Animal Naturopath – Are Annual Vaccinations Really Necessary?

Do you have your dog vaccinated annually?

You may want to ask your vet to test your dog instead, to see if that’s really necessary. It seems from research that was conducted by surveying vets on their vaccination protocols, many of them would consider testing dogs antibody levels rather than giving routine vaccinations. In addition, the survey found that around 53% of vets practiced tri-annual vaccinations (every 3 years) rather than annual immunisations.

Here’s an abstract of the study below:

Survey of veterinary surgeons on the introduction of serological testing to assess revaccination requirements

Heayns, B.J., Baugh, S. Veterinary Record 2011: doi:10.1136/vr.100147: Journal of the British Veterinary Association 27.11.11: 

“Despite the discussion of the use of serological testing in canine vaccination protocols, no study has been published that investigates the opinions of the veterinary profession regarding the use of the test to assess revaccination requirements in dogs. This paper presents the results of a study designed to fill this research gap which was completed in 2009.

Veterinary surgeons were asked to complete a questionnaire on different aspects of canine vaccination and the introduction of serological testing to determine revaccination requirements. Of the 448 questionnaires distributed, 243 replies were received (54.2 per cent) and of these, a significant majority (169/243; 69.5 per cent) of respondents would consider introducing serological testing.

An average of 53.5 per cent of respondents practised tri-annual revaccination for the core diseases. A significant number of respondents (86/140; 61 per cent) who placed low importance on vaccine overload would consider introducing serological testing into canine vaccination programmes (P=0.002)”.

Comment from Animal Naturopath, Sar Rooney:  You may also want to talk to your animal naturopath or animal homeopath about ways of increasing your pet’s natural resistance to disease through the use of specific nutrients and herbal supplements.

Yours In Great Health,

Sar Rooney BHSc., DC., ND., DASc., GDSc. (Hons) Zoology, MHATO, MATMS

Naturopathic Practitioner, Researcher, Lecturer, Canine Naturopath

Science-Based Naturopathy for Canine Wellbeing

Canine naturopathic health care with a clinical focus on skin conditions, inflammatory bowel disorders, chronic infections, arthritis and disease prevention.

Helping dogs achieve optimal wellness with personalised, professional naturopathic health care and individually-prescribed high-quality herbal medicines and supplements 

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Disclaimer: The information provided is not intended to replace any veterinary or medical advice or treatment.