pport may also be beneficial.
Puppies and kittens get their initial protection from their mother’s milk by benefiting from the antibodies she has generated. The standard of care from that point has been to start vaccinating to build protection against disease. The problem with vaccines, however, is that they are not given through a natural route of exposure. This causes the immune system to sometimes react inappropriately causing inflammatory disease such as itching and diarrhea. Furthermore, over vaccinating at a young age can actually weaken the immune system, making it less effective at fighting disease in general.
The best way to grow a strong immune system is through natural exposure to disease. Now I am not saying that you should let your pet just go out and get sick, but there are alternatives to traditional vaccines. One option is nosodes, find more details in this post . Nosodes essentially create a natural exposure without allowing your pet to get the disease we are trying to protect it from. Nosodes can also be given after exposure to disease to improve recovery and reduce symptoms.
Another consideration is what is your pet’s actual risk of exposure? House pets, for example, are not likely to be exposed to many diseases if their activities are limited to an area around the home.
If traditional vaccines are given, I recommend a reduced protocol starting at 8-10 weeks of age, and giving 1 booster 4 weeks later. I would then recommend titers at 1 year and every 3 years after to see if the antibodies remain. I also recommend only vaccinating for those disease that your pet is likely to be exposed to, such as parvo and distemper in puppies and distemper and the respiratory viruses in cats. Rabies is still required by law and can be given any time after 4 months of age.
Vaccines are not benign medicine, and over vaccinating can, indeed cause harm to your pet. Consider your pet’s risk and use only those vaccines that are indicated, or consider alternatives such as nosodes. Remember too that a pet with a strong immune system will be able to fight disease on its own, without the help of vaccines.
We are well into our summer weather and the question often arises – what do we need to do to protect our pets against bugs such as fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes (the carrier of heartworm disease)
The need to protect your pet is based on the risk of exposure to the bugs:
Fleas are often brought to your pet from other animals, including wildlife. They will make your pet itch, and are visible, brown bugs that hop on and off your pet. Fleas can live in your house and yard, making them difficult to get rid of. There are several spot-on type flea preventatives that are applied once monthly – these are effective, but are also toxic as the insecticide is absorbed into your pet’s body. There are natural sprays that can repel fleas but do not kill them. I do not recommend using a flea preventative unless you have actually seen them on your pets.
Ticks typically live on the vegetation and drop on your pet as it walks by. Ticks can spread diseases such as Lyme, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichia, and anaplasmosis. These diseases are potentially serious and it is definitely worth checking your pets for ticks after it has been outside. Many of the same insecticides that are used for fleas can also be used to kill ticks. I recommend checking your pet for ticks and removing them as soon as you see them. A simple tweezer attached to the tick just above the skin should remove it uneventfully.
Mosquitoes are the insect that spreads heartworm disease If your dog is exposed to lakes, ponds, or other pools of water, there will likely be some mosquito exposure during the summer months. The heartworm larvae must go through a life-stage cycle in the mosquito in order to be able to infect your dog, and this transition requires a temperature of 57 degrees or higher for 30 consecutive days. Here in Colorado, we have cool nights, so the risk of heartworm disease is much lower. In warmer climates, the risk is much higher. There are natural repellents t