Vaccinosis
by Dr. Kim Bloomer & Dr. Jeannie Thomason March 2011, part 1
http://www.thedogplace.org/VACCINES/Vaccinosis-1_Bloomer&Thomason.asp
Vaccinosis is now a common problem in our pets but it is far from being normal.
The biggest challenge we see as animal naturopaths is that the focus is on disease, disease treatment, and disease prevention rather than on health and promoting health.
With the public focus on disease, vaccines are counterproductive to health, rather bringing about the very diseases they were meant to prevent. In other words, vaccines do not promote health nor are they preventative, quite the contrary.
More vaccines do not convey more immunity and in fact are the very cause behind
the declining health we are seeing in pets.
What Is Vaccinosis?
Let's begin by defining what vaccinosis is first. Vaccinosis is a set of symptoms that occurs after the administration of a vaccine(s). These symptoms are more commonly referred to as adverse reactions or events occurring within minutes. However, in many cases symptoms are not noted for months or even until years later particularly in animals that have been repeatedly vaccinated year after year.
While the term vaccinosis isn't a recognized “disease”, the body is definitely in a state of “dis-ease” or out of balance. Conventional veterinary medicine doesn't widely recognize this state of dis-ease, however research and facts have been conducted and collected by the naturopathic veterinary community backing the theory of vaccinosis.
What Are The Symptoms of Vaccinosis?
The
symptoms vary widely from minor to critical, from temporary or isolated events
to chronic anxiety and behavioral problems.
Mild reactions include fever, tenderness or swelling around the inoculation
site, "flu-like" symptoms, loss of appetite, lethargy, depression,
limping, vomiting, diarrhea, and anxiety.
More severe reactions may include seizures, anaphylactic shock and even death.
Chronic problems may be difficult to trace back to vaccinations, only because
the symptoms or the health problems can begin weeks, months and even years later.
However, when we understand what happens in the body when a vaccine is
administered, we can begin to connect the dots. We believe that ALL modern
diseases in pets can be traced back to either the direct administration of
vaccines or indirectly through genetic transfer.
The most common chronic symptoms include irritable bowel syndrome, liver and
kidney problems, glandular changes, ear infections, parasite infestation, skin
problems, tumors at the vaccination site, allergies and cancer.
Vaccinations compromise the immune system rather than enhance it, setting the
body up for disease rather than preventing it.
“By vaccinating every individual animal and not allowing it to develop its
own immunity, we are effectively preventing the passing of the immunity to the
future generations. A vaccine is always made from the most virulent form of the
virus since pharmaceutical companies jump on the wagon as soon as the disease
appears and the level of fear is at its highest. While in nature this virus
would have mutated into a less virulent form, it does not do so in the vaccine.
Generations of animals are therefore injected with the worst form of the virus
and stripped of their natural immune response which would have been passed onto
subsequent generations. What is passed forward instead is deformed DNA, and the
destruction of the species must ensue. Vaccinated mothers do not pass on herd
immunity, which then puts pups in greater danger of contracting disease while
they are very young. By attempting to save the individual animal, we are
effectively destroying the species. A healthy species is able to survive
without human interference and we are taking that ability away from our
animals.” ~Aleksandra Mikic, from the book Immune Doggy
Preventing Vaccinosis Disease
In our efforts to prevent disease we have in fact wrought disease through the exuberant use of vaccines. Vaccinosis is the result of mankind's overzealous attempt to annihilate viruses or pathogens which are an integral part of nature; caused by mankind's misunderstanding of how nature and in effect how health is achieved and maintained.
Now that we know what vaccinosis is, the symptoms and what causes it, then the obvious solution will be to avoid the cause – vaccines.
However, many are going to feel as if they are leaving their dogs unprotected. This is only because of the common misunderstanding of how nature and in effect how health is achieved and maintained.
What Is Optimum Canine Health?
The first thing to understand is what defines health. Many people think that health is the opposite of disease. Health is not the opposite of disease; it is the absence of disease. However, what is thought of as healthy and normal for our dogs nowadays is for the most part just common:
· Large, voluminous, smelly stools
· Bad breath
· Doggie odor
· Dull coats
· Tartar-laden teeth that require dentals yearly
· Obesity
· Hyperactivity or laziness
· Parasites (intestinal worms, fleas, ticks, mites, etc.)
We've
had potential clients contact us wanting help with their dog or puppy's
“health” issue all while saying to us “My dog is the picture of health except
for: he has shooting diarrhea, or doesn't have a good appetite, or he's a young
dog that doesn't want to do anything”. This is a dog out of homeostasis
(balance) that is on his or her way to disease. These dogs have without
exception all been vaccinated and fed improperly.
The list is endless and none of these should be considered normal nor are they
indicative of a healthy dog.
In contrast a truly healthy dog will naturally have all of the following
attributes (but are not limited to these):
· Small, firm, tiny, non-odorous stools
· Clean, white, teeth – including in senior dogs
· Shiny, clean coats that rarely need bathing
· No doggie odor or breath
· Slim and sleek
· Calm with a balanced energy
· No parasites!
In our experience, the only dogs we have encountered that fit the above attributes as truly healthy are those that have never been vaccinated and have been properly nourished their entire lives. However, there is always hope for those that have experienced vaccinosis.
What Is Your Dog's Immunity?
The second thing to understand is immunity. Immunity is an in-depth topic that the scope of this article won't be able to fully explore but we can at least paint a picture for you. In a nutshell, think of immunity as being innate through the immune system.
Everything dogs experience, from the quality of afternoon sunlight to an upsetting afternoon, can actually affect their immune balance. Every day the immune system is working to keep the body in balance – it's a constant balancing act. However, when we don't adhere to or we actually interfere with nature's laws according to the species needs, that balancing act becomes impossible for the immune system to maintain. This is where disease begins and immunity has now been defeated, although the body will continue to try to re-balance itself until its demise.
Immunity is a natural resistance that is passed down from the DNA of healthy generations of dogs. Acquired immunity however, (which helps the next generation grow stronger) happens when the dog encounters natural pathogens in nature, not at the end of a needle. The vaccine bypasses natural defenses to trick the immune system into staying in the “on” position which never allows it to rest or grow strong. In fact, the vaccine will keep the body always a little bit sick until it is fully sick, especially with regular booster shots.
“...not all autoimmune disease comes from vaccines but only vaccinated individuals develop auto antibodies that lead to autoimmune disease. The body's immune system has a type of built in check and balance against forming auto antibodies but vaccines blow that whole system straight to hell. They also know with scientific assuredness that the virus and the microbial proteins and especially lots of them injected into the body are responsible for auto antibody formation.” ~ Patricia Jordan, DVM, CVND
“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.” ~ Donna Starita Mehan, DVM
Health Is Absence of Disease
Since health is the absence of disease, immunity comes through proper support of the immune system. Because vaccines set the body up for disease, and vaccines unnaturally stimulate the immune system, they can play no role in health or immunity.
We can promote and maintain health in our canines with natural immunity by following nature's laws.
“Our creator has already provided every living being with the greatest protection of all - an immune system. The reason we have the disorders, disabilities and diseases that exist in the world today is because we abuse that system. In general, our animals are presently in a poor state of health due to ignorance, apathy, greed, negligence in some cases and overindulgence in others, all of which lead to processed food, abuse of drugs and poisons; consequently resulting in the suffering of animals and people.” ~ Pat McKay, from the book Natural Immunity: Why You Should Not Vaccinate
In Part One/Two, above, we focused on the immune system because it is the immune system that protects the body and keeps it healthy. It is also the immune system that is wrecked with repeated vaccinations. In this final part to our three-part series, we want to share with you how we have assisted dogs with vaccinosis using an entirely natural approach.
Those of us who adhere to the principles and laws of nature for our own health and that of our dogs have found no need or use for vaccines. In fact, we believe they hinder the health of our dogs rather than provide protection.
Vet Schools Fail On Vaccinology
Something to consider along these lines is what leading veterinary vaccine researcher, Ronald Schultz, PhD stated in a pet vaccination seminar held in 2009, “Our new grads don’t know a heck of a lot more about vaccines than our older grads. And I’ve figured out why this is. They know a lot more about basic immunology, but they don’t know about vaccinology and the two are not the same….Also, they’re taught by people generally that know nothing about vaccinology. Now, when do they get their vaccine training? During their fourth year. And who’s giving that? The veterinarians that know how to give vaccines, still don’t know about vaccinology. So we haven’t gone very far from where we were ten years ago or twenty years ago with regard to training veterinarians about vaccines." (1)
There is an agenda afoot with vaccines and it sure isn't about health. The way to know the truth is to always follow the money. Who stands to gain the most from the sale of vaccines? Who stands to gain when your own dog suffers from vaccinosis? If vaccines are so protective, then why are the majority of dogs chronically ill by the age of six if not younger with the symptoms of vaccinosis?
The answers are statistically clear. Vaccinated dogs are not only not protected from all the new mutating viruses, but they are often less healthy. Most are living shorter lives, and are more vulnerable to disease than those dogs that are not vaccinated and are given as close to a natural lifestyle as humanly possible.
Once vaccinated, the damage has already been done but there is help for un-doing most of the damage.
Help For Vaccinosis Diseased Dogs
As naturopaths, we share with our clients how to help their dogs get back into balance (homeostasis) by supporting their bodies naturally so it can heal itself. And we help them proactively promote health in their dogs thereby avoiding major sickness and disease altogether in the first place.
The first law of nature and health is proper nutrition. A species appropriate raw diet is going to be necessary to either detoxify your dog from vaccines or to promote optimum health before they ever become ill. The immune system must be properly supported and that can only happen when your dog is fed a diet conducive to his species, in this case, a carnivore.
The rest of the laws of health include:
· Exercise – the level and intensity will depend upon how well or sick your own dog is and of course the needs of your particular breed.
· Water – pure, fresh without chlorine, fluoride or other chemicals
· (and sometimes supplements) – sans sunscreen and in proper moderation. When given proper shade dogs innately know how to balance their sun bathing so they don't burn.
· Temperance – moderation is what animals do naturally. Leaders of packs are the most energy efficient of all.
· Air – fresh air daily; being outdoors is where animals thrive. Being constantly indoors isn't healthy for any of us.
· Rest – and that means time away from all the human contrivances that can interfere with proper rest such as unnatural lighting, noise, electronic gadgets and equipment, etc.
· Trust – knowing that nature does know best and its way, while often slow is sure.
Once our clients are adhering to these principles with their dogs, the detoxing and healing can really begin. This is where our clients learn that all of those toxins from the vaccines, unnatural food, synthetics (in the form of medications), and pesticides typically called “pest control prevention” are finally leaving their dog's body and they can see him becoming well again.
Diet, Herbal & Homeopathic Treatment
At this point we may then suggest herbal, homeopathic or supplemental help, or refer them to a homeopath if diet alone hasn't done the job of thoroughly detoxifying their dogs.
All it takes is one vaccine for vaccinosis disease to begin but take hope because if caught early enough (before multiple revaccinations), we know how to help build the body back up naturally. Even if your dog has been repeatedly vaccinated year after year and/or is elderly we can still assist in helping your dog to gain back quality of life.
It's always worth it to take up and apply the natural rearing principles for the health and longevity of your dogs – now and for future generations.
Reference:
1. Titer testing and vaccination: A new look at traditional practices. Published by Veterinary Healthcare Communications, Lenexa, Kansas. 2002.