Does Your Dog Need Yearly Vaccinations?

 Some holistic veterinarians believe strongly that vaccinating your dog or cat each year is not necessary and in some cases can prove to cause life threatening diseases.

The jury is still out on the link between human vaccines and the onset shortly afterwards of autism in children.

Dr. Shawn Messonier a DVM is a holistic veterinarian that wrote a book Bible for Dogs and Cats where he outlines the potential harm from vaccines for pets.

Such illnesses as cancer, allergies, and autoimmune diseases are blamed on vaccinations by many veterinarians especially when given each year.

Dr. Messonnier recommends that you ask your vet for a titer test which is a blood test which is done yearly to see if your dog “needs a booster”.

A Titer Test uses a serial dilution and tests how much antibody your dog has in its blood before you order your veterinarian to give your dog vaccinations. The blood is sent to a laboratory to determine the analysis and the results are returned to your veterinarian and you can get a copy of the report yourself to keep a record.

The results are given as a number and the higher the number the healthier your dog, and the lower the number means your dog needs a booster.

Some vets still cannot decide what number determines the need for shots and suggest you give them regardless of the results. Some dogs will not need shots every year and can go 3-4 years without a booster, and others will need them only every 5-10 years.

The titer test costs roughly $ 60.00 and it tests for distemper, and the parvovirus rather than just vaccinating indiscriminately without knowing whether the pet requires a booster.

When you consider the lifespan of an animal from 10 to 15 years or more usually the initial vaccination and a booster 1 year later is sufficient for the life of the animal.

The advantage of the test is that your dog will not receive too many vaccines which can harm the immune system and your dog will remain healthier. It is worth the cost of the test and far less expensive than needless vaccines.

Tags: vaccinations, pet vaccines, veterinarians, booster shots, Dr. Messonnier, holistic veterinarians, dogs, cats, pet care, titer, antibodies, blood test.

 I never met a needle I liked.