Puppy Over-Vaccination
Dogs’ immune systems don’t need repeated vaccinations to stay healthy. With the rising awareness that dogs, like humans, have immune systems that don’t need frequent vaccinations, several steps can be taken to ascertain the validity of the previous shots.
Dog Vaccine Hazards
Another reason to reduce vaccination frequency for dogs is the potential for complications from the vaccines. While virus vaccinations themselves may not be dangerous (since they are modified viruses that are benign because of the the way they are manufactured) there are other hazards. There is a condition referred to as immune-mediated reaction which is a reaction to the solutions or chemical adjuvants with which the vaccines are developed. Some dogs have been found to be allergic to these other agents.
Vaccination Potency Test
The titer blood serum test measures the level of immunity in the pets’ blood by running a series of tests on a blood sample from the animal. The titer is used to validate the growing opinion by pet health professionals that dogs no longer need annual or bi-annual vaccinations.
Pet Health Advances
Recently introduced in the US from a prominent Israeli bio-lab company is the VacciCheck™. The Canine VacciCheck has been called a diagnostic test to gauge the amounts of antibodies that remain after initial core vaccinations have been given. It may be thought of as a type of advanced titer that is used to determine the levels of potency of vaccines for the most dangerous of dog diseases–Adenovirus Type 2, Canine Parvovirus, and Canine Distemper Virus.
Core Puppy Vaccines Still Mandatory
The legally mandated “core vaccines” are still requirements for pet owners in all states and municipalities, not only in the US but around the world. These core shots are for rabies, distemper, and parvovirus. As yet, there is nothing pet owners can do to avoid annual shots for their pets, even though titers conclusively show that yearly revaccination is unnecessary.
Posted under Puppy Care and Puppy Health
This post was written by BPT_Assistant on April 15, 2012
















