Hi everyone! Sorry, haven't been on in a while. Midterms & everything else in our life has been keeping us busy! Kali is doing well, she's gone through her 2nd round of chemo and will get her 2nd round of pamidronate in a couple weeks. Luckily, she's been handling the treatments well & is actually getting back to her old self of being goofy & playful :)

I was wondering though .. she's due for her vaccinations but didn't know if that would be safe since she's in a active state of cancer & undergoing chemo/bisphosphonate therapy. Her specialists are off on the weekends so I just wanted to get everyone's input on this. Any would be greatly helpful :)

Hi,

I'm glad to hear Kali is doing well, I've thought about her & wondered how she was.

As a disclaimer,  I should say, I use an alternative vet and am very vaccine phobic for mature dogs & cats, especially seniors with preexisting health problems.

There is an emerging body of conventional (& not so) evidence regarding length of vaccine immunity. Vaccine labels themselves recommend vaccinating healthy animals only. 

The 2010 WSVA vaccination guidelines state "we should aim to vaccinate every animal with core vaccines, and to vaccinate each indinvidual less frequently by only giving non-core vaccines that are necessary for that animal"

You can always choose to titer most core vaccines (if documentation is needed). If rabies is required by law, you might look into a veterinary waiver and rabies antibody test if necessary. There is information available at http://www.rabi…..gefund.org 

If you opt to vaccinate, Merial produces a thimerosal (mercury containing preservative) free vaccine. The label will indicate TF.

You also might ask for a monovalent vaccine, indicating it contains only 1 bacteria or virus. If not available, the next desirable vaccine in bivalent.

If you have access to a holistic vet, you might consider working with them on an appropriate protocol for Kali. There are homeopathic remedies that can be given with vaccines, to minimize toxic effects

Dr Jean Dodds has written some valuable opinions, supported by what scientific data is available. Please be sure when you research her data, that it is her work. There is a lot of chatter on the internet, referencing her work, that isn't.

I don't know how any of this interprets outside of the US.

Good Luck,

Cynthia

I do not vaccinate my dogs anymore especially Mack with the cancer.

Mack is my second dog to have cancer, my first was Cleo a cocker spaniel with lymphoma.  I had vaccinated her every year and every 6 mos for kennel cough.  Until she was diagnosed and I stopped right away.

So I do not believe in overvaccinating pets.  Now in saying that I do not mean that I do not believe in vaccinating at all.  I work for a vet and do rescue so I believe that dogs should have all 3 rounds of "puppy shots" and then again at one year old and maybe one more set within the next 3 years after that.  I have seen to many dogs sick and die from parvo so some vaccines are vital.

I am also not saying that vaccines caused the cancer in my dogs but after much research and talking to various vets it is just a good choice for me and my pets.

So in my opinion I would never vaccinate a dog with cancer, whether going through chemo or not.  I know the vets I work for will not vaccinate a "sick" dog.

Holly did not have any vaccines while she was undergoing chemo.  A few months after she finished the vet ran titers and decided she needed the bortadella vaccine for when we board her.  

Thanks for posting this – it is full of good information, and I plan to read through the suggestions before Holly's next round of vaccines are due.