Pet owners, vets raise questions about vaccinations

Some pet owners in Manitoba say the risks posed by common pet vaccinations might be greater than the threat of the diseases they're supposed to prevent and some veterinarians agree.

Winnipeg dog owner Phil Daley said none of his three canine companions have been vaccinated in years, and he has no intention of changing that.

"Never. Not anymore. I will not," he said. "I'd rather take the chance."

Daley suspects vaccination killed one of his dogs; the animal contracted an autoimmune disease after being vaccinated.

Fellow pet owner Audra Lesosky doesn't vaccinate her dog either and says her vet supports the decision.

"My vet has said, 'Yes, it's the law that your dog must be vaccinated against rabies, but if this were my dog, I would not'," she said.

"I see that as the vet community responding to the fact that all these animals are reacting badly, and they're struggling to find their way, as well."

Veterinarian Linda Hamilton agrees that some pets are over-vaccinated.

"Oh, absolutely over-vaccination certainly exists," she said, adding that she believes some of her patients suffer from autoimmune or chronic diseases because of over-vaccination.

She questions why pet owners are often told their animals need to be vaccinated annually given the long period of time immunizations are considered effective in humans.

Winnipeg's animal control bylaw requires owners to be able to provide proof that their dog has been vaccinated against rabies in the previous 12 months or face a $200 fine.

However, Tim Dack, spokesman for the city's animal services department, estimates that less than half of about 100,000 dogs in the city are licensed, and he concedes that many unlicensed dogs are probably not vaccinated.

"Unvaccinated dogs, they just concern me. They should be vaccinated," he said.

Given the perennial threat of rabies in Manitoba, Dack said he doesn't like to hear that more people are opting not to vaccinate their animals. Thirty-nine cases of rabies were reported in animals in Manitoba last year, most of them in skunks but one in acanine. The disease is virtually always fatal in dogs.

"If we just continue to turn a blind eye or take the position that I'm not going to vaccinate my animal, I believe that we're just going to escalate a situation where disease is going to take hold in our pets and our communities. And it could have a devastating effect," he said.

But Dack said the city is re-examining the vaccination requirement, given the changing opinions and protocols in the veterinary industry.

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association acknowledges on its website that "there is some evidence that vaccines may be implicated in some immune-mediated disorders in dogs and cats."

Still, the association says most vets agree that dogs should receive "core" vaccines that prevent several diseases that are widespread, cause serious harm or are highly contagious, including rabies, distemper, parvovirus and a virus that causes kennel cough.

Vets can help owners weigh an individual animal's risk of disease against the risk of vaccination, the association said, noting that several factors affect the decision, including the number of dogs in a household and the animal's age, health and exposure to other dogs, wild animals, travel or kennels.