by Evangeline Uriyu

Created on: August 24, 2009   Last Updated: August 25, 2009

Is it necessary to vaccinate older pets?

For many years we have been over vaccinating our companion animals. There are a few reasons for this, which are totally unrelated to the health and welfare of our beloved fur-kids. Vaccines are a source of revenue for the drug making companies, and the veterinarians who administer the vaccines. There is considerable money earned by administering vaccines to our pets on a yearly basis. Another reason is tradition. Pet owners have always brought their pets in for yearly check-ups, including vaccine boosters. It is a tradition that is difficult to break until it is understood why it may be unnecessary in almost all cases.

One has to wonder why we give our human children regular vaccines up to a certain age, then they are finished with vaccinations for the rest of their lives. Yet, our dogs and cats are given vaccines every single year of their lives. Why is that? Why do these mammals need to have the same vaccines year after year? The answer is; they don't.

We do need to administer vaccines to our puppies and kittens. There is no question that our companion animals need to develop antibodies to diseases like Distemper, Parvo, and Rabies. However, they should not be given all at once, but instead should have a three week window in between vaccinations to avoid vaccinosis. A puppy and kitten have very immature immune systems which can be easily overwhelmed. Vaccinosis is a group of acute and chronic disorders caused by overwhelming an animal's immune system with too many vaccines at one time. The symptoms can vary from itchy skin, anaphalaxis, seizures, to liver failure, with many degrees of severity of other organ systems in between these two.

Certain dog breeds, and families of dogs (litter-mates) are particularly susceptible to vaccinosis. Leading the list are the Standard Poodle, long-haired Dachshund, Old English sheepdog, Scottish terrier, Shetland sheepdog, Shih-Tzu, Vizsla, and Weimaraner, as well as breeds of white or predominantly white coat. Recently, other breeds have been added including the Akita, American cocker spaniel, German shepherd dog, Golden retriever, Irish setter, Great Dane, Kerry blue terrier and all Dachshund and Poodle varieties. With these breeds, caution and careful observation must be observed when vaccinating.

In the case of older dogs, it becomes even more critical not to administer vaccines every year. As a dog ages, part of the aging process is a break down of his immune system. It

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>