This article originally appeared on Dr. Mahaney’s The Daily Vet column on PetMD as Preventing Vaccine Associated Illness in Pets, Part 1 of 2.
Does your pet suffer from an immune system problem? As our bodies require the continual protection afforded by the complex interaction of white blood cells, antibodies, microorganisms (bacteria, etc.), hormonal signals, and more, I really feel as though the immune system is the most important body system we mammals have.
As the immune system can actually be quite fragile, it's important that we owners take measures to ensure our pets’ ability to continually thrive by not overtaxing their immune health. This means eating a toxin-free and nutritionally complete whole food diet, participating in daily exercise, getting sufficient sleep, keeping inflammation and infection minimized, and pursuing alternatives to traditional vaccination protocols. This is the means by which I approach my Los Angeles-based integrative veterinary practice and apply to all of my canine and feline patients (and my own health).
You've certainly heard me preach this philosophy before, as I have personal ties to the topic in the form of my canine companion Cardiff, who has suffered immune system problems multiple times during his nine years of life. Cardiff has endured and recovered from three bouts of typically fatal immune mediated hemolytic anemia(IMHA) and T-cell lymphoma.
As a result of his complicated immune system illnesses, I no longer provide him with vaccinations. Doing so could trigger a Vaccine Associated Adverse Event (VAAE) or vaccinosis, including another episode of IMHA. Instead, I perform antibody titers to evaluate his previous response to distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies vaccinations.
Health problems correlating with the administration of single or multiple vaccinations may be considered vaccinosis. Any Vaccine Associated Adverse Event (VAAE) or vaccinosis seriously impacts a pet’s quality of life and negatively affects the relationship between client and owner.
Among medical practitioners on both the human and veterinary side, there exists the perspective that vaccinations can actually create health problems instead of making us healthier. I hold this perspective, yet I am not anti-vaccination. I practice judicious and appropriate use of immunizations for myself and for my canine and feline patients
The remainder of this two-part article will focus on the differentiation between VAAEs and vaccinosis, how vaccinosis manifests in our pets, and the means by which vaccinosis and VAAEs can be prevented.
What is Vaccinosis?
Vaccinosis is the term applied to the state of energetic imbalance and mild to life-threatening illness occurring after an animal or person receives an administration of an immune system stimulating substance (i.e., a vaccination). Vaccinosis is not a true diagnosis, nor does it have an official definition that’s currently accepted among conventional human or veterinary medical communities. The term is known by the general public and doctors working in the realm of holistic practice, homeopathy, and other complementary and alternative medicines (CAM).What Are Vaccine Associated Adverse Events (VAAE), and Are They Considered Vaccinosis?
Vaccine Associated Adverse Events (VAAE) include post-vaccine hypersensitivity and non-hypersensitivity reactions, both of which are not considered vaccinosis. Hypersensitivity reactions occur as a result of a complex interaction between IgE antibodies and a substance that produces an immune response (antigen, allergen, etc.) to which the body has previously been exposed. Hypersensitivity reactions are commonly known as allergic reactions and can occur in response to:- vaccine administration
- insect envenomation — bee sting, spider bite, etc.
- venomous snake bites
- drug or toxin exposure — sulfa-based antibiotics, iodinated contrast-enhancing dyes, insulin, etc.
- urticaria (hives)
- angioedema (tissue swelling)
- emesis (vomit)
- hypotension (low blood pressure)
- ataxia (stumbling)
- coma
- death
- lethargy
- anorexia (decreased appetite)
- pyrexia (fever)
- whole-body soreness (muscle or joint aches)
- swelling (including cancer) or soreness at the vaccination site
- other
Are Vaccine Associated Adverse Events (VAAE) and Vaccinosis Common in Pets?
In general, adverse responses to vaccinations are rare. A 2005 study by Moore et al published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association(JAVMA) reviewed over 1 million medical records for dogs in more than 350 animal hospitals found:- one in 250 canine patients had some form of post-vaccination reaction (13 reactions per 10,000 vaccinations given)
- the dogs most at risk are small breed, young (1-3 years of age), and neutered male dogs
- multiple vaccinations administered in one setting correlated with higher risk of adverse response
- the majority of reactions occurred the same day of vaccination
- multivalent vaccinations (distemper-parvovirus combinations, some bordetella vaccinations, etc.) did not correlate with more reactions.