In favor of rabid change

Progressive owners have long known that overvaccination is a serious -- and altogether too common -- problem among our companion animals. (If your vet is still insisting on annual vaccines, print out a copy of American Animal Hospital Association's newly revised canine vaccine protocol, and get busy with your yellow highlighter.)

The only vaccine that is mandated by state law is rabies. It is only in recent years that most states have switched from requiring revaccination every year to every three years. (There are still a handful of holdouts, including Alabama.)

But many veterinary immunologists believe that the rabies vaccine has a duration of immunity that is far longer than three years. But because there is no economic incentive for vaccine companies to create a five- or seven-year vaccine, no challenge studies to prove that extended level of protection have been conducted.

Enter the The Rabies Challenge Fund, a tax-exemption organization founded by pet vaccine disclosure advocate Kris L. Christine of Maine in 2005. It hopes to raise the money necessary to conduct independent rabies-vaccine challenge studies.

The project has the support and participation of two well-known and respected vaccine researchers and veterinary immunologists: Drs. W. Jean Dodds of Hemopet (who is the fund's co-trustee) and Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine.

The challenge studies will be performed at the university, which has waived its usual overhead fee.

The concurrent challenge studies will determine the duration of immunity conveyed by the canine rabies vaccine, with the goal of extending the state-mandated interval for boosters to five, then to seven years.

Researchers believe the rabies vaccine causes the most and worst adverse reactions in animals and concur that it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity.  Adverse reactions to rabies vaccination can include autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites.

To datem the following dog clubs, along with many owners, trainers, breeders and kennel owners, have contributed to the Rabies Challenge Fund:

Akita Club of America

American Shih Tzu Club

Bernese Mountain Dog Club of Nashoba Valley

Bernese Mountain Club of  SE Wisconsin

Capital City Cocker Club

Chesapeake, Virginia Dog Fanciers Association

Collie Club of Georgia

Dog Agility Racing Team of Chino

Great River Stockdog Club

Heart of Minnesota Great Dane Club

Kennel Club of Buffalo

Kerry Blue Terrier Foundation

Kishwaukee Kennel Club

Kuvasz Fanciers of America

Lehigh Valley Kennel Club

Miniature Schnauzer Club of  Southern California

Northern Illinois Schutzhund Club

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of  Canada

Pacific NW Jack Russell Terrier Rescue Network

Soft-Coated Wheaton Terrier Club

Staffordshire Terrier Club of America

Standard Schnauzer Club of Southern California

Wachusett Kennel Club

Evergreen Empire Manchester Terrier Fanciers

For more information, visit www.rabieschallengefund.org.

Comments

[Sedona]

Thank you Denise for this post. I so totally agree. My dogs have their puppy shots and the one year booster and then no more except the rabies as the law requires. It is simply too hard on their systems.

[SueG]

No more shots for my doggies, after puppy shots,
a 1 yr booster, and rabies every 3 yrs which I
hate to do but it is the law in NJ. Both dogs
had their rabies shots today and they both seem
punky, even Fiona ( the wild child) is mellow
I hate vaccines. My vet told me today t hat
Meriel (sp) vaccines are known to cause cancer,
and to only use Fort Dodge, I am talking about
the rabies, I have no knowledge of any of the
other vaccines. Thanks for the info Denise

[Sedona]

Sue:

Fort Dodge - I will remember that thanks.

[Pam in MN]

Thanks for the tip Sue. I was not aware of that.

[Kathleen Stephenson]

I feel the same exact way about my animals. Rabies is all they get now after the initial shots.

My Siamese cat had a tumor appear and it was at the exact spot where he had received vaccinations most of his life. That cured me of feeling "vaccination friendly!"

For some interesting views about the shelters in Memphis (sad I will warm you), here is a link. This lady does a wonderful column in Memphis called Pet Talk. I enjoy her articles very much. I especially love her for her strength in pushing for spay/neuter.

http://blogs.commercialappeal.com/pets/archives/2005/06/memphis_animal.html

[Margot]

RI also requires a rabies shot but the rest of the time my vet just does a titer test to check Harry's immunity. This is reccommend by Dr. Jean Dodds.

[Sedona]

I have a holistic dog health care book that I refer to - and the writer warns about over vaccinations - the big money maker for Vets! (No offense to those good vets out there that also don't want pets over vaccinated.)

[Sedona]

I used to cook homemade meals for all my dogs - but it wore me out - and almost bankrupted me - but still I think fresh cooked meals is the best. Of course, I added human grade bone meal to it, and imported Safflower Oil, and cooked the potatoes and ground beef first, then put the fresh carrots in a blender along with other veggies. The dogs loved it - but as I said it become more than I could handle, but so much better for them.

[Nancy Mohrmann]

40-70% of the income of a general practice vet is vaccinations.

[Gail]

I just recently read that they are finding out the rabies vaccine lasts for 5 yrs.

[Cristina]

If you really want your eyes to be opened concerning vaccines, in particular the dangers of the rabies vax, you should go to www.truthaboutvaccines.org. Go to the articles and READ!! Rabies vax causes a whole host of behavioral issues, too. So, if you have a dog with over the top behaviors, you can most probably thank the vaccine for that! The laws about rabies absolutely need to be changed. There is not a rabies epidemic out there as our vets would claim there to be. There is, however, a guarantee that our dogs will be harmed by the vaccine. If someone new learns this info. and makes a stand for the laws to be changed, we're that much closer to protecting our animals. Those furry friends who depend on US for their lives. Read anything and everything you can find about what the vets and lawmakers and pharma companies are asking us to do to our animals.

[dog agility equipment]

Thank you Denise for this post. I so totally agree.

[dog agility equipment]

Thanks for posting this entry. It is very relevant and informative especially for pet owners like me. I learned a lot from it.

-andrei
http://www.dogagilityequipment-4less.com/