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With Regard To Canine Distemper and Canine Parvovirus
MVL - Modified Live Vaccines
During the first 36 hours after whelping, the dam’s milk contains high levels of antibodies. Antibody-rich first milk is called colostrum. The “passive transfer” of antibodies from dam to pup will provide protection for the first
6–16 weeks of the pup’s life. Maternal antibody levels in pups reach 60–97% of their mother’s protective level. However, it is this same passive protection that also blocks the ability of vaccines to induce immunity in pups.
If a puppy is vaccinated against distemper and it has maternal antibodies present, the maternal antibodies will interpret the vaccine as a foreign invader and destroy it. There will be no immune response from the pup's immune system since the maternal antibodies intercepted and destroyed it before any response could occur. This is called “maternal antibody interference”.
A vaccine can not provide immunity for a pup until the maternal antibodies are low enough to NOT fight off the virus in the vaccine.
This is why puppy shots are usually done in three sets at approx. 4 weeks apart. So that at least one set of shots was given after the maternal antibodies had waned and can provide immunity against that virus.
However, this protocol can also cause irreversible damage. A pup’s immune system is not mature until 6 months of age. That means that if 3 sets of shots were given, then the pup’s very immature immune system has been fighting off viruses (usually starting sometime between 6 – 8 weeks old until 4 months old) for most of the beginning of it’s life. This puts a great stress on their undeveloped immune system, weakening it rather then strengthening it. This can have a lifetime effect.
“If you imprint the immune system incorrectly, it will never work correctly again.”
Ronald D. Schultz.
The ideal time to vaccinate a pup would be after the maternal antibodies have decreased to such a level as to allow the vaccine to provide immunity. Maternal immunity is lost at the rate of 50% every 12 days.
The following is our “Puppy Vaccine Protocol” –
- The dam’s blood is tested for titers (the measurement of the amount of antibodies
present in the system) 2 weeks before the litter is whelped.
Specific titer tests are run for parvo and distemper –
Distemper: Viral Neuralization
Parvo: Hemmagglutenation Inhibition - HI test
These tests are performed at the “College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University”
- These titer result levels, are then sent to Ronald D. Schultz at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Veterinary Medicine, for interpretation. He will apply a formula know as a “nomagraph” and will advise as to when the pups’ maternal antibodies are low enough for each viral agent of the vaccine to work without interference and without the need for needless vaccines and stress on the immune system.
Depending on the results this could be at 8 weeks or at 12 or 14 weeks.
Example -
Cayenne’s titers for her 2008 litter were -
Parvo - 1:640
Distemper - 1:768
The best time for her pups to be vaccinated was at 12 and 16 weeks
or only one vaccine at 14 weeks.
Turtle’s titers for her 2008 litter were -
Parvo - 1:40
Distemper - 1:32
The best time for her pups to be vaccinated was at 8 and 12 weeks
or only one vaccine at 10 weeks.
**Note** - We will only give a 3-way vaccine with the core viruses -
Parvovirus
Distemper
CAV2/hepatitis
This means that pups may be sent to new homes without vaccines and with instructions to their vet on when to vaccinate.
(If an owner wishes, titers on the pup can be taken 3 – 4 weeks after vaccinating to ensure that the vaccine offered immunity protection. This protection is good for life, there is no need to vaccinate again.)
**Note** - All pups have an 8 week vet check-up and are issued a health certificate, whether they are
being vaccinated or not.
This vaccine protocol is much more expensive then giving 3 sets of “puppy shots”.
The initial titer tests done on the dam are approx. $200.00. (There is no fee to have the results read by Ronald Schultz, but a donation to the Rabies Challenge Fund is always appreciated by him.) Subsequent test done for titers on the pup can run upwards of $100.00, however it is the safest for the well being of your dog for it’s lifetime.
It’s important to note that the best protection for your pup is a healthy strong immune system. Our pups are given the healthiest start in life by being fed a Species Appropriate Raw Meat and Bone Diet. This should be continued through their lifetime or if the owner wishes to switch to kibble food, we recommend that this switch not be done until after 6 months of age, when the immune system has matured.
From 4 weeks of age to the time they leave us, we have already been taking steps to boast your pups immune system the way nature intended, by “gently” exposing them to germs from an early age while they still have their dam’s antibodies to protect them. This is the way that nature works without interference……it helps them to develop their own natural immunity through mild exposure.
90% of protection comes from the immune system, vaccines are designed to catch the remaining 10%.
Natural exposure produces the strongest and safest immunity response.
Parvo is the most common canine virus found.
But a healthy immune system can contract the virus but never end up with the actual disease because the body has taken care of it on it's own and created a natural immunity.
Most dogs that are not vaccinated have acquired a natural immunity to parvo by the time they are 8 - 12 months old, as proven through a titers test.
(It's kind of like a flu virus going around with people, not everyone who comes into contact with it will get sick, their immune system was strong enough to take care of it, but if they were tired, not eating well and/or stressed they may get it.)
Most people have heard of a pup coming down with parvo weeks after getting their first set of shots.
Why?
Because when the first shot was given the pup still had maternal antibodies left to fight it off. When those maternal antibodies did wane 1 - 2 weeks later they were left with a weakened immune system because they had just fought off the virus given in the first shot, now they are left open to viruses. When they do encounter parvo for the first time they can't fight it by themselves and become sick.
If they had never gotten that first unnecessary shot in the first place, they more then likely would have been able to handle the exposure to the real virus when it came without any signs of sickness and the owner ever knowing or had very slight symptoms for only a day.
The body's immune system is a marvelous thing, if we can only trust to let it work the way it was designed to.
I would stress that an owner educate themselves beforehand on vaccine (and food) issues. Our dogs can not make choices for themselves so it’s up to us to be informed on all aspects and decide for them in their best interests.
We recommend a book by Catherine O’Driscoll – “Shock To The System”
Catherine is the founder of “Canine Health Concern”.
This website offers an excellent insight into vaccine issues.
WSAVA - World Small Animal Veterinary Assoc
Response of Puppies to Vaccination with Canine Distemper and Canine Parvovirus
Article by: Trevor Waner, BVSc, PhD, Dipl ECLAM
Canine Vaccination Protocols
Article by :Richard B. Ford, DVM, MS, Dipl ACVIM
Professor of Medicine, North Carolina State University
**Note**
The Rabies vaccine is a “killed vaccine” and has been shown to last from 7 years to life. (Titer test proven)
There is currently a publicly funded study which has just gotten underway that will look at testing the rabies vaccine 7 years after the initial shot with a “challenge”. (the subject will be injected with the rabies virus as
opposed to taking results from a titers test.)
More info can be found at -
Rabies Challenge Fund
Cat’s Cradle Catahoulas has donated to this worthy study.
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