Study of Vaccination Risk for Small Dogs JVMAM
 

Vaccination Risk for Small Dogs | Truth4Dogs

At last, a smoking gun … discovered pointing directly at Chihuahuas, Dachshunds, Maltese, Yorkies and other small dogs … in fact, pointed at all dogs receiving multiple vaccines during one clinic visit.

Many scientific studies and taskforce reports have altered my view of vaccination over the years, but none have stunned me as much as “Adverse events diagnosed within three days of vaccine administration in dogs” by Drs. Moore, Guptill, Ward, et al. This two-year study of vaccine reactions (from data gathered at 360 Banfield clinics in 2002 and 2003) concluded: “Young adult small-breed neutered dogs that received multiple vaccines per office visit were at greatest risk of a VAAE [Vaccine Associated Adverse Event] within 72 hours after vaccination.” And that’s not all the report revealed.

In the study (published in JAVMA, the Journal of American Veterinary Medical Association in October, 2005), 1.2 million dogs received almost 3.5 million vaccine doses. Reactions reported within 3 days (as designated by computer codes) included nonspecific vaccine reactions, allergic reactions, urticaria (hives), anaphylaxis (severe, whole-body allergic reaction), cardiac arrest, cardiovascular shock and sudden death. For each 10,000 dogs vaccinating, 38 adverse reactions were reported.

You’re probably thinking: just 38 reactions per 10,000 dogs? That’s not too bad. But bear in mind that this study did NOT include:
# Reactions reported more than 72 hours after vaccination (thus eliminating reactions taking longer to develop or be discovered, such as injection site cancers, autoimmune diseases, skin diseases and other major conditions).
# Reactions that occurred but were never reported by clients.
# Conditions not recognized by the vet as vaccine reactions.
# Conditions not selected for this study. (Seizures weren’t on the list, nor were countless other common reactions.)
# Conditions not recorded by the vet. The 2007 World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Vaccine Guidelines reports “gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events ….”
# Reactions in dogs also getting a heartworm shot, presumably because of the increased risk of reaction. (Currently,vets are warned not to give Proheart 6 with a vaccination.)

The study’s researchers (6 of 7 were vets) recommended that veterinarians should communicate the increased risk of multiple vaccines to clients before obtaining their consent to vaccinate. At this writing, a full 4 years after the study’s publication, I suspect few clients have actually been warned about the risk of multiples vaccines at one visit, or about special risks to smaller dogs. Were you ever warned?

Factors Increasing The Risk of the Vaccine Adverse Reaction

Body Weight. The reaction rate increased significantly as body weight decreased. That is, small dogs were at greatest risk for a reaction. Risk for dogs weighing 11 pounds or less was 4 times greater than the risk for dogs weighing 99+ pounds. Medium-sized dogs also had increased risk over larger dogs.

For all vaccines and for the rabies vaccine given alone, the reaction rate for dogs weighing 22.2 to 99 lbs. was approximately half the rate of dogs weighing less than 22.0 lbs. Little dogs had 32+ reactions per 10,000; medium-sized dogs, 15+; large dogs, none.

Neutering/Spaying. Neutered dogs had a 27% to 38% greater risk versus sexually intact dogs.

Age. Dogs 1.5 to 2.5 years of age had a 35% to 64% greater risk of reactions (with rates increasing up to 2 years and declining thereafter) than puppies 2 to 9 months old. The risk was least for dogs 6 years of age and older.

Number of vaccines per office visit. The risk significantly increased as the number of vaccines given at each visit increased. In little dogs (under 10 lbs.) each dose increased risks by 27%; in dogs weighing more, each dose increased risk by 12%.

Taking all dogs into consideration, each additional vaccine given at each office visit increased the rate of vaccine reaction by 24.2%. All 3 dogs in the study with recorded deaths had each received 4 or more vaccines at their last office visit.

3 or more vaccines given at once increase the risk of a vaccine reaction 50% over the risk of a single shot. Giving 5 simultaneous vaccines doubles the risk!

Breed. Among breeds with 5,000 or more dogs vaccinated during the study period, the most vaccine reactions per 10,000 dogs were found, in order, in Dachshunds, Pugs, Boston Terriers, Miniature Pinschers and Chihuahuas. Next came Maltese, Miniature Schnausers, Jack Russells, Toy Poodles and Yorkshire Terriers. Mid-size dogs (like Lhasa Apsos, Bichons and Beagles) followed. At the bottom of the list was Chow Chows, German Shepherds and Rottweilers.

Purebred Status. The vaccination reaction rate for mixed-breed dogs was in the bottom fifth of all rates. The researchers state: “safety trials that use such dogs may underestimate the reaction rates that would occur in purebred dogs.”

Why Does a Dog’s Weight Have Such a Big Impact?

The researchers report: “Vaccines, in contrast to virtually all veterinary pharmaceuticals, are prescribed on a 1-dose-fits-all basis, rather than by body weight.”

I have always been shocked that a Chihuahua puppy and an adult Great Dane are given the same dose shot: 1 mL. They get the same volume of virus or bacteria plus the same volume of adjuvants (boosting agents like aluminum), preservatives (like mercury), antibiotics, stabilizers and foreign tissue cultures (like fetal calf serum). All these ingredients are known to cause vaccine reactions. (Learn more about vaccine ingredients at the CDC.)

The study’s researchers go on to say that during a vaccine’s pre-licensing trial, manufacturers investigate the safety of excessive doses of vaccines “but only in a limited number of dogs. The results of this study suggest that trials in dogs that weigh [22 lbs.] underestimate the expected VAAE rate in smaller dogs.”

The risk of a vaccine reaction in this study population was inversely related to a dog’s weight. This weight/response relationship was also suggested bya study in which toy breeds had significantly more reactions than other dogs, although body weight was not evaluated.

There are several links within the article that I cut and pasted to the above thread. I would suggest that you look further into the article since there is even more information within the actual article through these links.

Great post - Thanks for taking the time to post it. My breeder told me about this when I got Max but it seems like vets don't want to acknowledge it - even though it makes perfect sense! When we buy over the counter meds for our kids it always includes dose measurements for age and weight - why would it be any different for our furbabies. :)

Great information and thank you for posting this.

Just want to add, that this study was not even able to take into account all the delayed reactions, from vaccines, that can happen to our furbabies. (Which would make the statistics for the reverse reactions even worse.)

If you use the link and actually go to the article and read it there is even more information about the delayed reactions. It was pretty shocking. :eek:

Ahhh POO! I have a thread going in the health forum because I need to take Bella for shots. I was going to get them all (Rabies, DAPP-CV, and Bordetella), then skip two years for all but the Rabies.

I guess not.

I *have* to get the rabies; would it be OK to get Bordetella now (too), or should I wait?

I do not give the Bordetella since I do not go to dog parks or board. I also space out the Rabies and DAPP by 2 weeks with mine.

Very good to know, Great post.

truth4dogs is a very informative site, I found it a while back, I find their info quite accurate...... This is a very good article...

I started reading about vaccines about 2 years oge, it just angered me what vets where doing to our pets.......The health problems created from adverse reactions is just the tip of the problem.....

Giving shots when a pup is too young is a huge problem. ,the answer is not to vaccinate earlier or more frequently, but to vaccinate scientifically. Earlier vaccination is clearly a doomed strategy. We have become so accustomed to giving parvo and distemper vaccines in "sets of three" that we think this is necessary. That is far from the truth. If we let a pup reach the age of 16 weeks or older before giving vaccines then just one parvo and one distemper would give protection, this alone would eliminate four unnecessary vaccines.

Vets that still give boosters when they know that boosters cause more harm than good is another problem ......In my opinion this malpractice, this is just plain wrong.......

I hope more people read about over vaccinating and the health problems they are causing in our pets so they can make better decisions for their pets, the info is out there they just have to take the time to look......Our pets are counting on us.......:)

I have been doing research on shots today as GiGi was supose to go in for her second set of puppy shots. I was concerned, as on the reminder notice it listed kennel cough (which I now know is Bordetellia) was tobe included in this series, she had that 3 weeks ago:mad:. I always thought I was a good momma, doing my best for my babies to keep them happy and healthy.
My head is spinning, I am not taking GiGi to get her shots today I am terrified and don't know what to do.
3 weeks ago she had two shots
DHLPP+CVK = Canine Distemper-Hepatitis-Leptospira-Parainfluenza-Parvovirus-Corona
Coughguard B = Kennel Cough injectable-Bordetella
These shots are too much for a little 10 week old baby?

The lepto shot is very hard on these little ones. I never give mine the lepto shot. It is hard to know what to do. I don't start vaccinations until my pups are at least 10 weeks old and I give distemper and parvo only. You just have to do what you are most comfortable with. If you feel your vet is over vaccinating (as many do) then you might check around for a different vet.

I don't blame you for being concerned....believe it or not a lot of vets are ignorant when it come to administering vaccines.....A combo shot is a huge no- no.....It not only contains components that are unnecessary but they also increase the incidence of adverse reactions, they over whelm the immune system and increase the risks for auto immune diseases, cancer, thyroid problems, etc. etc. in the years to come............



Dr Schultz is a leading researcher on vaccines , he does not endorse Kennel Cough, this is a self limiting illness and generally clears up on it's own in a few days....This is from Dr. Schultz.....


In an article from the October-December 2007, Vol. 26, #3 Journal of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, entitled Summary of a Presentation by Dr. Ron Schultz written by Patricia Monahan Jordan, DVM, it states that "Kennel cough is not a vaccinatable disease, realize this and stop the boarding kennels from making the dogs sick."

Dr. Ronald Schultz declares in his An Update on What Everyone Needs to KNow about Canine and Feline Vaccination Programs" published in the 2008 Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the AHVMA, Pages 325-336: "kennel cough is not preventable with vaccines."


This schedule is a good place to use when you need a guide on what vaccines to do or not to do, it is by Dr J. Dodds who is a respected researcher.....

Vaccination Schedule Recommendations For Dogs

Some good people to google about vaccines are.... Dr J. Dodds... Dr. R. Schultz.... Dr Pitcairn.....Catherine O' Driscoll.......

Thanks for that vaccination schedule. I was looking for something like that! Perfect timing! :D

What I quoted above is what sticks out to me and has been discussed before. Vaccines cannot be compared to pharmaceuticals...it really is like comparing apples to oranges. While medicines must be dosed by body weight, vaccines are dosed by virus count. My understanding is that, with vaccines, the goal is to provoke the immune system into creating antibodies and that a certain virus count is needed, regardless of the weight of the dog.

As for the added ingredients, the only thing I have heard there being a concern over was the preservatives. I think that thymersol (or thimerosal), which is a mercury containing compound, was used but has now been replaced by aluminum as a preservative. From all I've read, preservatives are only used in multi-dose vials of vaccine and not in single dose vials. I give my own vaccines, except for rabies, and these are all single dose vials. My vet uses single dose vials except for the rabies vaccine, which is in a multi-dose vial. I am bothered by this but have never had a reaction in any of my dogs but I don't get the rabies shot before six months old, which may partly account for this.

I do find the data cited very interesting and it should give us all reason for concern. I don't, however, think small dog owners should take from this that they should demand half doses of vaccines for their dogs. Personally, I'm more concerned about the preservatives in vaccines than the vaccine itself. I'm most concerned about the cumulative effects of over-vaccination and feel pet owners should educate themselves about the newest vaccination protocols.

I would add that I never give my pups or dogs the corona or lepto vaccines and, up to this point (knock on wood), I've never had any of mine have an adverse reaction.

I truly do believe she was over medicated, I was stupid and did not research as I should have. She had those shots at 10 weeks, and she did take them pretty hard, I felt terrible, she was so sad and sore, I ended up giving her a half of a baby asprin for pain. Ughh! Thank God I noticed the red flag. Thank you for your response, the info is greatly appreciated!!