Alternative to vaccines for dogs?

Question

Has anyone heard of nosodes (homeopathic alternative to vaccines) for animals, preferably canine nosodes?

I really want to keep things more natural for my dog. My dog did have all her vaccines (before I went on this "keep everything natural" craze) as a puppy and when she turned a year old (she is 2 now).


Please, even if you disagree let me know. I need as much advice as I can get about this!

Answer 1

Unless a nosode has been recognized for use as a treatment by a major developed nation, it's unsafe, IMHO. While we do tend to overvaccinate pets, I'm not going to let some bad science Jenny McCarthy convince me that all vaccines are harmful. My information comes from science - peer reviewed articles published in a major respected publication. While I factor in ancient medicine and homeopathy, I do so with serious discernment.

Answer 2

As a vet and a homeopath, I have not seen nosodes providing real protection. However, I have more than 15 year of experience with this protocol. I hope you will find it useful http://peterdobias.com/community/2009/12/vaccination-puppy-adult-dogs/

Answer 3

If your dog had her vaccines before, then she is covered. You can get what's called titer tests to prove her immunity, but those are more expensive (rabies titer cost me $60 per dog - well worth it imo as my dogs are legally exempt from the vaccine)



Rabies, parvo and distemper vaccines last well beyond 5 years - more like for life, research shows. (look up Dr. Charles Schultz and rabies challenge fund for research)



I wouldn't even bother with any nosode. As for the non-core vaccines (the short lived vaccines - bordetella, lyme, lepto etc) they really don't protect well anyway. Keeping the dog's immune system healthy is what will protect her.



My dogs are vaccine free, after their puppy cores ( http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html )



It's really a shame that more owners don't know or trust that yearly vaccines aren't needed. I don't call it a craze really, and certainly "all natural" has it's share of scams and misinformation but when there is no need for a vaccine, there's nothing crazy about not getting them.

Answer 4

I agree that getting vaccines every year is too much. That is what they used to do in the old days, but the AVMA protocol is now once every three years for the 'core' vaccines and Never for non-core, unless there is a special reason/hgh risk.



Rabies is still required by law (usually every 3 yr) unless you can get them to accept a titer test.



Core vaccine is Distemper, Parvo and Adenovirus and Rabies, all others optional/not recommended



Some greedy vets are still pushing for shots every year, avoid those vets.



BUT vaccines do have their place. If you dont believe me then ask your vet to show you some dogs that are dying from Distemper and Parvo. It's not pretty and these diseases are VERY widespread and deadly. Talk to you grandma/grandpa about how many dogs they had die from Distemper before the vaccine was invented. These diseases are horrible and they do suffer when they die. Rabies outbreaks are no picnic either.

http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2013/07/distemper-outbreak-kills-lion-and-tiger-at-wylie-sanctuary.html/

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20130215-distemper-outbreak-causing-zombie-raccoons.ece

http://www.dogexpert.com/rabies-from-dog-bites-still-prevalent-in-many-countries/

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rabies-outbreak-jumps-species-taiwan-133511802.html#7Tom1gB



We are very lucky to have these vaccines, we just need to use some common sense in using them. I figure if I have a means of protecting my beloved dogs from a preventable disease, I will do it! The risk of NOT vaccinating is much worse and I caution you to think carefully before you put your dog at risk.



There is good research that shows the Rabies shot may give 7 year immunity or more, but more study is needed before they will change the law. http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/education

Hopefully, we can look forward to some changes there someday since the Rabies vac is the scariest one, but also the most necessary. You should always give Rabies on an alternate year and never at the same time as the other boosters.



As BYB/Crazy DS mentioned, use some science, some common sense.



P.S. I am not trying to be mean here, I use a lot of alternative/natural medicine myself but there are some things modern medicine is good at. These diseases are not just a case of the sniffles- thery are deadly and serious. They are also highly contagious. They are widespread in every area of the continental United States. SO---I would hate to see this person's dog die from a preventable illness just because somebody is putting false information all over the internet to make a buck. She obviously means well and wants to do the right thing for her dog.

Answer 5

I personally think that all this "natural" way to life is all a money maker... From a medical point of view if your animal is most of the time home i'd suggest to clients to only vaccinate their animal in there younger years from 1-4.. There will always be that chance of misfortune with all medicine in general.. hope this helps!

Answer 6

SHORT ANSWER:

I don't vaccinate beyond 1 year and only once more for rabies (once every 3 years). Truth be told - I avoid Rabies when the dog hits 6 or 7 years - and won't do it. Its simply not worth it to me.



My personal view on vaccination is to emulate Jean Dodd's minimal vaccine protocol which is for me a happy medium. And then dependant on where you live, and what regional risks are present, I would consider non-core vaccines. You can titre after vaccination to verify immune response.



Attached is her link - many exist - google Jean Dodds.

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/34024828409/dodds-canine-vaccination-protocol-2012







LONG ANSWER: The problem with science and claims of "peer review" fall short when we 27,000 human deaths attributed to the heart drug Vioxx



http://www.nbcnews.com/id/6192603/print/1/displaymode/1098/



Interesting to note, this same drug was APPROVED by the FDA in Clinical trials in spite of the fact that during trials it killed people too.



Perhaps the only thing proved by the little experiment is that if it kills you in a trial - it will continue to do so once marketed to the uninformed public.



Another recent example of science and the process of "proving" safety is neonicotinoids used in crops such as corn and soy which are now highly suspect in the overwhelming declines of honey bees around the world.



Sadly Canada is falling behind the European union who has put a moratorium on the product (used in Genetically modified organism crops) but mounting pressure combined with the real threat that a loss of bee population will have on all living things is hopefully going to yield changes here.



http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/07/03/f-dead-bees.html



These SAME products were approved once again by (you guessed it) the FDA through a peer reviewed double blind study.



The list is endless - dog food is another - the preservatives ethoxiquin (spelling) formulated as a tire stabilizer and used widely in pet foods in the 1990's distributed by Monsanto ...and again approved by the FDA (which there is strong evidence the entire process was corrupted by FDA hiring previous Monsanto employees who then became the peer reviewer for the drug approval) - anyway, its actually sickening and if you want to learn more, google You Tube "The world according to Monsanto".



SO - the argument that people who believe life is better living through science and homeopathy is 'quackery" is shallow and weak. Its a refusal to be open minded and personally, I think it must be easy - because by following what is "prescribed" without ever questioning authority - it deflects risk and responsibility to someone else. If the dog died- its NOT your fault because you VACCINATED.



End of.



Flip side to that is: We cannot paint ALL science with the same brush. We cannot dismiss the real advances medicine has made and the quality of life improvements we take for granted now - all do to the scientific process. Science is a good thing - and I agree that having witnessed the parvo epidemic of the 1980's that wiped out many Doberman kennels - its not something we should dismiss.



Tthe challenge is discerning what is good from what is bad and making informed choices.



In terms of nosodes in lieu of vaccination, well, I'm a lay homeopath and I have not used them. Why? Because they are too obscure for even my pallet and I simply cannot find sufficient proof in a wide enough sample of patients (vets) that will convince me to switch. That doesn't mean they don't work - because (again) nosodes are not new - flea medication (herbicides) uses nosodes - heart worm medication uses nosodes.



Like anything, the devil is in the details so the rendering process between a flea spray used to kill fleas on your dog and a homeopathic nosode is different. Its kind of like saying aspirin is natural because it comes from a plant. We use the words "natural" and "holistic" in very broad brush terms which are deceiving.



On a personal note, I HAVE taken homeopathic nosodes for my own health ( a nosode exists for small pox which homeopathically I used when I developed shingles) - with some success. (I still went to my Doctor and got drugs) - but even in my own case, where I have a few hundred homoepathics stored in a cupboard - when I know an alternative is available from my Doctor which is proven to work scientifically - without consequences - I take it. Why not?



Its hard to live in absolutes. When I'm dealing with life and death - I tend to avoid extremes unless I have no choice.



My dogs have clearly benefitted from homeopathics in SOME instances and unlike humans dogs don't have the "placebo effect" to factor in.



Yes, I KNOW they work.

Answer 7

I've heard good and bad things about them. Please make sure that you continue with the rabies vaccination as required by law. The rabies challenge for extended duration has not been found consistent immunity after the third year. It only takes an unvaccinated dog to bite or scratch the wrong person to wind up dead. So keep the rabies current.

Answer 8

Here is great website that explains everything about holistic health. This site has helped me a lot.



My dog had some vaccines as well before I did research. She is a year now, she had her puppy vaccines but I am not going to vaccinate her again. And research actually shows that some vaccines last 7 years or longer. Yearly vaccines are damaging to a dogs health. It is unnecessary and it is an overload of toxins to their immune system.



http://www.thewholedog.org/id30.html



http://www.thewholedog.org/id9.html#vaccines

Answer 9

All homeopathy is a complete scam. All of it. It DOES NOT WORK.



And do not fall for the naturalistic fallacy - being 'natural' does not make something good, or safe. Arsenic is natural.



If you want the best for your dog, and if you want to be a responsible pet owner, then you use a proper vet and proper science based medicine.



Not quackery.



See: http://www.1023.org.uk/



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EDIT: @Chix - ranting about Monsanto and the FDA does not mean homeopathy works. And yes, dogs are effected by placebo. Look up placebo by proxy as well. Your personal anecdote is meaningless. You need to do what no homeopath has ever been able to do - prove your magic water works as claimed in large, robust, controlled studies.