The Dog Vaccine Business Is Thriving

It isn’t just the business of medicating us humans which is thriving, have you ever had a dog? If so, then you probably know that vets push vaccines on our animals as much as they do on humans (if not more). Because dogs are well, dogs, we contest these vaccines much less. But the fact of the matter is, dog vaccines cost us an arm and a leg. If you’ve ever taken your dog to the vet for anything at all, you almost certainly were told that your dog lacked several vaccines. How could that be? Didn’t you JUST get them?

Well, vaccination schedules for dogs can be intense. In some cases, vets still recommend yearly vaccinations. In other more modest scenarios, that schedule is expanded to three years. If your vet’s office visit is $60, once the vaccine scam is ran, you can expect that number to at the very least, triple. We love our animals, but we are also on budgets. I mean, check out these numbers from PetVax.com for puppies.

This isn’t all the numbers and cost, just some (and just for puppies). But when you start doing the math, vet visits turn into down payments on a new home. When I first got my dog, I would ask my vet “is this necessary?” Of course, vets will tell you that they are necessary followed by making you out to be some cheap human being that puts saving a few hundred dollars ahead of your dog’s health and welfare. To be honest, it’s effective because I’d often leave feeling like an awful person for even just questioning the system.

But the truth is, the only dog vaccine you are legally bound to give is the rabies vaccine. The rest are of your own choice and / or, situational. For example, when it comes to Bordetella, some doggy daycares require it. And they could require more than that…. Hence, my use of the word “situational.” If you are someone who relies on doggy daycare, you might have to concede. The same goes for pet grooming establishments.

Parvo is a shot that many vets will recommend. But what is absurd is that many dogs are proven immune to parvo after one shot, but vets will keep recommending more doses claiming immunity takes longer than one shot. Apparently, no one can prove what method is correct and well, the vets make another buck adhering to the latter.

Do vaccines cause injuries in dogs like they do for people?

Yes, of course they do. There is an excellent read on Dog Naturally Magazine that I encourage all dog owners to read. Here is a great excerpt.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccination Guidelines Group states:   “We should aim to vaccinate every animal, and to vaccinate each individual less frequently.” (31)

My own view is that we should take on board Dr Schultz’s statements made as a result of his duration of immunity studies, namely that, “Once an animal is immune to viral disease, he is immune for years or life”. Dr Schultz was motivated to conduct his studies when he reflected that children didn’t need vaccinating every year, so why do dogs?  It is also worth noting that no science has ever been put forward to justify annual vaccination, or three-yearly vaccination for that matter.

With regard  to the controversial leptospirosis vaccine and its known ability to stimulate anaphylaxis and encephalitis, its poor record of efficacy, and the fact that leptospirosis is a relatively rare disease, I go along with Dr Schultz’s own views that this vaccine comes with more risks than benefits, and that its use is questionable.  In view of the risks of any vaccine, informed guardian  consent would seem sensible.

And finally, I am happy to state publicly that I do not vaccinate any of the dogs in my care.   My own researched belief is that vaccines cause more death and suffering than the diseases  we vaccinate against.  I do, however, hold firm to the principles  of free choice and informed guardian  consent.  Without the information to base choices upon, no one is giving their informed consent. They are merely relying upon the knowledge, training, and financial needs of the person  whose advice they follow.

If you are like me, you’ve cringed at vet visits due to being pushed for so many costly vaccines. You’ve worried how your dog might react to vaccines that seemingly no research has really been done on. The fact is, the dog vaccine business is much like the human vaccine business. It is a for profit business that doesn’t take our dog’s best interest to heart. They have a product, they want to push it, and dog owners often feel scared to question the system. Sound familiar? As I said….

The best thing you can do is do your research and go with your gut. Take nothing for granted and don’t allow vets to humiliate you into spending a few $100 more dollars.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg. What about those chemical laden anti-flea meds and shampoos? I’ve never given these to my dog and I can tell you I’ve been shamed countless times over it. But my gut says, anything that smells like a toxic chemical probably isn’t good for my dog (or heck, me either seeing I have to also smell it).

image credit: pixabay