I used to be a responsible dog owner. Every May the postcard from the vet would arrive reminding us it was time for annual vaccines. Off we would trot as soon as we got the card. We wouldn’t want the dog to catch any dangerous diseases. What exactly are annual vaccines anyway? With the exception of rabies (which I am NOT addressing here), can you name what is in the vaccine cocktail that your pet gets every year? Probably not.

Such was the case in May of 2006 when the postcard arrived reminding us it was time for Renga’s vaccines. Off we went. He got his rabies shot and his “annual” vaccines. The next day we noticed that the hair between his shoulders where the vet inserted the needle had turned purple. Not, the skin, the hair itself was purple. At first I thought the vet had jiggled the needle and caused a bruise. But as I said, the skin was normal. Anyway, it was odd and life went on.

At the end of July the groomer found a marble sized lump on the back of Renga’s leg. Fearing the worst, but hoping for the best, we were off to the vet again. A biopsy revealed the worst. Lymphoma. We were devastated. When my eyes were dry enough, I spent every waking moment researching canine lymphoma. Somehow I’d hoped that I’d find a cure. The more I read and researched, the more the cure eluded me. However, a cause started to appear. Repeatedly in the literature I found things like, “pets are over vaccinated,” “over vaccination is killing our pets,” “over vaccinating is leading to cancers.” There it was: vaccines and cancers. I couldn’t help but think back to that purple vaccine day in May. Did one vaccine cause cancer, or was it the 10 years worth of vaccines that had finally worn out his immune system? On October 3rd, 2006, four and a half months after the vaccines, and 2 months after the initial lump was found, Renga died. The cancer won, but for me, the battle had just begun. I would never again give unnecessary vaccines to my pets.

Fast forward to today. I cannot prove that the vaccines caused Renga’s cancer. What I do know from my year and half of research on the topic is that they are now believed by many vets to be a leading cause of cancers and other diseases in pets. Two months ago I got yet another postcard reminding me it was time for vaccines for Agner (Renga spelled backwards!). At 16 months old, Agner had only been vaccinated twice. Puppies are normally given 3 sets of vaccines before 4 months old. He’d had the first set (parvo and distemper) before I got him. Not wanting any more vaccines than necessary for my dog, I refused to have three sets. I waited until he was around 14 weeks old and had the final set (parvo, distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza).

At one year dogs begin the cycle of “annual” vaccines. During my research I learned of a little word that just might be a lifesaver. A titer. A blood titer is when blood is drawn and tested to see if the animal has immunity to particular diseases. There is NO NEED for annual vaccines if your dog is already immune to the disease! I told my vet no vaccines. I wanted a titer done. Low and behold, the numbers astounded me. According to the lab, in order for a dog to be considered immune to distemper, he needed 640 or above. Agner’s result was 1280. For parvo he needed to be above 160. He was 640! Four times the amount necessary. In other words, he is completely protected from these diseases based on his vaccines as a puppy. There is absolutely NO NEED for him to be given an annual vaccine. And yet, the upsetting part, is that vets WANT to continue to vaccinate rather than titer! Had I still been a “responsible” pet owner, I would have just gone in and had my vaccines done and possibly killed another dog. I am now an informed pet owner.

I strongly suggest that you ask your vet for a titer rather than a vaccine. The company here in Japan (there might be others) is Marupi Life Tech in Osaka. It is actually in katakana. Ask your vet. Amazingly, they know the company but probably will not offer you a titer unless you ask. The vet will draw blood and send it to Marupi. About two weeks later you will have your results. Our vet charged 4,200 yen for this. Probably, about the same as annual vaccines, but certainly much cheaper than a cremation.