Vaccines

As per my instagram post this morning, I thought its about time we reminded everyone about vaccines.

Every single litter we have now I have people contacting me who have brought a puppy from someone else and its died or been so sick its been left with life long health issues.  They come onto our site and read we do not vaccinate young puppies.  

Why dont we vaccinate young puppies.?  What is our story on vaccines? All I can tell you is our own experiences. 
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I learnt many years ago by absolute heart break after loosing a whole litter of Siamese kittens.  I always loved cats, and you hear some people say, oh im a dog person, or Im a cat person.  Well Im a cat and dog person.  In fact there are very few animals I dislike.  It must are 25 years ago now I had this beautiful litter of Apricot Siamese kittens, who were big healthy kittens.  When you have a prefix with the GCCF you are required to vaccinate before letting them go. The GCCF is the governing registry database for pedigree cats, just like the Kennel club is for dogs.   So I went along and had these kittens vaccinated, and my vet said, wow what healthy beauties they were. He listened to their hearts and said yes these are just fab. You've got some lucky owners here.   I went home and they played a bit, then went to sleep. I had a room in the house converted to a cat play room, and I did think they seemed rather sleepy that afternoon. But maybe it was the stress of being put in a cat carrier, car journey, and then handled by a complete stranger.  That evening I had fed them as I used to feed dried to the siamese, and washed water bowls out, and shut the door for the night. 
The next morning, I got some wet kitten meat ready, and normally they would be crying the other side waiting for their food, but it was quiet. I opened the door and it was stiff, and it moved slowly and I thought have they dragged something in front of the door and its wedged.  But the sight I saw was nothing but devastation.  Dead kittens everywhere. I cant tell you how that feels, your heart ripped out of your chest.  I rang the vet immediately and was told.  They myst of all had heart conditions. Heart conditions I said!  Come on you said they were all fantastically healthy and you listened to the hearts!  What could it be?  Humph, stutter, pause. I said could it be the vaccine,? Oh no he said, it cant be the vaccine.  I said but there is no other explanation.   Now this reaction is not unusual for vets when things go wrong.  Not wanting to say, well actually it is the vaccine.

I then made it a bit of a life mission to find out more about vaccine reactions.  I was gobsmacked as I went to our dog training group and told my friend who bred Skye terriers what had happened.  She then said, she had lost a whole litter of puppies after vaccine. I couldnt believe it, why wasn't people making this more knowledge out there.  She told me she followed Jean Dodds who had recognised vaccine reaction in dogs and cats.   The more I read, the more I spoke to people the bigger the picture became. My friend told me she then had another litter of Skye terriers and did not vaccinate for a start.  They left and went to new owners, and then after vaccines had over a few weeks/months people contacting her saying they all had kidney disease. 

I then bred a Weimaraner litter and an owner got back to me that their dog had got. Vaccine induced anemia. Enlarged writing of exact wording below.   Google all these headings and start doing your own research.  

Vaccine-associated
immune-mediated hemolytic anemia
For me that was a first in dogs.  I then had little resource to read online unlike today where if you put that into a search engine it pops up everywhere. I gradually started learning that it wasn't just one thing.  I found on the Weimaraner club of America that they had noted issues in the breed.  Another vaccine induced disease was. 


Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy (HOD)

This affects the joints of dogs around the age of 6 months. Seen in the American Weimaraner, and the clubs came up with ways of splitting vaccine to see if that helped.  Then I heard of cases in the UK.  A few years ago someone I know bred a litter of Vizsla and one of their puppies had HOD.

Vaccine induced Meningitis 
Someone used our Weimaraner at stud many years ago, and one of their puppies developed Vaccine induced Meningitis.  So I had to learn about this.  It's not seen very often but it is noted in all breeds.   So again something else flagged up. 

POST VACCINE INFLAMMATION
I had the opportunity to go to Dick Whites open day on what health conditions effected the Vizsla.  One of the subjects was Post Vaccine inflammation.  This was an extremely helpful talk.  The top neurologist who deals with epilepsy and anything to do with the brain and central nervous system gave the talk.  He told us that they have Vizsla come in with PVF and sadly the majority die.  The dog may look like it's fitting and its conscious but swaying back and forth, tremors. The brain is effected, by swelling and the white matter is dying. 

​WHAT ARE OTHER REACTIONS?

Those are the top three that come to mind when Im thinking of vaccine reactions, but there are many many many more symptoms of reaction.  

• Facial swelling, sores, oozing.
• Diarrhoea or persistent vomiting and diarrhoea. 
• loss of apetite
• fever
• fatigue

• Collapse or fainting
• Difficulty breathing
• Persistent and severe coughing
• Small, red, raised, itchy bumps over the body (hives)
• Swollen or puffy eyes, muzzle, or face

It made me research more and more.  All I can tell you to do is research also, because what we are told by medical profession is not always the truth.   Reactions are seen.  Maybe in the scheme of things not commonly, but over the course of the year yes it's seen. 

Our Government state that there are 10 dogs in 10,000 dogs vaccinated which will have a serious reaction.  But the problem with that statement is the majority of cases are not reported through the governmental site, and the Vets do not report reactions.  These maybe cases where people have submitted through the government form themselves.   So this is actually not a true report.  

It is noted that Lepto 2 vaccine seems to have less reactions than Lepto 4 vaccine.  I know 3 vets in my area that wont stock Lepto 4 now.
I also know a vet who was retiring who admitted to me that reactions were far higher than what is talked about.  She told me she only was letting me know because she was out of the rat race, she had become so sick to death of the veterinary profession that she wanted out.  Early retirement. I was pretty amazed. 


So where does that leave us now?
What I learnt on my journey into research in vaccines and reactions was if we vaccinate puppies too young they are vulnerable.  They leave home with one vaccine in most cases, and they are so stressed from the house move their immune system is under stress from the house move, let alone a vaccine.  My own vet has told me he doesnt want to do 1 vaccine, as its causes issues when the puppy owners vets do not stock the same vaccine.  Because most vets then vaccinate again giving the puppy double sets which is no good. IN that we agree.!  
Most councils insist on puppies leaving breeders homes vaccinated, but there are several which go on the breeders vets advice, which in our case is no vaccine.  
What we tell everyone is go to U TUBE and listen to Dr Ronald Schultz on vaccine.  He is not an anti-vaccine campaigner.  He is a scientist who makes vaccine.  He believes puppies should be vaccinated around 16 weeks.  
Why is this?
When a puppy is born it drinks for two days colostrum milk.  This milk is not really milk, its is like white blood cells packed with anti bodies.  Now these antibodies dont just wean off quickly.  For some they wean off by 16 weeks. For some dogs, they maintain their mothers antibodies for life.
You can titre test first if you wish before giving Parvo, Distemper and Hepatitis.  This would be the ideal way of doing it. But what we are finding is it is costly.  
Go to Dragon Labs and download their titre kit, and get your vet or vet nurse to draw blood and pop in their tubes and send back. This is the cheapest way of doing titre testing at the moment in the UK.

Some people choose to have first puppy vaccines, but are waiting now near 16 weeks before doing it. Then they wont vaccinate again. 
Some people choose to titre test yearly or 3 yearly.

LEPTO
Sadly there is no titre test for Lepto as this is not a virus. It is a bacteria cause from rats urine. Lepto is seen more in farming areas than cities.  But anywhere there is volume of rats you may want to have this vaccine on its own.  But remember Lepto 2 vaccine has less reactions than Lepto 4.  But it doesnt mean you wont have a reaction. 

ANTIHISTAMINE
I had one old dog who was vaccine reactive.  The vet told me to put her onto a course of antihistamines for 7 days before vaccinating.  So I did this as at the time our council was insisting on vaccine.  I had also read a scientific paper on Weimaraners done in Israel about 20 years ago which found antihistamine was beneficial to the breed before vaccines.  So I had heard about this research.

As I say to everyone who buys a puppy from us, we can not tell you what to do, but we can tell you to research.  At least our puppies go away strong and healthy and not vaccinated giving you the choice on what you want to do.
I sell more puppies now than ever to people who dont want a vaccine done.  Their own experiences has scared them. Not many breeders understand vaccine reactions. 

Another twist to this story.......

I have just trialled 2 dogs after being told by my friend he own journey.  She has not vaccinated her 3 year old frenchie. She has given holistic nosodes by Helios. These are small pills which can help give a natural help to ward off these virus.  She had a titre test done on the boy and he has fully antibodies.  So he developed his own natural immunity. 

So I thought Okay let's do this.!  Two dogs unvaccinated, taken to dog shows. Taken to the river banks, water ways, forests etc.  I titre tested one at 10 months, and its come back fully immunity.  With ZERO VACCINE.  Tested the other dog, 9 months and its come back fully immune.  So there you go! Some dogs do develop their own immunity with out the aid of any vaccine. But are you brave enough to do this?  

If you hear of Parvo virus in your area, go get a titre test done ASP.  Check your dogs immunity. Do not just vaccinate out of fear.  Dont walk in the common areas where infected dogs could roam. 
 
Use common sense. 

When taking a puppy ask your training school do they accept titre tested dogs or do they have to have a vaccine. 

With training we have a 16 week window of development.  This is key!  Key to behavioural issues later.  So titre test or vaccinate and be in classes 15 weeks, if you have socialised your dog by carrying it everywhere you've got a dog which has already met its social window.  If you have not taken your dog out anywhere then your dog could have behavioural issues later.  What ever you choose to do, it must be in classes by 15 weeks.   To make a big difference 14 weeks.

I can not tell anyone what they should do.  But I will say if you take a Silvestre puppy, vaccinate it a day later then I will not be very happy.  A dog must completely settle into your home first.  So at least 2 weeks, if you are chomping at the bit to get it done.  For all the sensible owners who wait, follow guidelines by holistic vets then your dog will be healthier, happier, and so will you be happy.

Dont forget we have holistic vets in UK who can advise you what to do. I am not a medical professional. I never ever will tell you what to do, but I can show you that you should research and be happy.   

As far as we are aware no Silvestre Vizsla has had a reaction.  Because the majority listen to me.
We can tell you that one Bracco puppy, the owner did not listen. Was at the vets the next morning to collection. Had Lepto 4 vaccine, and that dog nearly died in the first week.  All the siblings were not vaccinated and did not have a reaction.  They were vaccinated later and all were well.  Again another evidence that waiting for your puppy to grow up a bit, be stronger, not be stressed is key to having a good vaccine experience.   Owner has said she wished she had listened. 

We believe that there will be evidence in the next ten years that kidney disease in Bracco will be vaccine related.  AS they can not understand what triggers the kidney disease. 

Please remember to detox every dog thats been vaccinated with Milk Thistle, and Thuja 30. These can be brought off Amazon.  Or you can buy from Ainsworth or Helios. 

Vaccine reactions are not hereditary.  I believe most issues are from too early vaccines.  Be patient. Be sensible. Have common sense.