Yet the risks of over-vaccinating our pets is an all too prevalent reality. Adverse reactions to rabies vaccination can include skin lesions; allergic responses; vomiting and diarrhea; muzzle edema; autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites.

Careful and judicious use of vaccines must be based on up-to-date research about the vaccines that are currently administered. The new Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust research project has begun with the goal of transforming the way we vaccinate by documenting research to extend the required interval for rabies boosters to five and then to seven years.

World-renowned veterinarian Dr. Jean Dodds of California donates her time leading this research project in hopes of proving that the duration of immunity of the current Rabies Vaccines is seven years. The second phase of the project will also finance a study of the adjuvants used in Rabies Vaccines and establish an adverse reaction reporting system. Grassroots funding is essential, as studies like these are highly unlikely to be funded and carried out without a bias by a drug company.

Adding critically important data on Rabies Vaccines—that they last for at least seven years—to the veterinary literature will make a huge difference for our pets. The findings of Dr. Dodds’ study could decrease the risk of adverse reaction to vaccination by significantly decreasing the number of vaccines needed in an animal’s lifetime. This research is not being done anywhere else in this country, although researchers in France have already proven that the rabies vaccine lasts five years. Dr. Dodds’ research, which is designed to federal government standards, hopes to be instrumental in changing the laws that govern frequency of vaccine use to comply with modern medicine. In many states and cities, outdated laws on the books require a one-year vaccine be given, even though the three-year is accepted by federal standards.

The University of Wisconsin is working closely with Dr. Dodds, donating all necessary overhead, which accounts for 48 percent of direct research costs. Additionally, Dr. Schultz, the Principal Investigator, is volunteering his time. The research for the five-year and seven-year study will be done concurrently, and each year’s work will be funded by donations.

Hopefully in the near future, our pets will see the benefits of this research, needing only one Rabies Vaccine every seven years. you can help by contributing to this worthwhile research project.

Please send your donations to:

Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust
C/O Hemopet
11330 Markon Drive
Garden Grove, CA  92841
(714) 891-2022
donation@rabieschallengefund.org
www.rabieschallenge.org

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Heatstroke is a dangerous, deadly, and all too frequent summer ailment that strikes dogs despite the most conscientious owner’s best intentions. Armed with the facts and a little planning, heatstroke is one epidemic that can be easily avoided.

A dog’s body temperature is normally between 101°F and 102°F. All it takes is a 3-degree rise in Rover’s temperature and he is suddenly in danger of overheating. When his temperature reaches 108°F his heart, brain, kidneys, liver and intestinal tract begin to rapidly break down.

WARNING: Heatstroke is dangerous, deadly and the most common summer ailment for your dog. You can save your dog’s life by being prepared.

His life depends on his caregiver’s acute awareness of the symptoms— some obvious, some subtle. Below are the most important symptoms to look for when enjoying activities with a pet in warm weather. Watch Rover carefully for changes in his normal behavior and act quickly if he displays one or many of these symptoms:

Danger Signs

• Rapid frantic breathing
• Very red tongue
• Dry mouth and nose
• Dull grayish pink gums or extremely red gums
• Staring without seeing
• Extra wide open eyes
• Thick saliva
• Resistance to walk or move
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Physical collapse
• Failing to respond to commands
• Muscle weakness

Quickly following the below emergency response guide will increase the chances of saving Rover’s life:

1. If possible, wet him with a hose or in a shower with cool water. If outdoors, cups or bottles of water can be wiped or poured onto his stomach and groin. Never use ice-cold water, which causes blood vessels to constrict and will not allow the heat to escape.
2. Do not soak him in a bathtub of water. When a dog’s fur is soaked it will heat up next to his skin and become an insulator, not allowing internal heat to escape.
3. Get him into a shaded, well-ventilated area. Turn the air conditioning on high, turn on a fan or open windows. If outdoors put him into an air conditioned car to cool him.
4. Sponge his groin area and underneath the front legs with cool water.
5. Never cover him, even with a soaking wet towel, because this will only trap the heat. Wipe him instead. Remember, ventilation is critical.
6. Feed cool (not cold water) slowly but do not allow him to drink excessively.
7. Wipe him down with rubbing alcohol, if available, but avoid his face. Rubbing alcohol is safe to use and a good coolant since it evaporates quickly.
8. Use a bag of frozen vegetables as a pillow.
9. Be sure to stay with him and be attentive. Never leave him alone or put him in a crate.
10. Once his temperature begins to drop, stop all cooling methods. Dogs’ own bodies will continue to cool themselves once the cooling starts and should not be overcooled.
11. Most importantly, if a dog has suffered from heatstroke he must be taken to a vet. This is important, even if it seems that he’s cooled off and behaving normally. Often additional steps, such as IV’s, are necessary.

High Risk Dogs

“At risk” dog breeds require extra vigilance in summer months. The breeds that are particularly susceptible to heatstroke include Pugs, Pekinese, Boxers, Mastiffs, Rotweillers, Dobermans, and, in general, dark-coated dogs such as Black Labs. Puppies under six months are also extra prone to heatstroke, as are dogs on diuretics, overweight dogs or muzzled dogs.

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Stuart had searched a long time and finally found the lab he so badly wanted at PAWS Chicago. He was delighted. Upon further inspection of lab’s coat he noticed that his fur had big brown and black spots on it. He had never seen a lab with spots before, so he wondered what the pooch, now named Polka Dot, was mixed with.

Now Carol and Stuart no longer have to wonder about the breed of their dogs are. And neither do the 86% of mixed breed dog owners who don’t know which breeds are in their dog. It may sound like science fiction, but genetic testing for dogs is now available. After several years of extensive work by scientists who gathered a large pool of DNA samples from thousands of dogs, the genetic puzzle can be solved. For about $65, a simple swab of the inside of your dog’s cheek can determine his mix with over 90 percent accuracy. This testing is valuable for reasons beyond satisfying pet parent’s curiosity. Knowing your dog’s breed can help with preventative measures.

Since certain canine diseases and health issues are linked with specific breeds, these tests can enable you to be better informed to prevent future issues and ensure proper treatment should breed-specific issues occur. If you are interested in genetic testing for your pet, you can consult the website of Vetgen, Metamorphic, MMI Genomics, and Wisdom Panel Mix or talk with your veterinarian.

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1. Gaging Your Pet’s Risk
2. Alternative to Annual Vaccines
3. Vaccination Risks
4. To Three or Not to Three
   1. Three-Year Cycle

Many serious diseases that affect dogs and cats can be prevented by vaccination.

With over 50 million dogs and 20 million cats in the United States alone, your pet is bound to come in contact with an infectious disease at some time. Even if you always keep your pet indoors, your dog or cat can be exposed to viruses carried in the air, in dust or on clothing. Vaccination is inexpensive protection against costly treatment. More importantly, if your pet is not properly protected against these deadly diseases, it could cost you their lives.

That said, pet owners and the veterinary profession still ask whether or not annual booster vaccines are really necessary. The catch term the veterinary profession uses is “annual vaccine assessments,” which means when your pet is due for an annual heath exam, your veterinarian will assess your pet’s risk and the benefits of certain vaccines.

Gaging Your Pet’s Risk

Deciding which vaccinations your pet receives should be based on your pet’s lifestyle, age and health status. In general, there is a higher risk associated with not vaccinating if the disease is very contagious, the disease has a high fatality rate or the disease is less likely to be cured.

• Active Lifestyles: If your pet frequents parks, the woods, day care or groomers and is exposed to other pets and critters, the risk of disease increases without vaccination.
• Newborns: Babies are at a greater risk for diseases because they have not yet had the chance to fully develop their immunity.
• Older and aging pets: As pets age, they have a declining immunity and a diminished ability to respond to vaccines.
• Certain breeds and genetic lines: Some breeds are more susceptible to certain viruses, perhaps due to an incomplete immune response to the vaccines.
• Sick pets: particularly those taking anti-cancer drugs or immunosuppressive medication, are at higher risk to disease.

Alternative to Annual Vaccines

In some situations pet guardians prefer to have their pet vaccinated only when necessary. It is possible to test the level of immunity against any of the preventable diseases to determine whether boosters are really necessary. Through a blood panel, we measure the amount of antibodies (or titer) present in your pet. If there are sufficient antibodies, many pet owners opt not to re-vaccinate that year.

Please be aware that titers are more expensive than annual boosters. Also, the data that has been collected to assure that the pet is protected at a specific level may not truly represent your pet’s individual biology. For example, not all breeds, ages, health status, and lifestyles were adequately represented in the testing.

At this time the veterinary profession is doing their best to solve these concerns and give us complete confidence that these antibody levels are protective to our pets. Personally, I am comfortable with pets that have low risk lifestyles and “acceptable” titers levels. I find titers to be particularly helpful for patients that have had an adverse reaction to a vaccine.

Vaccination Risks

Some pet owners are concerned that vaccines will make their pet sick. Though the majority of pets vaccinated show no side effects at all, it is important to monitor your pet after he or she is vaccinated. It is not unusual to detect some lethargy for a brief period after being vaccinated. This typically lasts 24 hours. Sometimes a thickening or a lump and discomfort may occur at the vaccine site.

If this persists for more than a week you should notify the veterinarian. A few pets will develop a more severe reaction in the form of hypersensitivity (allergy). These will usually occur within minutes but may be delayed for a few hours. The pet may have difficulty breathing, salivate, vomit, and have diarrhea. If this should occur, consult with your veterinarian immediately.

Finally, the dreaded thought that the vaccine causes cancer. There is a lot of information about this topic. Are sarcomas (tumors) vaccine induced? Initially, the veterinary profession believed it was one vaccine verses another. Now, the veterinary community believes that the pet is genetically predisposed to this type of tumor and the “injection” site induces or turns on this cancer gene. Regardless of the cause, the incidence of tumors is much lower than the risks of these preventable diseases.

Through vigilance and high standards, the veterinary vaccines used today are the safest and most protective ever. Ultimately, your veterinarian will guide you through this decision-making process to ensure that your pet receives the best care and protection to keep them happy and healthy.

To Three or Not to Three

What’s best for your pet, a rabies vaccine made to last for a year or an inoculation that is made to cover your pet for three years? Though generally speaking it is recommended to give your pet a three-year rabies inoculation verses three annual rabies vaccines over three years, this is not the best alternative for all pets. The three-year vaccine stimulates the immune system more violently when compared to the annual vaccine.

Three-Year Cycle

Studies by the internationally recognized American Animal Hospital Association show that duration of immunity provided by vaccines against major pathogens is at least three years. Thus, the AAHA has revised guidelines, advocating for an extended interval between adult revaccination. Under typical conditions, protective revaccination intervals for the major viral diseases of normal adult dogs could safely be extended to three years.

The veterinary community has been slowly adopting a three-year vaccination protocol, under which each year, your pet will receive an annual physical examination, necessary laboratory testing for degenerative diseases, and only one vaccine. The following year, the animal would receive a different vaccine. This cycling of vaccines would ensure that your pet receives each vaccine every three years, but would receive some immunization each year.

Though this stimulation is not bad for your pet, if he or she is more prone or “sensitive” to the rabies shot it may be safer to give the annual vaccine rather than the three-year. Recent information shows that the annual rabies vaccine is less likely to cause undesirable reactions. My recommendation is to use a one-year rabies vaccine on pets who are more susceptible to an allergic reaction. Be sure to discuss your pet’s individual vaccination needs with your veterinarian.

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When preparing meals for your pet at home, it is important to understand the types and quantities of nutrients your pet requires. The nutritional requirements of dogs and cats are somewhat complex and require nutrients to be in proper balance with the energy density of the food and with each other, according to petDIETS.com.

Most dogs require a diet that includes 38 daily nutrients, while cats require a diet containing 40 daily nutrients. Pet foods are usually designed to appeal to vast quantities of pet pallets to ensure pet-owners repeatedly purchase the product. When cooking at home it is not important what the source of the nutrients is—beef, chicken, etc.—as long as it meets your pet’s nutrient profi le. The focus for preparing homemade meals or feeding your pet should be on giving them complete and balanced meals, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done with foods they enjoy that taste great.

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Unless their allergies are life-threatening, most pet owners who experience allergic reactions to their animals do attempt to live with the symptoms. In one group of 341 allergy-suffering pet owners who were advised by their physicians to relinquish their pets, it was found that only one in five did so. Similarly, almost two million Americans allergic to cats have at least one feline companion in their home.

Although certain breeds of animals are thought to be less-allergenic than others, there are no dogs or cats considered non-allergenic. The degree to which an animal is allergenic is not necessarily based on the breed or the length of hair, but rather on the animal itself and the type of reaction an individual has to that particular animal.

Dogs and cats have glands in their skin that secrete allergens—small allergy-triggering proteins. These airborne allergens live in the animals’ fur, saliva, and urine. Always understand your options before considering giving up a pet. By doing so, you can save yourself emotional pain, and might also save the animal’s life.

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Since cat allergens come from saliva and skin and dog allergens come from skin, basic upkeep–such as frequent bathing, hepa filters/vacuuming, and keeping the animals out of the bedroom–can often help ameliorate allergies and asthma by minimizing allergens in the home and air. But what are the treatment options?

A simple goal is to lead a normal life on safe medications. These include non-sedating antihistamines, and often, a topical steroid nasal spray. The steroid nasal sprays are safe (not absorbed significantly into the body) and FDA approved for use by children. There is also a prescription antihistamine nasal spray called Astelin available.

When an allergic non-animal owner visits a home with animals, pre-medication with a non-sedating antihistamine and Nasacrom nasal spray is recommended. Nasal/sinus irrigation with saline twice daily can also be beneficial.

Asthma treatment varies based on severity and is best guided by an allergist. Treatment includes both rescue and controller medications with regular monitoring by patient and physician. For those resistant to medical management, allergy shots are an option. In a severe cat or dog asthmatic patient removing the animal(s) from the home is still the best choice to reduce the risk of asthmatic death. (There are eleven asthma-related deaths per day in the United States.)

Future treatments will likely involve improved breeding of dogs and cats to reduce or eliminate the active allergen and further development of “biologicals”, such as Xolair, which is currently used in allergic asthma. It is an anti-IgE (the antibody responsible for allergies) injection. Other biologicals are under development to down regulate a variety of allergy mediators.

So, don’t suffer. Lead a normal life at home, work, and school. See an allergist to confirm an allergy by a proper history, examination and allergy testing. Then you can determine what is best for you or your child. It is not always the dog or cat. I love to say after allergy testing, “It’s not your pet, have all you want!”

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