[pstinard]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Here's a critique of split dosing vaccines. What’s the Right “Dose” of a Vaccine for Small-Breed Dogs? | The SkeptVet

Everyone, PLEASE read the skeptvet article. I'll quote parts of it below:

There’s a common misconception out there about vaccines that small animals should have lower “doses” of a vaccine than larger animals. This is a natural assumption stemming, most likely, from our familiarity with how medicines are dosed. However, while there are some differences in the amount of a vaccine given in different species, it is far less of a difference than would be expected if vaccines worked like drugs.

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Nevertheless, alternative medicine advocates frequently recommend smaller “doses” of vaccine for smaller dogs. There is not yet any real evidence to indicate that this would be an effective strategy to maintain immunity while reducing the risk of adverse effects. A recent “study” by Dr. Jean Dodds claims to provide some such evidence. However, this research has been supported by the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Foundation (AHVMF), and it bears many of the characteristic features of that group’s approach to research. As I’ve pointed out before, the AHVMF and associated groups and individuals seem to feel the purpose of scientific research is not to uncover the truth but to convince others of claims they already “know” are true based on personal experience or simple belief. Dr. Dodds herself has certainly shown this to be her approach before.


While Dr. Dodds’ study is only a pilot trial, and thus isn’t intended to prove anything, it is already being used as if it were evidence for giving smaller doses of vaccine to smaller dogs. The study has been published in the AHVMA journal, which is not accessible except to AHVMA members. From the information reported on her web site, it isn’t possible to evaluate completely what, if anything, we can reasonably conclude from it. But it is clear even from this limited information that the study does not provide a reason to change vaccination practices.


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This tells us almost nothing of relevance to the question of whether lower doses of vaccine can protect small dogs and reduce their risk of adverse events. Is the Hemopet titer a validated titer test with meaningful cutoff levels? What were the original titer levels? Were they already protective? How much did they increase, and would this make a difference between immunity and susceptibility? What vaccine history did the dogs have? Were any even susceptible to these diseases and, if so, would the vague half dose have protected them? Did any have adverse reactions? Had they had any adverse reactions to full-dose vaccination? Would they be less likely to have such reactions at the lower dose?


The unanswered questions are nearly endless, and many of them are crucial to the actual question. While a pilot trial, again, is only intended to test whether a real study is feasible and safe, the reality is that this trial is already being used to imply that giving less of a vaccine to smaller dogs is safer and just as effective as giving the intended dose. Dr. Dodds implies that on her site, and others reporting her results elsewhere do the same. Nothing about this trial justifies that claim.