Dog Cancer and Pain Medications

One of the most important tenets of holistic medicine is managing pain in  cancer patients.  All cancers cause inflammation which leads to chronic pain ranging from mild to severe.  Regardless of whether conventional or alternative modalities are employed, all cancer patients must be treated for pain.  I firmly believe this is the time and place when pharmaceuticals should be employed.  Numerous studies have shown the earlier these drugs are used, the better the patient will do.  This is true of people and animal patients—PAIN MUST BE TREATED EARLY! NSAIDS, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are utilized first to combat pain and inflammation. These are prescription drugs ( such as Rimadyl, Deramaxx, or Metacam(Meloxicam)) pets take daily in pill or liquid form on a long term basis.  If NSAIDS are not controlling  pain well enough,  then analgesics, such as gabapentin and amantadine, are  added to the pain treatment protocol.  Both of these analgesics  work on neurological receptors to control maladaptive pain.  They have been extensively used to help people battle chronic pain and are showing much promise for our animal friends as well. Tramadol, a synthetic opioid, can be used for acute flare-up of pain or break-through pain.



I will be writing more about alternative pain medications for dogs who cannot tolerate NSAIDs in the near future, but there are times when an NSAID really is the best choice for pain control. This might be because other types of pain medication don't fully control the pain, or because the animal is sensitive to other medications as well.


There are things you can do to make NSAIDs easier on the dog's GI tract, although they will not always be enough for every dog. To understand how some of these might work, it's important to understand what NSAIDs are, and how they function to control pain.


NSAIDs are anti-inflammatory drugs that inhibit an enzyme called cyclooxygenase (COX for short). Cyclooxygenase is a substance in the body that causes it to produce prostaglandins, which cause pain and swelling. The problem is, prostaglandins do all sorts of beneficial things in the body, too, like maintain and repair the intestinal lining, control the body's hormonal systems, and regulate kidney function. There are, in fact, few body systems that do not rely, at least in part, on prostaglandins, so inhibiting them clearly has the potential to cause as many problems as it solves, or more.


Most people know that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, Metacam/Meloxicam, Previcox, Deramaxx, Etogesic, and others can irritate the digestive system and cause ulcers of the GI tract. They do this because COX enzymes and prostaglandins are necessary to repair and maintain the intestinal lining. In fact, while kidney damage and death do occur as a result of these drugs and get most of the hype, the main reason dogs are removed from NSAID therapy is because of the damage to their GI tract, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, ulcers, and bloody stool.


There are different kinds of COX, and they serve slightly different functions. It was once believed that COX-2 was the "bad" COX, and COX-1 was the "good" COX, and so the newer generation NSAIDs have been developed to be more and more COX-2 specific, but that is not turning out to be the case. It seems that COX-2 does have a protective effect on the gastrointestinal lining, and older generation NSAIDs like aspirin, which tend to inhibit COX-1 more so, or equally to, COX-2, actually have some GI-protectant benefits that help make up for the damage they cause.


So, if your dog has osteoarthritis or some other form of chronic pain, and really needs to take NSAIDs to maintain quality of life, there are a number of things you can do to prevent gastrointestinal problems.


First, make sure you are using multi-modal pain control. If you aren't relying exclusively on the NSAID for total pain control, you'll be able to use a lower dose, or even skip a day every few days and give the gut a chance to heal. Drugs such as Tramadol, amantadine, gabapentin, and narcotics can be used in combination with NSAIDs, or instead of NSAIDs, to control the pain of cancer or osteoarthritis. If your veterinarian isn't familiar with these drugs or is unsure of how to use them, ask for a referral to, or ask your vet to consult with, a veterinary anesthesiologist, or with the Analgesia/Anesthesia consultants on the Veterinary Information Network if they are a member. There is also a great deal of valuable veterinary information on the website of the Veterinary Anesthesia Support Group.


Second, consider alternatives to be used in combination with, or instead of, NSAIDs. Fish oil capsules, glucosamine-chondroiton, Adequan injections, and acupuncture are among the main available alternative therapies that have shown benefit in many cases of osteoarthritis and inflammation. (And of course, keep your dog lean!)


Third, ask your veterinarian about misoprostol. Misoprostol is a prostaglandin analog, and by taking it orally along with NSAIDs, you can help mitigate some of the effect of COX inhibition on the intestinal lining. While misoprostol can cause upset stomach and diarrhea on its own in some dogs, if your dog tolerates it, it's well worth considering as an adjunct to NSAIDs.


Another useful drug is Sucralfate. 
Stomach ulceration in humans is a prominent medical condition and there has long been pressure to develop effective and convenient ways to address this problem. Until relatively recently, we relied on simply neutralizing stomach acid by pouring alkaline solutions (i.e., Alka Seltzer, Tums, Rolaids etc.) into the stomach. In fact, ulceration is a complicate process and there are many ways to address it.

Sucralfate was developed as an adjunctive treatment for stomach ulcers in humans.  Sucralfate is a sucrose aluminum hydroxide compound that forms a gel-like webbing over ulcerated or eroded tissues thus serving as a sort of a bandage. It is effective in the upper GI tract: stomach, duodenum (upper small intestine), and esophagus.

Sucralfate not only “bandages” the ulcer but accumulates healing tissue factors in its bandage; it not only protects the ulcer but actively assists in the healing process. Because Sucralfate is a locally acting medication and is not absorbed into the body it has very limited side effects potential.

How about antacids like Pepcid (famotidine) and acid controllers like Prilosec (omeprazole)? While they might reduce the symptoms of GI ulcers in dogs on NSAIDs, they don't appear to have any benefit at all in actually reducing the ulcers once they occurred. So despite their widespread use with NSAIDs, they may actually mask an ongoing problem. Misoprostol actually has some acid regulating properties itself, but more than that, it acts to restore the intestinal lining naturally, to prevent the formation of ulcers and help heal those that have already formed. In addition, the use of antacids can be contraindicated with both misoprostol and sucralfate.


The herb slippery elm might also be worth considering, although it's not clear if it actually helps heal the gut, simply provides some protection to the intestinal lining, or only serves to make the dog feel better. Slippery elm, the inner bark of ulmus fulva, is a soothing, gelatinous substance that has traditionally been used for the treatment of ulcers. It is also used for sore throats and skin irritations. Slippery elm is an extremely safe herb and is actually used as a food. It is sold in bulk in health food stores, as well as in capsules and as a tincture. It's slightly sweet so most dogs will eat it readily, but it can be given in capsule form or as a tincture if necessary. A veterinary product exists called Phytomucil.


Of course, the side effects of NSAIDs are not limited to the GI tract, so it's important to work with your veterinarian to monitor your pet's kidney and liver function as well.

Dog Cancer Clinical Trials Veterinary Medical Centers

Veterinary Medical Centers with Online Links to Clinical Trials

Animal Medical Center of New York
Auburn University
Colorado State
Michigan State University
Morris Animal Foundation
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
North Carolina State
Purdue University
Tufts University
University of California at Davis
University of Georgia
University of Florida
University of Illinois Veterinary Teaching Hospital
University of Minnesota College of Veterinary  Medicine
University of Missouri
University of Pennsylvania
University of Tennessee
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Veterinary Oncology and Hematology Center

Prednisone is making my dog pee. I need dog diapers?

Yes, that is a side effect. Try to use Prednisone for worst times. Otherwise there's dog diapers.....



Vet Clinic Text

"Steroids, such as prednisone or prednisolone, can also be used to decrease
inflammation in the nose. For these medications, we start with high doses of the
medication for a short period to try to knock down the inflammation. It tends to work very well. If your dog
shows signs of improvement with the medication, we then slowly decrease the
dose of this medication as much as your dog tolerates. The exact taper is
dependent on how your dog is doing, but as long as your dog’s symptoms remain
improved, we usually decrease the dose by 25% every 2-3 weeks. Some dogs are
able to be completely weaned off of the steroids. Some dogs with cancer may require long-term
low levels of steroids. If this is the case, we try to keep the dose of the
medication as low as possible to hold back your dog’s symptoms. Steroids can
have several side effects. At higher doses, they will cause your dogs to urinate
and drink excessively. It is very important to keep plenty of water available at all
times. High dose will likely make your dog feel hungry but you do not need to
feed him or her more food than normal. Large breed dogs can sometimes
develop hind end weakness while on steroids. If you notice hind end weakness,
it is important to tell your veterinarian so that we can try to taper the medication
faster. Rarely, steroids can cause ulceration in the gastrointestinal tract, which
may lead to vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, blood in the stool, or black
tar-like stool. If you notice any of these symptoms it is important to notify your
veterinarian. Steroids cannot be stopped abruptly as a life-threatening reaction
(addisonian crisis) may result. Therefore, the dose of these medications should
not be changed except under the supervision of a veterinarian."

Sometimes you can just use the bursts of prednisone just when things are bad. Long term every single day use depresses the immune system. Something you don't want. Plus they need to pee alot. And while you will be glad they are eating again, they will bug you about eating.

Dog Won't Eat What do I do?

My dog won't eat, What do I do?
It's a fact that many illness impact a dog's metabolism. Changes occur in the way the body uses proteins, fats, and 
carbohydrates in a way to fight for survival.  Some of these metabolic changes can become exaggerated or prolonged to 
the point that they are harmful rather than beneficial. Significant weight loss and muscle wasting can occur rapidly and 
can be difficult or even impossible to reverse.

The typical problem with dogs with cancer is the refusal to eat their normal food or any food at all.  You may be able to 
coax your dog to eat table foods, but these may lack the essential nutrients that your dogs requires at this time.

A dog with cancer loses weight either because of decreased food intake and/or the metabolic effects of the disease. 
There is often more than one cause for decreased appetite. Some of the causes are related to the disease itself and 
some are side effects of cancer treatment. Human cancer patients can experience changes in their sense of smell and 
taste. Sometimes this is the result of the disease, sometimes secondary to a nutrient deficiency such as zinc, and 
sometimes due to side-effects of drugs or other forms of treatment.

Tumors may physically interfere with eating and digesting food. For example, tumors of the oral cavity may cause 
difficulties with chewing and swallowing. Tumors of the stomach or intestines may obstruct the normal passage of food or 
the absorption of nutrients. Cancer therapies may also have a direct impact on the gastrointestinal tract. Some drugs 
cause nausea and vomiting. Others may actually injure the cells lining the intestines. Radiation is often used to treat 
tumors of the oral cavity which can cause inflammation and ulceration of surrounding mucous membranes. Surgical 
removal of tumors involving parts of the digestive tract can obviously affect a patient's ability to eat or digest food. For 
example, it might be necessary to remove part of a patient's jaw, tongue, or intestines. Surgery and radiation therapy 
require anesthesia which involves periods of fasting before and after each episode.

One serious and unpleasant consequence is that the dog may associate them with the act of eating or even the sight or 
smell of food with nausea or pain. This is called learned food aversion. Food aversion is a well-recognized phenomenon 
in human patients. Most everyone has experienced an occasion when they have become ill after eating a particular food. 
Whether or not that food was responsible for the illness, it becomes associated with it in our minds. Although difficult to 
prove, we believe that this occurs on dogs as well. One of the greatest challenges in feeding the pet with cancer is 
preventing the development of food aversions whenever possible, and dealing with this condition when it does occur.

Because we have to guess what a dog is experiencing when he refuses food it can be hard to determine the best course 
of action. On the one hand we might work hard to coax a pet with palatable or novel food items in the hope of finding 
something that will be eaten voluntarily. On the other hand it might be best to back off for awhile and rely on an artificial 
form of nutrition (such as tube feeding) or even not feeding at all because of the risk of causing or exacerbating a 
learned food aversion. Listed below are some general guidelines on how to approach these patients. Remember that 
every patient is different, and requires individualized care and attention. No one thing will work in for every animal--be 
patient and sensitive to the pet's changing needs.

Resist the temptation to coax a pet to eat when he or she is feeling or showing overt signs of nausea or discomfort. Pets 
that gulp or drool at the sight or smell of food, turn their heads away, spit out food when placed in the mouth, or bury the 
food under their bedding should be left alone. Pushing food on a patient who clearly does not want it is a good recipe for 
creating a learned food aversion.

Discuss the possibility of anti-emetic drugs with your veterinarian if you think nausea and vomiting are a problem. Also 
discuss the use of tube feeding. Many factors must be considered when deciding whether a pet is a candidate for 
nutritional support. These techniques are not appropriate or feasible for every pet, but can be used successfully in many 
cases.

A few drugs like Prednisone have been used to stimulate the appetite. It can work well at this plus it is a very strong anti-inflammatory.
It cannot be used long term. Short bursts are ok.

If your pet is showing some interest in food, there are many things you can try in order to increase interest in food.

Try novel food items. If your pet has begun to associate a previously favorite food with unpleasant sensations, 
introducing a very different type of food may overcome the aversion to eating. This can backfire if the patient is still 
unwell, since the aversion may simply transfer to the new food. Any type of food can be used including dog foods (for 
dogs), cat foods (for dogs or cats), and palatable table foods. Remember that table foods will not provide all of the 
nutrients that a pet needs. If a pet eats an exclusively home-cooked diet for any period of time, you should get some 
advice on how to make that diet more complete and balanced. I just add fried eggs and cooked ground turkey with a little garlic 
to the kibble/pills and add a little warm water. 
Try offering food in a novel setting or have someone different do the feeding. Sometimes an animal will associate its 
surroundings with past unpleasant experiences. For instance, a patient may no longer eat in the kitchen but will eat on 
an outside deck. Also, remember that dogs are social animals and may be more likely to eat with their pack--which 
includes you! Coaxing a dog to eat during family mealtimes or with other pets present might be successful.

Make mealtimes as comfortable and unstressful as possible. Try not to schedule them at the same time that you do other 
treatments such as pilling. Avoid pushing food on your pet. Stroke and talk to your pet with food nearby and watch for 
any signs of interest.

Divide the day's food into as many small meals as your schedule will permit. The food ingredients that increase 
palatability for most dogs and cats are moisture, fat, and protein. Adding water to a dry pet food or switching to canned 
food may improve food acceptance. A pet's tolerance of certain nutrients must be considered when trying new foods. 
Animals with kidney or liver dysfunction may not tolerate high protein intake. Animals with some types of gastrointestinal 
disease cannot tolerate large amounts of dietary fat.

The standard advice for getting anorexic pets to eat has been to warm foods to just below body temperature. This is 
believed to increase the aroma of food, which in turn will enhance taste. But there is also some evidence that this might 
be counterproductive in animals that are exhibiting food aversion. It's possible since these patients may be hungry 
but have learned to associate certain smells or flavors with feeling badly. In these cases, offering food at room 
temperature or even chilled may meet with more success. You will just have to try different ways.

Because the syndrome of cancer cachexia (profound weight loss) can involve more than decreased food intake, even 
the best efforts in encouraging a pet to eat may not prevent weight loss. This is because cancer can involve alterations 
in normal metabolism that are not overcome simply by providing calories and nutrients. Certain types of tumors can 
produce substances that affect energy and protein metabolism. The tumor itself competes for some of the nutrients that 
should be going to the patient. In addition, the patient's immune system produces a variety of substances in response to 
the tumor. For the most part these are beneficial, but they can cause alterations in metabolism that result in decreased 
appetite, weight loss, and loss of muscle mass.

Mirtazapine for Appetite Stimulation in Dogs and Cats

Rx Mirtazapine (brand name Remeron™-Organon) is approved as an antidepressant for use in humans and has activity both as an alpha 2 receptor antagonist and as a potent 5HT3 antagonist. A side effect noted in humans taking this drug is appetite stimulation. Pharmacy faculty at the Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine used mirtazapine in a dog after all other attempts at appetite stimulation had failed, and were very pleased to find that mirtazapine restored appetite almost immediately in this dog. In another case, a physician used mirtazapine to treat anorexia and nausea in his Boston Terrier with chronic renal failure. Due to the vast improvement in the animal’s quality of life for one month preceding its death, the dog’s primary care veterinary clinic conducted a series of uncontrolled field trials using mirtazapine over the next 4 years in 24 dogs and 17 cats with GI symptoms that were marginally responsive or refractory to standard remedies. “Mirtazapine therapy led to a robust response in 12 animals, improvement compared with standard treatment in 16 cases, and an equivocal response in 13 animals. The most vigorous responses were observed in patients in chronic renal failure or receiving concurrent chemotherapy for neoplastic disease.”

Many veterinarians have started using mirtazapine to stimulate appetite in both dogs and cats. There have been no controlled studies and dosing is still empirical, but most dogs are dosed at 0.6mg/kg orally every 24 hours and cats are dosed at 3.75mg/cat orally every 48-72 hours. The terminal half-life of mirtazapine in humans is more than 40 hours, and mirtazapine is eliminated partially through conjugation with glucuronide. For this reason, dosing intervals of less than 48 hours are not recommended for cats, as accumulation is likely. Mirtazapine is not commercially available in an oral suspension; however, compounding pharmacists have formulated suspensions upon the request of veterinarians and have anecdotally reported success with this dosage form. For cats that are vomiting as well as anorectic and cannot swallow or retain oral medications, veterinarians have instructed compounding pharmacists to formulate transdermal gels of mirtazapine (3.75mg/0.1ml), which also have left veterinarians with a positive impression of clinical efficacy. Obviously, further studies are needed to determine stability, safety and efficacy of these compounded dosage forms, but until such evidence is available, veterinarians may wish to try these dosage forms in cases that are refractory to traditional methods of appetite stimulation.

Veterinary Forum, February 2006, pages 34-36

Meeting the basic nutritional needs of a cancer patient can be a significant challenge. In human cancer patients, it is 
established that malnutrition can increase the risk of complications and decrease survival rates. Patients with good 
nutritional status have an improved response to therapy and better quality of life. While the effects of malnutrition have 
not as yet been studied in veterinary patients, it seems likely that the results would be similar.


Sometimes you gotta just give them some KFC Chicken. I have never seen a dog not eat that.
This trick does work, but try to use it only when needed.

Dog Vaccinations and Canine Cancer

If your dog has cancer it is imperative that they never receive another vaccination. Not ever again for the rest of their life. There are clear warnings about this from the pharmaceutical companies who make the vaccines. Any vaccination given to your dog will further impair their immune system and greatly reduce their likelihood of recovery.


In cases where your vet wants to vaccinate you dog with cancer, or  refuses to give you a letter, you may want to consider getting a new vet. Here’s why.


Every dog vaccine has a statement on the label and in the package insert that says this, or something similar to it. “For the vaccination of healthy dogs against (whatever the vaccination is for).”
Well guess what? Your dog has cancer and because of this, is not healthy. According to the manufacturers instructions, vaccinations are not supposed to be given to unhealthy dogs!


It goes on to say, “A protective immune response may not be elicited if animals are incubating an infectious disease, are malnourished or have parasites, are stressed due to shipment, or environmental conditions, are otherwise immunocompromised, or the vaccine is not administered in accordance with label directions.”


If your dog has cancer he/she is immuno-comprimised, and it is not safe to give him/her a vaccination.  And by definition, your dog is physiologically stressed because of the cancer.


Here below is some text from another researcher:



A team at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine conducted several studies to determine if vaccines can cause changes in the immune system of dogs that might lead to life-threatening immune-mediated diseases. They obviously conducted this research because concern already existed. It was sponsored by the Haywood Foundation which itself was looking for evidence that such changes in the human immune system might also be vaccine induced. It found the evidence. 


The vaccinated, but not the non-vaccinated, dogs in the Purdue studies developed autoantibodies to many of their own biochemicals, including fibronectin, laminin, DNA, albumin, cytochrome C, cardiolipin and collagen. 


This means that the vaccinated dogs -- ”but not the non-vaccinated dogs”-- were attacking their own fibronectin, which is involved in tissue repair, cell multiplication and growth, and differentiation between tissues and organs in a living organism. 


The vaccinated Purdue dogs also developed autoantibodies to laminin, which is involved in many cellular activities including the adhesion, spreading, differentiation, proliferation and movement of cells. Vaccines thus appear to be capable of removing the natural intelligence of cells. 


Autoantibodies to cardiolipin are frequently found in patients with the serious disease systemic lupus erythematosus and also in individuals with other autoimmune diseases. The presence of elevated anti-cardiolipin antibodies is significantly associated with clots within the heart or blood vessels, in poor blood clotting, haemorrhage, bleeding into the skin, foetal loss and neurological conditions. 


The Purdue studies also found that vaccinated dogs were developing autoantibodies to their own collagen. About one quarter of all the protein in the body is collagen. Collagen provides structure to our bodies, protecting and supporting the softer tissues and connecting them with the skeleton. It is no wonder that Canine Health Concern's 1997 study of 4,000 dogs showed a high number of dogs developing mobility problems shortly after they were vaccinated (noted in my 1997 book, What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines). 


Perhaps most worryingly, the Purdue studies found that the vaccinated dogs had developed autoantibodies to their own DNA. Did the alarm bells sound? Did the scientific community call a halt to the vaccination program? No. Instead, they stuck their fingers in the air, saying more research is needed to ascertain whether vaccines can cause genetic damage. Meanwhile, the study dogs were found good homes, but no long-term follow-up has been conducted. At around the same time, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force initiated several studies to find out why 160,000 cats each year in the USA develop terminal cancer at their vaccine injection sites. The fact that cats can get vaccine-induced cancer has been acknowledged by veterinary bodies around the world.
What do you imagine was the advice of the AVMA Task Force, veterinary bodies and governments? "Carry on vaccinating until we find out why vaccines are killing cats, and which cats are most likely to die." 


In America, in an attempt to mitigate the problem, they're vaccinating cats in the tail or leg so they can amputate when cancer appears. Great advice if it's not your cat amongst the hundreds of thousands on the "oops" list. 


But other species are okay - right? Wrong. In August 2003, the Journal of Veterinary Medicine carried an Italian study which showed that dogs also develop vaccine-induced cancers at their injection sites. We already know that vaccine-site cancer is a possible sequel to human vaccines, too, since the Salk polio vaccine was said to carry a monkey retrovirus (from cultivating the vaccine on monkey organs) that produces inheritable cancer. The monkey retrovirus SV40 keeps turning up in human cancer sites. 


It is also widely acknowledged that vaccines can cause a fast-acting, usually fatal, disease called autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA). Without treatment, and frequently with treatment, individuals can die in agony within a matter of days. Merck, itself a multinational vaccine manufacturer, states in The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy that autoimmune haemolytic anaemia may be caused by modified live-virus vaccines, as do Tizard's Veterinary Immunology (4th edition) and the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.(6) The British Government's Working Group, despite being staffed by vaccine-industry consultants who say they are independent, also acknowledged this fact. However, no one warns the pet owners before their animals are subjected to an unnecessary booster, and very few owners are told why after their pets die of AIHA. 






We also found some worrying correlations between vaccine events and the onset of arthritis in our 1997 survey. Our concerns were compounded by research in the human field. 


The New England Journal of Medicine, for example, reported that it is possible to isolate the rubella virus from affected joints in children vaccinated against rubella. It also told of the isolation of viruses from the peripheral blood of women with prolonged arthritis following vaccination.


Then, in 2000, CHC's findings were confirmed by research which showed that polyarthritis and other diseases like amyloidosis, which affects organs in dogs, were linked to the combined vaccine given to dogs. There is a huge body of research, despite the paucity of funding from the vaccine industry, to confirm that vaccines can cause a wide range of brain and central nervous system damage. Merck itself states in its Manual that vaccines (i.e., its own products) can cause encephalitis: brain inflammation/damage. In some cases, encephalitis involves lesions in the brain and throughout the central nervous system. Merck states that "examples are the encephalitides following measles, chickenpox, rubella, smallpox vaccination, vaccinia, and many other less well defined viral infections". 


When the dog owners who took part in the CHC survey reported that their dogs developed short attention spans, 73.1% of the dogs did so within three months of a vaccine event. The same percentage of dogs was diagnosed with epilepsy within three months of a shot (but usually within days). We also found that 72.5% of dogs that were considered by their owners to be nervous and of a worrying disposition, first exhibited these traits within the three-month post-vaccination period. 


I would like to add for the sake of Oliver, my friend who suffered from paralysed rear legs and death shortly after a vaccine shot, that "paresis" is listed in Merck's Manual as a symptom of encephalitis. This is defined as muscular weakness of a neural (brain) origin which involves partial or incomplete paralysis, resulting from lesions at any level of the descending pathway from the brain. Hind limb paralysis is one of the potential consequences. Encephalitis, incidentally, is a disease that can manifest across the scale from mild to severe and can also cause sudden death. 


Organ failure must also be suspected when it occurs shortly after a vaccine event. Dr Larry Glickman, who spearheaded the Purdue research into post-vaccination biochemical changes in dogs, wrote in a letter to Cavalier Spaniel breeder Bet Hargreaves: 


"Our ongoing studies of dogs show that following routine vaccination, there is a significant rise in the level of antibodies dogs produce against their own tissues. Some of these antibodies have been shown to target the thyroid gland, connective tissue such as that found in the valves of the heart, red blood cells, DNA, etc. I do believe that the heart conditions in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels could be the end result of repeated immunisations by vaccines containing tissue culture contaminants that cause a progressive immune response directed at connective tissue in the heart valves. The clinical manifestations would be more pronounced in dogs that have a genetic predisposition [although] the findings should be generally applicable to all dogs regardless of their breed." 




 I must mention here that Dr Glickman believes that vaccines are a necessary evil, but that safer vaccines need to be developed. 


Meanwhile, please join the queue to place your dog, cat, horse and child on the Russian roulette wheel because a scientist says you should. 






The word "allergy" is synonymous with "sensitivity" and "inflammation". It should, by rights, also be synonymous with the word "vaccination". This is what vaccines do: they sensitise (render allergic)an individual in the process of forcing them to develop antibodies to fight a disease threat. In other words, as is acknowledged and accepted, as part of the vaccine process the body will respond with inflammation. This may be apparently temporary or it may be longstanding. 


Holistic doctors and veterinarians have known this for at least 100 years. 
 They talk about a wide range of inflammatory or "-itis" diseases which arise shortly after a vaccine event. Vaccines, in fact, plunge many individuals into an allergic state. Again, this is a disorder that ranges from mild all the way through to the suddenly fatal. Anaphylactic shock is the culmination: it's where an individual has a massive allergic reaction to a vaccine and will die within minutes if adrenaline or its equivalent is not administered. 


There are some individuals who are genetically not well placed to withstand the vaccine challenge. These are the people (and animals are "people", too) who have inherited faulty B and T cell function. B and T cells are components within the immune system which identify foreign invaders and destroy them, and hold the invader in memory so that they cannot cause future harm. However, where inflammatory responses are concerned, the immune system overreacts and causes unwanted effects such as allergies and other inflammatory conditions. 


Merck warns in its Manual that patients with, or from families with, B and/or T cell immunodeficiencies should not receive live-virus vaccines due to the risk of severe or fatal infection. Elsewhere, it lists features of B and T cell immunodeficiencies as food allergies, inhalant allergies, eczema, dermatitis, neurological deterioration and heart disease. To translate, people with these conditions can die if they receive live-virus vaccines. Their immune systems are simply not competent enough to guarantee a healthy reaction to the viral assault from modified live-virus vaccines. 


Modified live-virus (MLV) vaccines replicate in the patient until an immune response is provoked. If a defence isn't stimulated, then the vaccine continues to replicate until it gives the patient the very disease it was intending to prevent. 


Alternatively, a deranged immune response will lead to inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, pancreatitis, colitis, encephalitis and any number of autoimmune diseases such as cancer and leukaemia, where the body attacks its own cells. 


A new theory, stumbled upon by Open University student Gary Smith, explains what holistic practitioners have been saying for a very long time. Here is what a few of the holistic vets have said in relation to their patients: 


Dr Jean Dodds: "Many veterinarians trace the present problems with allergic and immunologic diseases to the introduction of MLV vaccines..." 


Christina Chambreau, DVM: "Routine vaccinations are probably the worst thing that we do for our animals. They cause all types of illnesses, but not directly to where we would relate them definitely to be caused by the vaccine."  


Martin Goldstein, DVM: "I think that vaccines...are leading killers of dogs and cats in America today."


 Dr Charles E. Loops, DVM: "Homoeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for some time that vaccinations do more harm than they provide benefits." 


Mike Kohn, DVM: "In response to this [vaccine] violation, there have been increased autoimmune diseases (allergies being one component), epilepsy, neoplasia [tumours], as well as behavioural problems in small animals."






Gary Smith explains what observant healthcare practitioners have been saying for a very long time, but perhaps they've not understood why their observations led them to say it. His theory, incidentally, is causing a huge stir within the inner scientific sanctum. Some believe that his theory could lead to a cure for many diseases including cancer. For me, it explains why the vaccine process is inherently questionable. 


Gary was learning about inflammation as part of his studies when he struck upon a theory so extraordinary that it could have implications for the treatment of almost every inflammatory disease -- including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis and even HIV and AIDS. 


Gary's theory questions the received wisdom that when a person gets ill, the inflammation that occurs around the infected area helps it to heal. He claims that, in reality, inflammation prevents the body from recognising a foreign substance and therefore serves as a hiding place for invaders. The inflammation occurs when at-risk cells produce receptors called All (known as angiotensin II type I receptors). He says that while At1 has a balancing receptor, At2, which is supposed to switch off the inflammation, in most diseases this does not happen. 


"Cancer has been described as the wound that never heals," he says. "All successful cancers are surrounded by inflammation. Commonly this is thought to be the body's reaction to try to fight the cancer, but this is not the case. 


"The inflammation is not the body trying to fight the infection. It is actually the virus or bacteria deliberately causing inflammation in order to hide from the immune system [author's emphasis]." 


If Gary is right, then the inflammatory process so commonly stimulated by vaccines is not, as hitherto assumed, a necessarily acceptable sign. Instead, it could be a sign that the viral or bacterial component, or the adjuvant (which, containing foreign protein, is seen as an invader by the immune system), in the vaccine is winning by stealth. 


If Gary is correct in believing that the inflammatory response is not protective but a sign that invasion is taking place under cover of darkness, vaccines are certainly not the friends we thought they were. They are undercover assassins working on behalf of the enemy, and vets and medical doctors are unwittingly acting as collaborators. Worse, we animal guardians and parents are actually paying doctors and vets to unwittingly betray our loved ones. 


Potentially, vaccines are the stealth bomb of the medical world. They are used to catapult invaders inside the castle walls where they can wreak havoc, with none of us any the wiser. So rather than experiencing frank viral diseases such as the 'flu, measles, mumps and rubella (and, in the case of dogs, parvovirus and distemper), we are allowing the viruses to win anyway - but with cancer, leukaemia and other inflammatory or autoimmune (self-attacking) diseases taking their place. 






All 27 veterinary schools in North America have changed their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats along the following lines;  however, vets in practice are reluctant to listen to these changed protocols and official veterinary bodies in the UK and other countries are ignoring the following facts. 


Dogs' and cats' immune systems mature fully at six months. If modified live-virus vaccine is given after six months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet. If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralise the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titre is not "boosted", nor are more memory cells induced. 


Not only are annual boosters unnecessary, but they subject the pet to potential risks such as allergic reactions and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia. 


In plain language, veterinary schools in America, plus the American Veterinary Medical Association, have looked at studies to show how long vaccines last and they have concluded and announced that annual vaccination is unnecessary.


Further, they have acknowledged that vaccines are not without harm. Dr Ron Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University and a leading light in this field, has been saying this politely to his veterinary colleagues since the 1980s. I've been saying it for the past 12 years. But change is so long in coming and, in the meantime, hundreds of thousands of animals are dying every year - unnecessarily.





Just remember. If you dog has cancer…REALLY CONSIDER SAYING NO TO VACCINATIONS! 


Disclaimer: This my opinion based upon evidence above. I am not a vet but I am a researcher and owner of a dog with cancer. Please make informed decisions based upon your own research whether or not to vaccinate.