# My Vaccination Protocols



## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

I decided to write this article as a way to explain to clients why I do what I do in regards to my vaccination protocol, but it ended up being a bit more in depth than I originally started with. So I figured I would share it here for those that are interested in a holistic yet scientific perspective. Still a work in progress, so comments are welcome. 

http://www.rightathomevetcare.com/vaccines.html


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## Ariel Peldunas (Oct 18, 2008)

Interesting article, Maren. Thanks for sharing. Can you recommend specific vaccine manufacturers or are they all fairly on par?


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## Mary Buck (Apr 7, 2010)

I thought the philosophy behind individual tanks was to completely seperate vax.. Eg: Parvo.....wait two weeks. Distemper wait two weeks etc? That way the system isn't overwhelmed?


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Ariel Peldunas said:


> Interesting article, Maren. Thanks for sharing. Can you recommend specific vaccine manufacturers or are they all fairly on par?


I think Merial is probably the most progressive so far. Like they make the recombinant rabies (Purevax) and transdermal recombinant feline leukemia vaccine (Vet Jet) for cats, so no adjuvant is used in either, which is nice. I'd like to see more recombinant adjuvant free rabies dog vaccine, but thimerosol free is all they have so far (I use the 3 year Merial Imbrab thimerosol free).


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## Jhun Brioso (Dec 28, 2009)

Nice article Doc.. Thanks for sharing


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## Ted Efthymiadis (Apr 3, 2009)

Maren Bell Jones said:


> I decided to write this article as a way to explain to clients why I do what I do in regards to my vaccination protocol, but it ended up being a bit more in depth than I originally started with. So I figured I would share it here for those that are interested in a holistic yet scientific perspective. Still a work in progress, so comments are welcome.
> 
> http://www.rightathomevetcare.com/vaccines.html


I was just going to book in my new Lab for some vac, so it was great timing. Thanks!


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Mary Buck said:


> I thought the philosophy behind individual tanks was to completely seperate vax.. Eg: Parvo.....wait two weeks. Distemper wait two weeks etc? That way the system isn't overwhelmed?


The tanks refer to either single dose (i.e.-one dose per dog in a tank) versus multiple doses (i.e.-10 doses worth in one tank). Like I explained in the article, I prefer single dose tanks. I do carry parvo only vaccines, but unfortunately they come only in a multi dose tank, which I prefer not to use. So I use that one sparingly. Like I normally don't vaccinate before 8 weeks, but I had a not quite 6 week old puppy with very sketchy history (this couple came into Petsmart, almost threw this 5 week old pup at an employee saying they didn't want it any more, and ran out before anyone could do anything). Because I had no idea if the parents were vaccinated or what the previous history of the pup is and we have parvo abound in our area, I gave a single dose of parvo only even though that is not usually my preference. 

One of the other problems I have as a house call practitioner is that people have to pay for every house call, so even though I prefer to break them up and I avoid giving more than one vaccine per visit if possible, the average person doesn't want to pay for the extra visit, even if I explain why it's important. :-( It's also getting very difficult to find a single antigen only vaccine for distemper. I use one of the biggest suppliers and the closest they have is a distemper/adeno 2 combo. That one costs me nearly $10 a dose to buy from the supplier (with a 25 dose minimum), so it would be pretty expensive for the client to buy and it's not even recombinant, so I don't carry it. Though I suppose if someone wanted it specifically, I might order it.


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## Mary Buck (Apr 7, 2010)

Ahhh I get it now. Thanks for the explaination. It IS harder to find the single antigen. Locally we bought in 25 dose and we were able to reduce the per vax cost...but its still alot more expensive than grouping them for sure. Makes sense you want to keep your business viable.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Yes, I don't have enough holistic minded people as clients yet to justify the cost of doing so. I can't even afford to pay myself a salary yet (probably won't for a while), so since most people just want the bare minimum/no frills, that's what I have to offer.


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## Mary Buck (Apr 7, 2010)

As an alternative it beats the hell out of the 7 in ones or whatever the hell they offer.


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## Steve Estrada (Mar 6, 2011)

Appreciate your info. I have followed Jean Dodds example, not exactly but very close, not vac. until nine wks. What is your take on Mercolas protocol & thanks for your considerations. And Kennel-jec parainfluenza bordetella? We are required to vac. Rabies at 16wks yet I wait until six months, just kicks their butts when so young.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Steve Estrada said:


> Appreciate your info. I have followed Jean Dodds example, not exactly but very close, not vac. until nine wks. What is your take on Mercolas protocol & thanks for your considerations.


You're welcome.  I will say right now that as a holistic vet, I am not a fan of the Mercola site or Dr. Karen Becker. She is long on opinions which she presents as fact and makes many appeals to emotion and not to science (all while intersplicing adorable videos of kittens and puppies doing cute things). For example:



> Profit-hungry drug companies and vets are 'frightening' dog owners into inoculating their pets more often than necessary, according to U.K. based pet charity, Canine Health Concern.
> 
> Some puppies have developed conditions including autism and epilepsy after a raft of injections, it warns.


From: http://healthypets.mercola.com/site...2010/03/31/high-cost-of-pet-vaccinations.aspx

Autism? I would love to talk with the veterinary behaviorist or veterinary neurologist who actually diagnosed autism in these puppies. I am not one to say it may not exist. But really? Not only that, they bash profit hungry drug companies and vets, yet they hock plenty of their own "holistic products," which I am certain they mark up considerably, some with little or no scientific basis. 



> And Kennel-jec parainfluenza bordetella? We are required to vac. Rabies at 16wks yet I wait until six months, just kicks their butts when so young.


I personally don't vaccinate for kennel cough, which includes Bordetella bronchiseptica and parainfluenza virus, except that parainfluenza is in just about every distemper/parvo vaccine combo anyways. But if you are required to, the intranasal is the way to go since at least the antigen goes right straight to the source when it gets recognized by the immune system in the respiratory tract. 

I wish we could vaccinate a bit later as well, but there's now reports of even kittens having rabies and then biting kids, which is pretty scary and why they require it. It's one of those situations where I don't make the rules, but I have to follow them.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5651a1.htm

I put the rabies vaccine in at 14 weeks (between the 12 and 16 distemper/parvo vaccine).


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I think it's a REALLY good article, well organized and easy to understand, but not condescending at all. 

Maren You Tube has removed that particular rabies video you linked, but they do have several others you can choose from.


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