Did You Know (About Our Doggies)

I've owned dogs for most of my life but it is amazing how much I do not know about them. I ran across some information the other day that I want to share. What do you think? Did you know?

FACT: Dogs are dying younger these days. 

SADDER FACT: Half of dogs today will die of cancer. 

Do you ever wonder why that’s happening? Well … there are a few mistakes dog owners are making, that might be contributing. 

If you do these things, it’s probably with the best intentions. They might even be things your vet recommends. Let's take a look at the Top 10 mistakes that can shorten your dog's life: 

MISTAKE #1: VACCINATING PUPPIES TOO YOUNG

Conventional practice is to vaccinate puppies every two weeks or so until 16 weeks old. But giving your puppy too many vaccines can put her at risk for chronic diseases like allergies, arthritis, digestive disease, autoimmune disease and even cancer. 

Younger puppies get maternal antibodies from their mother’s milk. Antibodies protect them from disease until they wear off after a few weeks. But those antibodies can also block the vaccine from working. 

The goal is to vaccinate when the maternal antibodies are gone ... so vets jab your puppy every 2 -3 weeks, hoping to catch that window when the vaccine will work. But only ONE of those vaccines is needed to protect your puppy.

MISTAKE #2: REPEATING VACCINES 

You might get reminders every year to bring your dog in for his core vaccines. In fact, about 60% of vets are still vaccinating dogs annually. In fact, vaccinating every 3 years is unnecessary. 

Dr Schultz proved it with his research. He says: 

"Vaccines for diseases like distemper and canine parvovirus, once administered to adult animals, provide lifetime immunity.

But for some reason, many vets are ignoring this science … and still recommending "boosters." Revaccination for the core vaccines is unscientific and wrong. 

MISTAKE #3: COMBO VACCINES

Combination vaccines contain 3 or more viruses in once shot. These combinations are usually shown on your vaccine certificate as DHLPP, DHLPPC, DA2LPPC, etc. Many holistic vets call these polyvalent vaccines whombo combos. And these same vets strongly advise against giving them. 

Your dog’s immune system is a finite resource ... it's designed to handle one virus at a time. Maybe two. Dealing with 5 or 6 different viruses at the same time severely stresses the immune system. In fact,  combo shots have much higher rates of adverse reactions, especially in small dogs and puppies.

MISTAKE #4: GIVING NON-CORE VACCINES

The core vaccines are parvovirus, distemper, adenovirus and rabies. These vaccines have been proven to work and protect for extended periods of time.

The non-core vaccines include Bordetella (Kennel Cough), Lyme Disease, Leptospirosis and Canine Influenza. These vaccines are much less likely to work … and Lyme and Lepto have a very high risk of adverse reactions.