Row over dog vaccinations.

A group of vets has called for a rethink on annual jabs for dogs. The 31 vets signed a letter to the Veterinary Times expressing concern that British dog owners are over-vaccinating their pets, which could lead to health problems as well as wasting them millions of pounds in fees.

Megan Kearney was one of those who signed the letter. She is a qualified vet who also practices homoeopathy.

She said: "A group of us are concerned about the frequency with which animals are vaccinated. Annual vaccinations have become a habit that we've got into."British vets are currently obliged to vaccinate every year because they must follow a 'data sheet' drawn up by the drugs companies which recommends annual vaccination.If they fail to follow the data sheet they will not be backed up legally by the companies.

Megan said that in America it is now standard practice to vaccinate every three years, as research has been done there to indicate that immunity provided by many vaccines lasts at least this long, with some vaccines giving lifetime immunity.

The vets are also concerned about the number of diseases our pets are being vaccinated against. They suggest that core vaccines - those that provide immunityto life-threatening disease such as parvovirus and distemper should be given every three years, with other vaccines considered on an individual basis according to the dog's needs.
According to the letter, reactions to vaccines can range from minimal, such as a briefly raised temperature, to the more serious onset of autoimmune disorders, anaphylactic shock and infections,

Contribution. 
However, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the British Veterinary Association issued a statement saying that vaccination had provided the greatest single contribution to pet health in recent decades.

It said: "The fact remains that we still do not know enough about the true duration of immunity in individual animals but we do know enough to say that not all vaccines necessarily provide I lifelong protection.

"If, after consultation with their vet, a client decides that they wish their pet to have less frequent vaccinations, we are happy for the vet to do so - this represents informed consent on the part of the owner - but we see no reason to vary from the legal requirement to follow data sheet recommendations otherwise."
An Animal Health Trust study has also revealed that routine vaccination does not increase frequency of illness in pets.

"This is completely contrary to the claims which have hit the headlines," said Dr James Wood, head of epidemiology at the AHT. "Our research clearly demonstrates the absence of any deleterious association between routine vaccination and signs of ill health.”

_{source Your Dog Mag.}