voluntary vaccination causing major problems

[wolfpup]

Don't know if this is allowed - not seen anything like it on the site  - but thought it worth a read

http://www.naturalnews.com/054601_leptospirosis_vaccine_side_effects_pet_health.html

(NaturalNews) Dog owners and veterinary associations in the United Kingdom have been warning of a rash of dangerous and even lethal side effects from a popular vaccine designed to protect dogs from a rare and mild illness.

The disease in question, leptospirosis, can be serious in both dogs and humans, but most cases are mild. It is spread via the urine of infected wild and domestic animals, typically mice and rats, and is most common in poor and rural regions of tropical countries or Eastern Europe. It is not common in the United Kingdom. For this reason, thevaccine is considered optional, rather than required or even recommended.
 

Seizures, immune failure and death

The leptospirosis vaccine, Nobivac L4, is produced by Merck subsidiary MSD Animal Health, which says that despite its optional status, it is one of the most widely used dog vaccines. More than a million doses of L4 are used in the United Kingdom each year. According to the company, the shot should only be given to dogs older than nine weeks, with a followup dose a month later and a yearly booster.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) disagrees with this recommendation, warning that the vaccine is particularly hazardous for puppies younger than 12 weeks. The L4 vaccine is "associated with as many or more adverse reactions than occur for any other" optional vaccine, the WSAVA says.

According to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) of the British government, since the newest version of the vaccine was introduced three years ago, there have been more than 2,000 reports of serious adverse effects, including more than 120 deaths. The VMD is now monitoring the vaccine, but has not said whether it will consider pulling it from the market.

Known adverse effects from the vaccine include blindness, swollen glands, seizures and anaphylactic or immune reactions. In 2014, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) added a warning label to the vaccine highlighting the risk of "anaphylaxis and various immune-mediated conditions such as anaemia, thrombocyte-penia and arthritis." The WSAVA recommends the shot not be given to dogs younger than 16 weeks.

However, British vets are regularly giving the shot to dogs as young as seven weeks – younger than recommended by the EMA, the WSAVA or even the manufacturer – without warning of the potential hazards.
 

Vets in 'denial'

According to spaniel breeder Bridgette Evans, every dog she has given the L4 vaccine to has suffered an adverse reaction. Out of one litter of six pups, every single one developed swollen glands, in some cases as big as tennis balls. One of the dogs died within three weeks of the shot.

Carol Blackburn-Harvey, another breeder, said her dog became "overbalanced" and unable to walk three weeks after getting the shot, and died soon after.

"Vets are not willing to admit or are in denial about the risk posed by the vaccine – it can kill perfectly fit and healthy dogs," Evans said.

Many pet owners believe that the VMD is concealing the scale of the problem by under-reporting the number of dogs affected, and that it isn't taking a hard enough line against manufacturer MSD.

In fact, MSD itself seems to have admitted some fault, since it is known to have paid at least one customer's vet bills for damage resulting from the shot.

Foot-dragging by the VMD makes it all the more important that dog owners report any suspected negative effects from the L4 shot.

"It is critical that pet owners report any suspected adverse reactions to their vets so they can be thoroughly and scientifically investigated and reported to the veterinary medicines regulators," said Gudrun Ravetz, junior vice president of the British Veterinary Association.

 

[loudlucky]

I read that here too

My vet uses the MSD vaccinations, but thet refuse to do puppies under 8 weeks (I think thats what he said)

Its not only limited to these vaccines, I know of other dogs that get sick or have reactions to other vaccine brands... 

I trust my vet to make the right choice on which vaccines he sees as safe to use in his practice, so far I've had no issues with the dogs and no side effects of these vaccines. But not all vets have the dog's well being at heart, some of them make choices based on their profit margins...

[Mazz]

There have been dogs in our area, that have died from contracting lepto.  We live in a rural and agricultural area, abound with deer, raccoons, skunks, bob cats, coyotes, farm animals, etc.  Two years ago, lepto reached epidemic proportions in our area.  Most all vets recommended getting dogs, especially if one lived in a rural area, vaccinated for lepto.  I have discussed with our vet, the risks and benefits on all vaccinations our dogs receive.  You can never be 100 percent sure on anything, and I trust our vet to give me the straight scoop, and so far he has been above board with me on all topics.  Our dogs are vaccinated for lepto as well as Lyme's each year.

[Aiyana]

I have read and heard about L4 vaccine before. My vet's practice they still give L2 not Lepto4. I also know that there were couple of Vet practices in England one of them refused to give L4 at all, especially if it was combined with the rest of the vaccines as it's incompatible and they were warning about the dangers of it.

So I suppose some vets know things which we are not quite aware of, but others simply don't care. What happened with L2 which used to be given years ago? Why did they switched to L4? It seems some vets still use L2.