Pet Infections Parasites & Disease Related Articles:
Pet Food - Raw or Cooked? Some Ideas & Recipes Why Feed Raw Food to Your Pets?
What You Really Need to Know About Pet Food Pet Glaucoma Information
Boosting & Building your pets' immune system - why is it important and how can you do it?
Avian / Bird Bacterial Fungal Infections
- The risks, dangers, treatments possible
Equine Essentials - treat your horse with natural remedies and boost immune system with Noni
Arthritis problems your pet suffers from: cures, treatment, options.
The Truth about Pet Vaccines
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Disclaimer: All articles here are not published as medical advice, but as general information. We take no responsibility and it is your duty to consult with a physician or an alternative healer.
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Boosting Your Pets' Immune System
As all of you know by now, the most powerful weapon against
any virus or bacterial problem is a strong healthy immune
system.
Normally a healthy immune system is built using fresh
clean home cooked and raw food along with lots of love and
affection.
Sometimes, especially in times of weather changing
and times of stress, the immune system needs a little more
help to keep it functioning at top capacity.
To help support and boost the immune system, there are a variety
of herbs that have been shown to be extremely helpful. For
example Echinacea, Red Clover, and Baptisia are some that we
use in our fundamental immune boosting remedy called
Systemajuv.
Balancing the bacteria in the body is another important step
in helping to support and boost the immune system.
Most of
the viruses start out as a bacterial infection and quickly
mutate to becoming a virus, so it is critical that your pet
has a good healthy bacterial balance in its entire body, not
just its digestive system.
However, addressing the digestive
system with POWERFUL good bacteria (probiotics) will
automatically help with getting the rest of the body correctly
balanced and stronger.
The key is prevention, prevention, prevention.
If your dog does catch a virus (even pneumonia) then we do
have a protocol that can help get your pet back to health.
This protocol includes Systemajuv, ProBac Adult Or Puppy
[depending upon how bad your dog is (ProBac Puppy is more
powerful and may be necessary)] and Virastem which is
specifically formulated to counteract any type of virus
problem. This includes the West Nile Virus, Encephalitis,
(one of our founders dog had first hand experience with
this one), pneumonia and any other virus that appears to
be infecting your dog.
Antibiotics do not work for a viral problem, so throwing
antibiotics at a virus is futile and dangerous at worst
because these will suppress the immune system just when
the pet needs a strong immune system to counteract the
viral infection.
Your best bet for your beloved dog and other pets---build the immune system,
and just keep building it.
You will be amazed at how well
the immune system can jump in and do its job if only given
a little physical support.
If you are worried about your
dog catching something over a weekend, then go to this
page and get what you need to keep your baby good and
strong:
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Building a Healthy Immune System for Your Pets
by Dr. Larry Siegler
The immune system is an intricate network of specialized tissues, organs, cells, and hormones. The lymph system and lymph nodes, spleen, bone marrow, and thymus gland all play a role, as do lymphocytes (specialized white blood cells), antibodies, and complement proteins.
There are two main types of immunity; innate and acquired. Innate immunity is the body’s built in system of resisting disease including the skin, lining of the gastrointestinal tract, mucous secretions, and stomach acid.
Acquired or adaptive immunity involves the immune system’s further defenses against invaders created as the body is exposed to different pathogens through exposure, illness or vaccination. The immune system develops a memory of each disease it fights and is able to quickly recognize and defend against the pathogen the next time it appears.
Symptoms of a weakened immune system include skin infections, recurring parasitic infections, and initially mild infections or illnesses that progress into serious health issues because the body cannot build a strong enough response to defend itself. For cats, frequent upper respiratory infections are also indicative of a weak immune system.
Building a Healthy Immune System
Diet is always the first line of defense. As you have heard me say before in my other articles, diet is the foundation of health. If your companion is consuming highly processed food that provides only minimal nutrition and includes any number of toxins such as chemical preservatives, food dyes, additives and fillers, his immune system is being depleted daily just to cope with his diet. Fresh food is the first step in building a strong immune system. Many people wait until their animal has a serious or chronic illness such as cancer, kidney disease or allergies (to name a few), to finally change the diet. Prevention is so much kinder and immeasurably more effective. Please see the articles about What You Need to Know About Your Pet's Food and All About Raw Food for more information about proper diet. Feeding a varied diet that includes as much fresh food as possible does take a bit more effort than scooping kibble out of a bag, but it is truly worth the effort in the long run.
One of the benefits of a healthy diet is a healthy gastrointestinal tract. If the digestive tract is weakened by inflammation from allergies or inflammatory bowel disease or other digestive disorders, even the nutrients in a healthy diet are harder to process and absorb. Healing and maintaining the digestive tract is vital to overall health and immunity. Digestive enzymes, probiotics and essential fatty acids all play a role in gastrointestinal health and proper digestion.
Exercise must also be mentioned for its role in helping build and maintain a strong immune system. Moderate exercise has been shown to improve immune factors in humans and animals.
Weight control is also key – overweight animals are much more susceptible to chronic and acute diseases and infections. Proper diet AND exercise are needed to help with weight control.
Nutritional Supplements
A good quality daily multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is a simple way to help bolster the immune system. I like to alternate the vitamin supplements I use for my cats and dogs to provide a more varied source of extra nutrition. For instance, I often give a regular multi-vitamin at one meal and a “greens” supplement at another meal. Please see the article The Importance of Daily Supplements for Your Companion for more information.
Antioxidants help prevent oxidation, help increase immune function, and possibly decrease the risk of infection and cancer. Antioxidants exist as vitamins, minerals and other compounds in foods. They act as scavengers, helping to prevent cell and tissue damage by destroying free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules and fragments of molecules that can damage the body at the cellular level, leaving the body susceptible to cancer, heart disease, and many other degenerative diseases.
Vitamins A, C and E are the most commonly known antioxidants. Vitamin A is found in the liver and other animal tissues. It is abundant in fish liver oils such as cod liver oil. Carotene is a precursor to vitamin A found in plant material. Dogs can convert carotene to vitamin A by way of an enzyme found in the wall of the intestine. Cats, however, do not convert carotene well and must receive adequate vitamin A from animal sources. Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A also helps maintain the integrity of skin and mucous membranes, which also function as a barrier to bacteria and viruses as well as protect against shedding of cells into the urinary tract which can lead to the formation of stones and cause urinary tract problems
Vitamin C is the most abundant water-soluble antioxidant in the body and is manufactured in the liver and kidneys of dogs and cats. It is available from fresh or lightly cooked fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is especially good at combating free-radical formation caused by pollution.
Vitamin E is the most abundant fat-soluble antioxidant in the body. It is present in many foods including vegetable oils, cereal grains, greens, liver and eggs. It is particularly helpful in protecting against oxidation, especially in fatty tissues.
Other powerful antioxidants include green tea, selenium, Co-Enzyme Q10, bioflavonoids, N-acetylcysteine, proanthocyanidins (pycnogenol) typically derived from grape seed extract or pine bark, quercetin, soy isoflavones, and zinc.
Herbs, Mushrooms and Nutraceuticals
Cat’s Claw (Una de gato) has anti-oxidant and immune enhancing properties as well as anti-hypertensive effects (lowers blood pressure & supports circulation). Cat’s Claw is derived from a vine found in South America. It is often used in combination with other herbs. It can be useful in treating a wide variety of illness including parasites, colitis, gastritis, leaky gut, tumors and for acute conditions such as viral and respiratory infections.
Chinese Herbs are available in a variety of combinations for immune support. Astragalus is one of the more commonly found Chinese herbs in immune formulations. Selecting the proper Chinese herbal formula is not always straightforward since a variety of conditions need to be considered before deciding on the best combination, so sometimes the guidance of a trained holistic veterinarian is important.
Green tea contains polyphenols which target cancer cells for destruction and helps eliminate free radicals. It also supports the production of a protein that protects healthy cells.
Circumin, or turmeric root, has very powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It has a wide range of uses for both chronic and acute illnesses and is an excellent cancer preventative.
Echinacea stimulates the immune system to fight bacterial and viral infections. It is a good choice for acute conditions but is not recommended for continual long term use. Echinacea works best when given as a preventative – to help an animal avoid contracting an illness or infection they may be exposed to.
Mushrooms such as Maitake, Reishi and Shitake stimulate T-helper cells (which are integral to a strong immune response) and powerfully boost the overall immune system. Cordyseps is a Chinese mushroom with antioxidant, antiviral and cancer fighting properties.
Colostrum is the first milk produced by mothers. Most colostrum commercially available is from cows. It has many immune boosting properties including factors that support T-helper cells. It may also play a role in the metabolism of essential fatty acids. Useful for acute and chronic disease including autoimmune disorders.
This is by no means a complete list of immune support herbs and supplements, but it is includes of the many of the most common of those used for general immune support. Again, prevention is the best course, but should your companion fall ill extra support for the immune system through nutrition, herbs and supplements can give her the upper hand and aid in her speedy recovery.
Please view the selection of pet immune support supplements available at the Only Natural Pet Store.
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GLAUCOMA - Eye Problem in Pets
We have had a lot of phone questions and emails about
their pet's recent diagnosis of glaucoma and what can
be done for it, so here is our take on this terrifying
situation.
When this eye condition is first diagnosed, it is usually
during a pet's physical exam that may have been necessary
due to another condition. This eye condition is quite
difficult to observe in most pets because they know
their home territory very well and manage to get
around whether their eyesight is failing them or not.
They sure know how to adapt, even suffering Glaucoma..
That is why it is almost
always too late to do something about this eye condition.
However, we have had a number of cases where this
eye condition has stabilized and in some cases that we have
sited on our website, have even reversed itself. How can
this be possible?
Our experience has shown this glaucoma problem to have a root
cause to it like all other health problems.
From our
vast experience, we have found that poor nutrition is
the root cause of this problem of Glaucoma eye condition . Poor nutrition either
due to the body's lack of ability to absorb its nutrition
or due to plain old lousy nutrition even though a person
may be paying top dollar for the food they are feeding
their precious pets.
This food is processed food, not fresh, and thus does not
contain the essential enzymes, vitamins, minerals, amino
acids and trace minerals that are the building and repair
ingredients for every cell in the body.
If these ingredients
are missing or are synthetic (the body does not recognize
artificial vitamins and minerals), then the body cannot repair
what cells it needs to repair on a daily basis. Glaucoma just may be the tip of the iceberg and notification that other
serious ailments will soon follow.
What do we recommend?
First, fresh, wholesome, clean
nutrition that is free from all chemicals is what is best
for your pet and frankly for you too. Again, there is
absolutely no substitute for good nutrition for every animal
or man. Fresh food should contain most of the enzymes and
amino acids the body requires on a daily basis.
Second, because the soils are void of much in the way of macro
minerals, trace minerals and vitamins due to the chemical
farming in the USA, it is essential to supplement your pet
with natural vitamins, minerals and trace minerals that are
still missing in most of the fresh food that is grown in this
country. Most of the soils are still not up to par to what
the body requires although lots of organic farmers are on
the right path.
Third, we feel it is essential to supplement your pet with
probiotics two to three days a week because these help with
the absorption of the nutrition that you are providing.
Additionally, probiotics help to build the all important
immune system.
Clearly preventing these health problems from even starting
is the secret to good health.
However, it has been shown
that once a little animal is given the correct diet ingredients
of fresh food and natural supplements, many health situations
like this eye condition can be reversed and ultimately corrected, even glaucoma.
To help you get and keep your precious little animal family
member healthy, you might want to consider looking into our
health and wellness package that is detailed on this page - Glaucoma Healing.
We thought you would want to get the new year off to a great
start for your pet too.
Yours for excellent pet health,
The Team
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Avian / Bird Bacterial Infection Problems
Bacteria conditions in birds are extremely common. From yeast problems, to fading away syndrome, to fungal conditions, to digestion problems, even to elimination problems. The root cause of these conditions is a bacterial imbalance in the body.
What causes this imbalance?
As is true in most health conditions, many things can trigger this imbalance. Stress from your bird's living conditions--like bringing in a new family member (animal or human) or moving to a new location. Birds are just as emotionally involved when it comes to a new environmental situation. The stress on the little bird who doesn't know what is going on can be just as great as it can be for you. Weather changes are even a stressful time for birds. Extremely hot weather as well as extremely cold weather can and will have a stressful impact on your bird's health at times. A dry house or a very humid house can affect a bird's health. Almost any abnormal (to your bird) change can trigger an imbalance in its system.
Some symptoms of a bacterial imbalance in your bird can be: puffed up and standing at the bottom of the cage, very bad breath, chronic yeast infections, chronic infections, any kind of infection that your bird may have that your vet would prescribe an antibiotic. Another symptom: your bird may be eating, eating and eating, but is getting thinner and thinner.
The reason for this is that the gut is shutting down due to a lack of proper flora (among other causes) and the body is not able to absorb any of the food the bird is eating. Digestion requires a balance of good bacteria and pathogenic (bad) bacteria in the gut in order for the body to be able to absorb. The balance of good to bad bacteria is approximately 80% to 85% good bacteria. The remaining balance then would be from 15% to 20% which is bad bacteria that is essential for good digestion of the food your bird is eating. All too many times the wide and indiscriminate use of antibiotics contributes greatly to the bacterial imbalance of your bird's entire body, not just the gut.
Whenever an antibiotic is prescribed, it will indiscriminately destroy all the good bacteria right along with the pathogenic bacteria in the body, thus causing digestion problems and compromising the body's nutritional uptake.
Additionally, antibiotics suppress the immune system just when your bird needs a very strong immune system to help it combat whatever infection may be present. Antibiotics KILL bacteria, both good and bad, and leave the body in a sterile environment, thus making the body vulnerable to more and more bacterial invasions. This is why and when yeast infections really begin. The yeast begins as a bacteria problem then escalates into a full blown fungus which is what yeast is.
Well, if I shouldn't use an antibiotic, then what am I to do to help my ailing bird? My bird has been sick off and on for ages. Now, my pet even has a yeast infection in its crop, private parts, under the stomach. You probably have tried every antibiotic that your Vet has recommended and still the infection persists. The problem goes away for a couple of weeks, then it is right back to where you started and sometimes with more of a vengeance than before.
The reason the problem continues to resurface is because antibiotics push the infection deeper and deeper into the body. An antibiotic may help mask the problem for a week or so, but the body is absolutely determined to push that infection OUT, thus the problem resurfaces again and again. This yoyo situation will continue to go on until you decide to take control of your bird's health and well being. You need to get the problem OUT OF YOUR BIRD'S BODY once and for all.
How do you get the infection out of your bird's body once and for all?
With a probiotic and herbs!! Not an antibiotic! Not Drugs!!
As foreign as it may seem to you and the vast majority of American's,--use a probiotic or microbial as they are now known. The power of a probiotic is one of the best kept secrets in the United States. In fact the extremely powerful microbial that we use for our animals has been used successfully in the bird health field for over 128 years in Europe. We call it ProBac Adult™ or ProBac Chick™ (depending upon the bird's age).
By using a probiotic, you will flood the body with good bacteria and PUSH the pathogenic bacteria OUT of the body via the feces and urine. ProBac Adult™ will then leave the body with 100% good bacteria in its gut. Studies have shown that a warm blooded animal's bacterial balance needs to be 80%-85% good bacteria and the remainder needs to be 15% to 20% pathogenic. Now the pathogenic bacteria will re-establish itself in a short time? Like we say here at the Avian Medicine Chest™..."bad news travels faster than good news doesn't it? Well, so does bad bacteria". It isn't long before the body's bacteria is completely in balance, while in the meantime, the over-whelming pathogenic bacteria has been flushed from your bird's systems.
- without stress
- without pain
- without suppressing the immune system
- without "KILLING ANYTHING"
- without side effects of any sort
Most of the time you will smell really bad smelling feces and even urine. This is the pathogenic bacteria being expelled by the body. This is exactly what is supposed to happen. This is how a good powerful probiotic works. It flushes the infection causing bacteria right out of the body. It does not kill, it flushes the pathogens out and away.
How long does it take before your bird will be well?
Of course it depends upon the severity of the situation and how deeply imbedded the problem is in your bird. The longer you have been using antibiotics, the longer it takes to really really get the pathogenic bacteria out of the body and to rebuild its bacterial balance. It could be two days or two weeks, but normally two to three weeks is pretty standard.
Then what do you do? Keep giving your bird the good microbials to rebuild the bacterial balance in its body. You would not only be building the flora in its entire system, but you would be assisting your bird in its ability to absorb nutrients to the maximum possible, and at the same time you would be assisting the body to rebuild its immune system. For these reasons alone, we give all of our pets a small amount of the ProBac Adult™ at least two to three times a week in their food or water whichever happens to be the easiest to administer.
Can I hurt my beloved bird? Can I "overdose" my bird with a probiotic like can happen with drugs and antibiotics? The answer is no to both questions. In fact, in a time of health crisis, you can "under-dose" your bird, but never overdose and harm your bird in any manner. If the body does not require the good bacteria, then it is not absorbed, it is merely flushed from the body via the feces and/or urine.
Yes, but my bird has been very sick a really long time, is it possible to accelerate its return to health? Yes, definitely. You can and should also use herbs to help restore your bird's health. Many years ago our doctors formulated an herbal remedy called Systemajuv™. The herbal synergies of Echinacea, golden seal, poke root and others in this wonderful tincture have been shown to rejuvenate all the systems in the body time after time, condition after condition. For serious bacterial cases, we always recommend Systemajuv™ and ProBac Adult™ or Chick together in the food or water for a faster more efficient recovery.
We use and recommend this wonderful herbal remedy to promote healing with almost every condition the body may experience. Years and years of successful experiences in using Systemajuv™ with bacterial infections, colds, serious viral conditions of all sorts, toxic conditions and on and on have resulted in us using Systemajuv™ as our "remedy of choice".
We always recommend using the ProBac in conjunction with the herbs because the body will absorb more of the remedies much more quickly. Over the years, it has been shown that an animal will return to robust health and vitality if you use the resources that Mother Nature has supplied.
Another beautiful advantage of using Mother Nature's bountiful pantry is that it is virtually impossible to over dose your pet with her herbs. All of us have been so conditioned by the toxic drug industry that you need to be very careful in using medications. And rightfully so. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association published in June 2000, pharmaceutical drugs kill over 200,000 human Americans every single year. Who knows how many of these toxic pharmaceutical drugs kill our pets each year.
In fact, when administering Mother Nature's remedies to your bird who is in very poor health, it is actually much better to use less of the remedies and administer them more frequently. The healing energy of the herbs are what the body needs. As the energies wane, then it is best to keep giving another amount to keep the healing energies going strong.
In really serious cases such as the time seven out of seventy of our very expensive ostrich chicks came down with pneumonia just after we had met our Doctor who formulated these remedies over the past 45 years. We took his Systemajuv™ and gave it to each bird every waking hour for three days. In fact, we didn't even put it in their mouths because we didn't want to stress them, we put the drops of liquid on their skin under the feathers on their back. This worked well because the skin is the largest organ of the body and it is also the most absorbable. After the three intense days, we then put the Systemajuv™ in their drinking water daily for the next thirty days. We are proud to say that every single bird survived and thrived. No one can tell us that herbs do not work for birds. Our own hair raising experiences defy anyone to tell us otherwise. We would have lost in excess of $35,000 if those babies had died.
Hundreds of our customers have had similar life threatening experiences and have saved their birds lives too. If your bird looks to you with those sad pleading eyes and begs you for help, you too can save your bird.
If you are fed up with the ups and downs of fighting a losing battle and your poor little bird now has on-going yeast infections due to an overuse of antibiotics, then act now and stop your bird's misery. Order Fungus Supplement along with Systemajuv™ and ProBac Adult™. CLICK below on banner to get that fungus out of your bird's body once and for all and get your beloved little friend back to a normal healthy life. It is easier than you might think. A fungus will eventually produce death as fungus affects the bird's breathing abilities, their digestion abilities and it affects their internal organs abilities to function properly.
You have probably observed how a fungus grows with moldy food and how the small fibers tend to dominate the food object upon which they derive their nutrition. So too does this happen internally with your bird's body. That is why it is so essential to get rid of a fungus. It can suffocate the living organism from which it feeds. Click here:
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EQUINE ESSENTIALS - HORSE HEALING WITH NONI JUICE
Veterinarians, trainers, ranchers, and animal lovers have discovered one more facet to the TAHITIAN NONI gem: The Noni juice that millions love can bless the lives of your pets as well.
Based on TAHITIAN NONI Juice, TAHITIAN NONI™ Equine Essentials™ has amazed horse trainers and owners. From competitive winners like The A List and Aggie Minster, to the beloved family horse, Equine Essentials has made an incredible first impression. The many features and benefits of Equine Essentials are sure to impress anyone who works with horses.
TAHITIAN NONI® Juice
The base of Equine Essentials, TAHITIAN NONI Juice:
- Supports the immune system with superior antioxidant activity
- Promotes proper digestion and nutrient absorption
- Boosts the metabolic system
- Helps maintain healthy skin and hair
- Contains adaptogens to help relieve stress. Equine Essentials™ Oil Blend
This unique oil blend is formulated specifically for horses. The use of Sunflower Seed Oil, Flaxseed Oil, Soy Lecithin and Vitamin E, offer a powerful balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 with additional fortification of antioxidants.
- Sunflower Seed Oil: Sunflower seed is extremely high in linoleic acid (Omega 6), an essential fatty acid (EFA) that cannot be produced by the body.
- Soy Lecithin: Soy lecithin is an excellent source of phospholipids. Soy lecithin has been shown to promote healthy coats, joints and gastro-intestinal tracts in several species.
- Vitamin E: Vitamin E acts as a powerful stabilizer to the blend as well as provide potent antioxidants that benefit the immune and cardiovascular system.
- Flaxseed Oil: Flaxseed oil is rich in linolenic acid, (Omega 3). This EFA is necessary for a healthy coat and strong cell walls and acts synergistically when in proper balance with linoleic acid.
Highly Stable Formulation
Equine Essentials's stable formulation does not require special storage or handling, nor does it allow nutrient separation.
Liquid Form
Being a liquid, Equine Essentials is an easy addition to your horse's feed and is highly palatable. Horses love the taste!
GET NONI FOR YOUR HORSE - CLICK HERE!
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The Truth About Pet Vaccinations
by Dr. Larry Siegler
Most guardians have never been told the truth about vaccinations. On the contrary, you are likely to get annual notices from your veterinarian that your companion is “due for their annual booster shots”. The evidence against vaccinating, however, is overwhelming. Most veterinarians just choose to ignore the research because they don’t want to lose the income from giving booster shots to all those animals each year.
Vaccinations represent a major stress to the immune system. They can not only cause side-effects and allergic reactions, they also contribute significantly to long term chronic disease. Chronic health problems frequently appear following vaccination including skin allergies, arthritis, leukemia, upper respiratory infections, irritable bowel syndromes, neurological conditions including aggressive behavior and epilepsy, auto-immune diseases and cancer.
I have been practicing veterinary medicine for over 20 years and I see sicker animals at a younger age now than when I began. It is more and more common to see cancer in dogs and cats under 5 years of age. Autoimmune diseases are on the rise as well. Our companions are suffering from generations of over-vaccination, which combined with inadequate nutrition, poor breeding practices and environmental stresses are leaving each generation more susceptible to congenital disorders and chronic disease.
Vaccinations do help prevent serious illnesses, but they should be used with restraint. Before vaccinating, consider the risk. If your cat is indoor only and will never be exposed to unvaccinated animals, the risk of infection is low. The decision about vaccinations is very individual and should be guided by your own research on the subject before you go to the veterinarian.
Puppies and kittens should not be vaccinated until at least 12 weeks of age. Their developing immune systems are especially vulnerable to the stress of vaccines. Request individual vaccines and vaccinate at least three weeks apart if possible. Until 12 weeks of age keep your companion safe by avoiding exposure to public areas such as parks and pet stores. Keep them close to home and only expose them to animals you know are healthy. For puppies consider parvovirus and distemper at 12-15 weeks, and not until after 6 months of age for rabies. For kittens - consider one Panleukopenia combination (FRCP). Again, if available, give the vaccine components separately spaced three to four weeks apart. Feline leukemia and FIP vaccines may not be necessary for your cat. Consider it’s lifestyle and environment. IF your cats go outside and you have rabies in your area, give a rabies vaccine at six months of age. (Legal requirements vary from state to state.)
Vaccinations do not need “boosting”. Studies have shown that a single vaccination for parvovirus, distemper and panleukopenia results in long-term protection from disease. Simple blood tests can determine if your companion’s antibody levels for parvovirus and distemper remain high enough to resist infection. Next time your veterinarian suggests a booster shot, request the blood test first. (Rabies may be required by law every three years. Check the regulations in your state.)
I do not recommend vaccinations for Bordetella, corona virus, leptospirosis or Lyme vaccines unless these diseases are endemic locally or at a specific kennel. The currently licensed leptospira bacterins do not contain the serovars causing the majority of clinical leptospirosis today, so it is generally not a useful vaccine.
Homeopathic Nosodes are an alternative some guardians are using when choosing not to vaccinate. They can also be used before three months of age if an animal is at risk. Many guardians use these homeopathic medicines to help protect their companions against Parvovirus, Distemper, Kennel Cough, Panleukopenia and FIP. Some nosodes seem to work more effectively than others. Homeopathic nosodes are not vaccinations. They do not produce titers against these diseases like a vaccination. They do seem to offer some protection by reducing the severity of illness if the animal is exposed, even if they don't prevent it.
Never vaccinate a sick or weakened animal. If your puppy or kitten is showing signs of allergies or skin problems, WAIT. Vaccinating an already compromised immune system is almost sure to compound the problem!
Educate yourself. Your veterinarian cannot make this decision for you, nor should they. You are your companion’s guardian. It is your responsibility to give them the best care you can by researching and carefully weighing your decisions about their healthcare.
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