What You Need to Know About the Dog Flu and Dog Flu Vaccine

• Posted on 29 April 2015
• By Dr. Jill Tack
• Posted in Dog Flu, dog flu symptoms, dog flu vaccine, natural dog flu remedies, vaccinations, what to do if your dog has the flu
• 0

Have you heard?

It seems that each season a new buzz is going around the pet community. This season we are introduced to a “new” dog flu vaccine that is marketed to protect our pets from the seasonal virus. Unfortunately, this vaccine like many others comes with more risks than benefits. Like with any vaccine, it contains preservatives such as Thimerosal (mercury), Formalin (formaldehyde), Gentamicin (antibiotic), Aluminum, Neomycin (antibiotic), Polymyxin B (antibiotic), Amphotericin B (antifungal), and Streptomycin (antibiotic).

Have you heard?

It seems that each season a new buzz is going around the pet community. This season we are introduced to a “new” dog flu vaccine that is marketed to protect our pets from the seasonal virus. Unfortunately, this vaccine like many others comes with more risks than benefits. Like with any vaccine, it contains preservatives such as Thimerosal (mercury), Formalin (formaldehyde), Gentamicin (antibiotic), Aluminum, Neomycin (antibiotic), Polymyxin B (antibiotic), Amphotericin B (antifungal), and Streptomycin (antibiotic).

While not all vaccines contain these preservatives (and others may contain even more), the vaccine also includes strains of the “dog flu” that are not current and will most likely not protect your dog. As with any virus, the flu virus changes and mutates yearly into new strains, making it almost impossible for current medicine to keep up.

What is the Flu?

When I asked this question around here, I got many different answers that ranged from vomiting to diarrhea, crazy high fevers, chills, and sweating. The flu is actually a respiratory illness that displays symptoms like coughing, sneezing, watering eyes, drippy nose, decreased appetite, and increased sleeping. Much like with us humans, animals need a lot of rest and relaxation to allow their bodies to ride out the virus for five to seven days. Will Falconer, DVM has a great article about the flu, its causes, and his suggestions on how to deal with a sick pet. You can view it here.

Risks Associated with the Dog Flu Vaccine

The side effects of vaccines can cause a multitude of issues ranging from minor irritation to death, depending on the pet. As with any injection, the ingredients go directly into the bloodstream, forcing the kidneys and other internal organs to work harder to filter the blood to remove these invaders. It also causes the immune system to go into overdrive to remove the threat of a virus that it has not been previously introduced to.

Vaccines weaken the immune system of our pets, which can put them at higher risk for infection. Vaccines also force the immune system to protect against a new threat, leaving behind anything it might have already been fighting off. When we take our pets to get vaccines, we are also compromising their immune system by taking them into an overly stimulating and stressful environment. As with us when we are stressed, tired, or just not running at 100 percent, animals' immune systems are weakened by these environments, leaving them more susceptible to illness.

What The Pet Beastro Recommends

The Pet Beastro recommends limited to no vaccines. While the rabies vaccine is required here in Michigan, we can make sure to help your pet before, during, and after the vaccine. We think that the way to a healthy pet starts with the diet and is reinforced by natural remedies.

What Can You Do?

There is one simple answer: boost the immune system. It’s as easy as that. Healthy pets, like healthy people, do not get sick. By keeping our pets healthy and their immune systems working properly, we are able to avoid the threat of sickness.

How to Naturally Boost Your Animal's Immune System

Health starts with nutrition. When we feed our companions a healthy, biologically-appropriate diet, we give them a head start on great health. We can also use herbs or herbal blends to give them an additional boost in peak seasons.

We recommend using these products to give your pets the tools they need to fight off invaders before they become a threat:

• Silver Shield from Nature’s Sunshine (Available in 6 fl oz or 16 fl oz through our online market)
• E-Mune Boost from Dr. Harvey's
• The Honest Kitchen Instant Goat’s Milk
• Bee Pollen
• Spirulina
• Animal Essentials Probiotics and Enzymes

If Your Pet Has the Flu

If your pet has the flu, or any other virus, bacteria, or ick -- we can help! Herbs, essential oils, homeopathics, and other natural remedies are great warriors that don't harm the friendly bacteria that your companion needs to fight the fight. By using natural remedies, we are able to support your pet’s current immune system and give it the strength it needs to fight off the attackers.

Each pet is different, and we know that just because something works for one pet, it might not work for another. That's why we look at each pet as an individual and make a tailored program that will work best for him or her.

If you're unsure of how to address your animal's health needs, we encourage you to take a look at our one-on-one animal wellness services.