to stimulate you to look and go further. You don't have to take this suppression. Fight back. The only thing you have to lose is your freedom and you have already lost a great deal of it. I can fight with you but I can't do it alone.

Recommendations
More recommended reading on the dangers of vaccinations please visit

stoptheshots.com

Also please read this page: www.earthclinic.com/Pets/vaccination_side_effects.html

Why you should AVOID the DOG FLU SHOT

More - SAY NO TO THE DOG FLU SHOT!

Most Vaccine reactions are not reported



Download 2009 PDF on vaccines (right click and 'save as') Please read this .pdf before you get your cat or dog vaccinated! Animals DO die from shots - and it happens often. You need to know more before you risk your pets life.



Quick Tips

DO NOT GIVE YOUR PET THE LYME VACCINATION or any other till you have read everything here and at stoptheshots.com
Here is an exempt from the article in the link below on the dangers of LYME:
"Dr. Ron Schultz, our leading veterinary vaccine researcher does not recommend the use of Lyme disease vaccines on his own dogs despite living in a Lyme endemic part of the country in Wisconsin. Dr. MP Littman Dip ACVIM of Penn School of Vet Med also does not recommend any Lyme vaccines. All of them recommend you keep the dogs free of ticks. Most of the tick control products we are recommending are also effective against mosquitoes and fleas two more vectors recently associated with spirochete transfer and vectors of blood borne diseases.

It would also be useful to list that none of the US Veterinary schools list the Lyme Vaccine on their recommended lists of vaccines for animals. The AVMA and AAHA also are not recommending Lyme vaccines as a part of core vaccination protocols. It is obvious to me that there are too many problems with all the Lyme vaccines on the market and with the outer surface antigens like OspA, there exists a larger problem with immunopathology, cross reactivity and molecular mimicry. Since the goal of vaccination is to prevent and thereby promote optimal patient and public health, none of which is achieved with the Lyme vaccine, it would be best to avoid the Lyme vaccination and associated propaganda.
I recommend that my patients take the precaution of being on Astragalus during tick seasons. Astragalus is but one herb that has immune-modulating abilities. There are many herbs that can be used to help the body against spirochete infections and even for treatment of Lyme disease nd Lyme Vaccine disease. *See Stephen Harrod Bruhner’s book Healing Lyme Natural Healing and Prevention of Lyme Borreliosis and its co-infections.
I see those suffering Lyme disease and Lyme vaccine disease also suffer many co-infections which points toward a dysregulated and dysfunctional immune system. All of the co-infections to date point to cell mediated immune suppression and this is what happens to many following vaccine administration with vaccine damage being cumulative. The vaccines, an abnormal pathogen delivered via an abnormal vehicle, remove healthy Th1 (cell mediated) immune system bias and replace the healthy immune system with a dysregulated immune system and Th2 (humoral) bias.
The cumulative damage from this process is atrophy of the mucosal immune system and paralysis of the cell mediated immune system. The cell mediated immune system is crucial for resolving everything that accompanies the co-infections which may be bacterial, viral, fungal, yeast, intestinal, parasitic or external in nature. In the long run, we must recognize the considerable harm that vaccines do against health. When demonstrable immunity from vaccines is unlikely and immunopathology is a very real risk, you must let go of the myth that vaccines somehow manufacture good health.
Most of the disease I see today in animals and in people is a reflection of this unnatural immune assault and the uncalculated damage to the immune system. Chronic and uncontrolled inflammation with loss of focus and control is exactly what leads to cancer, exhausted adrenals and early death.
Don’t fall victim to the advice of those who have not preformed due diligence in the needed investigation required before pushing the most dangerous medical practice act done with the most frequency in every veterinary hospital across the United States.
Lyme vaccines were removed from the human market because they failed to perform the proper safety studies prior to release and because of the numerous adverse events that followed the vaccine, some resulting even in death. Safety studies that evaluate the risk of carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, genetic damage, autoimmune disease, and immune mediated disease from vaccination are non-existent. Remember that when the vaccine in question has never established conveyance of immunity against said disease, or the pathology suffered in the disease, what exactly is the point of the prick?"

(read full article here - dangers of LYME vaccine! )

Never give a rabies shot to a sick dog or with other vaccinations, or during any other procedure including dental cleanings, spays, neutering.

Never do combo shots

Never give any vaccinations to older dogs and sick dogs



Some of the following info and links are courtesy of SHIRLEY'S WELLNESS CAFE
We urge you to visit her site as this is just a sample of the info they provide.

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 more

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 realize 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." more

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." Learn about Dr. Blanco's Vaccine Webinar. (vaccinosis symptom of severe inflammation of the tail) Excessive licking of the paws

THE BIG SCAM--RABIES VACCINATION By: Dr. John Fudens, D.V.M.

I would like to give you, the reader, the truth about the so called required vaccinations, particularly rabies. There are two basic forms of law. One is the legal Constitutional and Common law that this country was founded on, and the other is "colorable" law passed by Administrative agencies/bureaucrats who have been given so called authority to pass laws. Black's Law Dictionary 5th Edition defines colorable law as "That which is in appearance only, and not in reality, what purports to be, hence counterfeit, feigned, having the appearance of truth." Yes, I study the law, am a paralegal, and have an extensive law library.
So any and all mandatory rabies vaccination programs are colorable law, in that they have been passed and mandated upon the pet owning public by certain vested interest groups. Who are these groups? First and foremost are veterinarians, in general, and veterinarian medical organizations. Second are the local animal control personnel, bureaucrats and politicians. What are their reasons? GREED, POWER AND CONTROL. Both these large powerful interest groups stand to benefit greatly by having rabies mandated by colorable law.
Veterinarians receive a large percentage of both their gross income and profit from vaccines given in the office. On average vaccines cost 60 to 95 cents per dose and are charged to the client at $15 to $25 per injection and substantially more in the large cities. Therefore, if veterinarians lobby to have a colorable law passed to give rabies vaccine every year that enhances their financial picture.
The veterinary medical societies, by working with other groups and area politicians, are rewarded by increased prestige and professional standing in the community. After all we are protecting you from the dreaded disease rabies, whether it exists or not. Some areas of the country are more enlightened and fortunate to have the rabies vaccine mandated every three years. You can be assured the rise of rabies is never taken into account as to whether the vaccine should be required or not. More on this later. The local government personnel benefit by extending more control over our lives, enriching the public treasury with fees, tags and fines, and giving the appearance that local government is doing something about animal populations, disease and risks to the public. Since rabies vaccines have been mandated, what county or area has seen less dog and cat bites, better animal control, more public awareness and educating of pet owning responsibility, better birth control of unwanted animals, less euthanasia of animals and decreased growth of animal control facilities?
These special groups and lobbies will use any argument, realistic or not, to justify their position. They are excellent at using the media to spread the lies and distortions. Examples: We have increased numbers of dogs biting people, pitbulls attacking and killing children are on the increase, more dogs and cats are running loose terrorizing neighborhoods, killing wildlife and other domestic stock, etc...ad nausaem. The only thing rabies vaccination is for is the protection from rabies virus, all other justifiers for the vaccine fall under human control and exist because there are a certain number of humans, connected to animals, who are irresponsible. Rabies is spread by the bite of an infected animal. The number of dog/cat bite cases in the U.S. that expose humans to rabies is as rare as shark attacks. This low incident rate has nothing to do with mandatory vaccination as the number of cases was low before the mandatory requirement.
Let me give you an example of Pinellas County, FL where my Affinity Clinic is located. I secured information from Pinellas Animal Control through the Freedom of Information Act. The record of animal control starts in 1964. From 1964 to 1978 there were zero cases of dog rabies in the county. Magically in 1978 rabies vaccine was mandated to be given every year and all dogs tagged and licensed. WHY? Well it seems four veterinarians, with animal control bureaucrats, pushed the county board of supervisors to pass a law mandating rabies vaccination every year. There were three local vets and one professor from the State Veterinary College who were behind this. It was interesting reading their letters pushing this law and the minutes of the county meeting. There was talk of dogs biting people (no actual figures given), dogs running loose, animal overpopulation, rabies on the increase in the U.S. (the increase was in wildlife, not dogs), etc.,etc. Not once was the issue discussed that there was no rabies in the county in dogs. To this date there still has not been one case of dog rabies, including the population of dogs whose owners, GOD BLESS THEM, do not vaccinate for rabies. Let's go further.
From 1964 to 1989 there were no cases of rabies in cats in Pinellas County. Magically in 1989 a law was passed mandating rabies vaccination, tags and licenses for all cats. Same tired worn out excuses were used. Since the 1989 law there was one cat with rabies contracted from the bite of a bat. DO YOU READERS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT I HAVE JUST STATED? This is standard throughout the Country. No allowance is made for dogs/cats who never leave the house or yard, could never be exposed to rabies under any circumstances, or who are so ill, old or at the end of their life cycle that the rabies vaccine would throw them over the edge. No, all dogs and cats are treated the same because we have the bogeyman, rabies, stalking the streets waiting to strike unprotected dogs and cats.
Is there rabies in this Country? You bet. Are there areas of this Country that have rabies in their wildlife population and do some dogs/cats become infected? You bet. But let's be realistic. Rabies has been on this earth long before man walked here and will be here long after we are gone. The only way to get rid of rabies is to remove mankind and the upper animals susceptible to the virus. Then maybe the virus will die off. It is a self limiting disease in the wild as it is fatal. So the virus has an extremely hard time spreading far and wide.
What is wrong with targeting those areas of the Country that have a problem with rabies using a realistic and specially formulated program that will protect the population at risk? Too logical and the special groups don't make any money. Why not educate the pet owner to the risks and dangers and let them decide whether the immune system damage from rabies vaccination is greater or lesser than contracting the disease. We do have a God given Constitutionally secured right to LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Public health officials always have the right to mandate emergency health care procedures in case the public, in general does not respond properly. But why should every day, month and year be as if an emergency or crisis exists? And why should we have more and more control of our lives taken from us?
The vaccines, particularly rabies, are a political and economic scam being forced upon pet owners because they do not know the truth. Rabies, nationwide, is nowhere near the problem the veterinarians, media, politicians and bureaucrats would like you to believe. If you wish more of the truth go to your local city or county government building and look up the codes and statutes concerning vaccines and rabies. Get figures from local animal control for rabies in dogs, cats and wildlife in your area. Then you can start to fight back, take control of your life, and protect your pet from the only dreaded disease that is important--special interest groups pushing their program leading to vaccine induced damaged immune systems. Only you can set yourself free.
Current Veterinary Therapy by Kirk, the textbook bible for veterinarians in general, has an article on canine and feline vaccines by two researchers. Near the end of the article is a paragraph called Annual Vaccinations. It states "The practice of annual vaccinations lacks scientific validity or verification. There is no immunological requirement for annual vaccinations. The practice of annual vaccinations should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law." Sure, if we can't manipulate you with annual vaccinations let's pass a law to get you into the office. Nice trick!
Well reader, it is your choice. I can only hope to stimulate you to look and go further. You don't have to take this suppression. Fight back. The only thing you have to lose is your freedom and you have already lost a great deal of it. I can fight with you but I can't do it alone.

Is Your Pet Dying From Over-Vaccination Due to Vet Economics?
(courtesy of vaccinenews.com)

Nationally and internationally, companion animals (pets) are being over-vaccinated - a practice that is resulting in vaccine related deaths, severe illnesses, reduced longevity and large monetary costs to guardians (pet owners).

The most common practice is the annual administration of rabies vaccine, based upon the oft-stated supposition that an annual booster is necessary to maintain the vaccine's effectiveness. In reality, there is no research substantiating that practice, and veterinary schools and professional associations increasingly are embracing a triennial administration standard.

A study of more than 1,000 cats and 1,000 dogs in the United Kingdom by Canine Health Concern in March 2001 showed a 1 in 10 risk of adverse reaction from vaccines! The study, which tracked over a seven-month period the health of cats and dogs vaccinated by one UK veterinarian, found that 7.54% to 12.42% of the dogs had adverse reactions within a 45-day period post-vaccination. An almost-identical number of cats - from 7.56% to 12.44% -- also suffered adverse reactions within 45 days. This is quite contradictory to the vaccine-manufacturers' claim that less than 15 adverse reactions occur out of 100,000 companion animals vaccinated. The UK study results were reported at the 99% confidence level. Vaccine manufacturers rely on adverse-reaction statistics from the vets themselves.

In our opinion many vets continue to cling to the annual rabies shot has less to do with a cautious standard of care and more to do with their economic dependence on vaccinations for fiscal solvency. This is especially true of a substantial - if not vast - majority of small vet practices (1-3 people, non-specialty, non-emergency practice).

A vial of rabies vaccine costs the veterinarian about 61 cents and is typically administered at a cost to the guardian of from $15 to $38 - not including the $35 office visit. In perspective, an 18-oz. package of Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes® is $2.20 to the grocer and approximately $2.75 retail. If the grocer's mark-up were comparable to that of rabies vaccine, Frosted Flakes would cost $137 without the office visit and more than $260 with it. To borrow Tony the Tiger's expression, that size of a mark-up is "Gr-r-reat!"

Take out 1 year of rabies vaccination and the consequential office visit-- just for dogs -- and the average small-practice vet's income drops from approximately $87,000 to $25,000 -- and this doesn't include cats or other vaccinations!

The Veterinarian "Shot-based Practice" Model is a systemically flawed economic approach and potentially detrimental to companion animals. Bad practice-management becomes bad medicine, resulting in unnecessary -- and widespread -- death, illness, reduced longevity of companion animals and unnecessary cost to owners.

Shot Based Practice Analysis

The vast majority of dog owners vaccinate yearly. There is an arguably safer choice --the three year rabies vaccination option -- but many, many in the veterinarian community are not informing the guardians (pet owners) to the potential detriment of their animal companions’ (pets’) life, health, and longevity.

Could economics be a factor in this lethargic effort on the part of many vets to provide their clients with an opportunity for informed consent?

Yearly rabies vaccination is big business and materially impacts the small-animal vet practice!
We can make these assumptions based upon various surveys and studies printed by animal association groups and trade associations.
· Average vet has 2,500 dogs and cats (45% dogs).
· Cost of vial of rabies vaccine is 61 cents.
· Cost of inoculation is between $15 and $38 yearly not including office visit.
· Cost of office visit is approximately $35.
· Price markup on rabies vaccine: 2400% to 6200% and again, this does not include the office visit.

If 100% of the dogs in the average one-vet practice are annually given the rabies vaccine= 2,500*.45 (dogs per practice) or 1,125 dogs.
The gross operating profit (after cost of goods, 61cents per shot) equals:
@$15 per shot, a net of $14.39 = $16,189.
@$38 per shot, a net of $37.39 = $42,064.

If the three year option is exercised (versus a yearly vaccination for rabies), then each vet loses between $32,000 ($16,000 x 2 years) and $84,000 ($42,000 x 2 years) of operating profit in each three-year vaccination period.

Adding office visits (1 a year for 2 years x 1,125 dogs x $35 per visit) = $78,800 of potential lost revenue.

(Note: The guardian should see that his/her companion animal receives a wellness exam at least yearly, which would extinguish this loss.)

Now, consider these figures. The:
· Median number of transactions per vet per year in 1997 was 5,102.
· Median gross income per vet in 1997 was $305,000 for a one- person practice.
· Net-income median for a one-vet practice before owner's compensation as a percentage of gross income was 26.8%. Assuming $305,000, that would be$87,300 for the average 1-vet practice.
· Average transaction charge is $58.41 per vet in a one-vet operation.
 If 1,125 transactions for rabies vaccine would be lost here is the impact on the one-vet practice for the two years the dog doesn't get a rabies vaccine (assuming no replacement revenue).
· Transactions go from 5,102 to 3,887 or a 22% decline.
· Gross income falls (at $20 per shot plus $35 for an office visit) by $62,000 from $305,000 to $243,000.
· Net median-income per vet in a one-vet situation could drop from $87,000 to $25,000 or by 71%!

And this is only if dogs were inoculated for rabies on a three-year cycle. The impact magnifies with cats going three years on the shot.

Source: "Financial and Productivity Pulsepoints: Comprehensive Survey and Analysis of Performance Benchmarks:Vital Statistics For Your Veterinary Practice," published by the American Animal Hospital Association, 1998.

The Small Vet (Non-emergency, non-specialist) Shot Model's Systemic Dependence on Transactions Assumptions:

- That a $25 rabies shot is eliminated for 1,000 dogs only in one year. (Cats are not considered and parvo virus and distemper shots would still be administered annually).

- Profit on the shot is $24.39 (the cost being 61 cents).

- 26% is the net profit margin.

Result: Instead of 1,000 transactions (shots) yielding $24,390, the vet would have to gross $93,807 from other areas of the practice to replace that net revenue. Furthermore, using a $54 average per transaction, the vet would have to conduct 70% more transactions - 1,737 instead of 1,000 - which would mean a 15% increase in workload (the average vet has 5,100 transactions annually) just to be at the same place. Then consider the loss of office-visit revenue and take out cats, and parvo and distemper annually, and the Small Vet Shot Model indicates red ink.

It appears that even at 20% of the gross revenue, rabies shots may constitute 100% of the net profits - or even worse, subsidize a net-deficit practice - of average small-vet practices. The loss of two years of shots, on which these practices seem dependent, would have a devastating economic impact if not replaced.

It appears that the small-vet economic model is a "shot model," based economically - by design or by evolution - on transactions rather than expertise. Such a model needs to be reexamined for validity of purpose and economic consequences.

· Vaccine-related cancer in cats: According to Colorado State University Professor Dennis Macey, "the incidence of this often fatal cancer (sarcoma-cancer development at the vaccine site) has been documented by several studies to be 1 to 3.2 per 10,000 cats receiving a rabies vaccine Š If all the cats in Denver (estimated to be 400,000) were to be vaccinated yearly for rabies, the unneeded additional vaccinations would result in an additional 26 to 84 vaccine cancer sites per year! Š I estimate 22,000 vaccine-associated tumors per year. Since surgery is usually unsuccessful, radiation treatment is necessary. Treating all these cats would cost $66 million per year."

· And this doesn't even consider vaccine related prolonged illness or vaccine compounded deaths or reduced longevity for cats - and doesn't consider the impact on dogs at all!