Comments on Reason #1 to Fire Your Vet: Annual Vaccinations

When you have an over vaccinated dog look you in the eyes with love; asking you why can't I eat, why can't I hear, why am I falling down, why am I itching so severly? That is when your heart breaks and you vow that you will NEVER make another of your family members suffer like that again. Packs do stick together, and not only in the animal kingdom.

I wish someone like Dr. Falconer or Dr. Blanco could launch a campaign to educate these shelters and Humane Societies and Rescue Groups to stop vaccinating so much. Maybe the change we need could start with them. These organizations are always in need of funding and they could all save thousands of dollars a year by decreasing if not eliminating all these vaccinations. All these organizations have been established to help and promote the welfare of animals.....they could do that with Titer testing.

Just lost my beautiful, gentle black lab Winnie to vaccinosis. She received "puppy shots" and later in life a spay and 1 rabies vaccine to cross the border. I adopted her after all this took pace. Despite having been raised on raw food, which I continued, and no toxic heart worm pills, flea or tick poisons either, her chronic psora over took her vital force and I had to help her leave her tired body. Plagued with itchiness, foul ears, tumours. She was a mess. We fought, she fought hard. Homeopathy and acupuncture were key in maintaining her but eventually the confused immune system takes over. My last 3 dogs have had vaccines early in their lives as part of the adoption process and I can see the signs of chronic illness beginning. They are 4 and 2 are 5 years old. I will again enlist the help of Dr. Will to help me get them as healthy and balanced as we can. I am not a fan of vaccines. None of them. i wish there was a safe way to create immunity to rabies.

We moved to our current residence earlier this year after buying a house to be near my daughter. It's a small town with very few vets and 2 hours away to the nearest big city. Town regulations require EVERY pet in town receive a rabies vaccine annually, while the rural area pets are 'only' required to have 3 year vaccines. (aren't country pets more likely to come in contact with rabid animals such as skunks??)
A month ago, we rescued a tiny 4-lb Chihuahua from the local animal shelter and she wasn't allowed to be released until she had a rabies vaccine AND spay. Poor little thing is 9 yrs old and it broke my heart that she had to go through that.
So now we have 3 dogs with an annual rabies vaccine requirement and I'm not quite sure how to get out of it since our Vet choices are so limited here. I've checked with them all and they say "it's the law". My dogs all need regular nail trims and I can't do it myself. Now I'm afraid they won't see our dogs if we don't comply.

problem i'm having is a note from the vets here stating my dogs as service dogs in strictly a home setting still must have the vacines..son has a akita i rescued as a pup never had one shot has never been sick 1 day is almost 15 years old....i have now 6 service dogs the pyrs are mobility dogs as i live alone they have never left my house or yard... when i go somewhere i have people who help me...the other 4 are medic alert dogs 2 on current duty are 3 and 4... 2 who are 11 and 12 retired really showing degeneration and as terriers their supposed to be much longer lived then the akita afore mentioned...2 who after their first shots are having horrible allergies to nearly everything... also terriers...the terriers are spayed and neutered..and 2 pyrs 4 and 5 years i've avoided vaccing... the male's dad was healthy til he was placed... he died less then 6 mo's after shots due to reactions to the shots the female is related to my male ...their a bonded intact pair who have never bred they act like brother and sister....but their going to push it now required in my state and my county and my town... there are no holistic vets close truthfully theres not that many vets here to begin with the one i've had for years was somewhat lax on the shots for which i was grateful....they will accept any vet from anywheres excuse for not vaccing but i've yet to find one who'd write the letter and sign it....wonder what happened to free country...any suggestions?

Vaccines are crazy in every way possible, if you are looking for the Truth. Immunity comes from good health, which comes from natural, species-specific food, natural living conditions, species natural requirements and no (or as little as possible) stress. That's how wild animals have such wonderful immunity.

I am on my third Service Dog for my disability.
When I received my 3rd Service Dog, who came from ___________ (do NOT publish this name please), I was informed that he had been vaccinated every year, (he was three when I got him), and he had been Heart Guarded and Advantaged, EVERY MONTH, and fed dry food for his entire life. Because they "could not keep weight on him," they added CORN OIL to his dry food!
When they INSISTED on vaccinating him ONE MORE TIME FOR GOOD MEASURE before we left the facility for the last time to begin our new life together, I was horrified and I asked them not to. They insisted. So, I asked them to please take his temp BEFORE they vaccinated him and then again two hours after the injection, before we took the train. They did. The Vet on duty siad his temp had infact gone up, but he "Couldn't explain why or know what it was about." Really?
ON our train ride home, I told my Service Dog that:
1- he would NEVER have dry food again, no matter how 'organic' the energy-less stuff was.
2- That he would never receive the HG or Advantage again, as the cures for fleas and heart worms had advanced and were not as bad as the collective side effects of monthy applications.
3- I knew we might have some ramifications as time when on, and we would deal with them together.
4 - That he finally had a human teammate who lives with animals as peers and teachers and that I looked forward to learning FROM him.
Sure enough we have been working with and managing his IBD, for 5 years and as of this year, the DM is showing up more week by week.
I am proud to say he is 11 years old, and we are blessed to have made it as a team so far and with such great energy and articulation.
Here's to a few more years of working and playing together!
Thank you for your work Dr. Falconer!

Great article. I requested a titer for my westie. The first one my vet has sent in for a general rabies reading. I also like to keep members (6,000 to date) of my Facebook group inform on this subject. Westies Health -- From Ears to Tail.
All the best and keep up the great work
Katie