For free nutrition information and advice, email Pat McKay
Why You Should NOT Vaccinate!
by Pat McKay
Author of REIGNING CATS & DOGS
Pat McKay: A nosode, which is a potentized homeopathic remedy prepared from diseased pathological tissue or discharges from infected animals, is an alternative that may be used to prevent or treat the associated disease of the tissue material. Nosodes differ from vaccines in that they are potentized, which means they have been diluted to the point that they no longer contain the elemental substance of the diseased tissue or the infected discharge, but do retain the healing properties. The animal cannot get the disease from the nosode, but may exhibit the symptoms.
I personally feel that animals should receive the nosodes only if they are already ill and the symptoms fit the homeopathic pattern of the nosode. If the symptoms of the disease fit a regular homeopathic remedy, that is the one I would use first. I do not feel nosodes should be arbitrarily given, "just because ... or instead of vaccinations.
Other practitioners feel differently about nosodes and feel they should be used as a preventative. I am including their opinions. I also believe there are times, for instance in cattery, kennel and epizootic situations, where nosodes are beneficial in specific circumstances as in the following examples.
These are instances where nosodes were used in kennel (Stephen Tobin, Dr Med Vet) and cattery (Celeste Yarnall) situations to control an outbreak of illness by giving the nosodes to all the animals whether they were exhibiting symptoms or not.
Stephen Tobin, Dr Med Vet, PhD
Excerpt from Speech, 1991
... He (Dr Christopher Day) did another study looking at kennel cough in a boarding kennel. In this kennel they had a severe problem. Of the 40 dogs in that kennel, when he was called in, 88 percent had kennel cough. Of those 40 dogs, 18 had been vaccinated, 22 of them were not vaccinated. Of the ones that were, some of them received intranasal vaccine, some had injectable vaccine. Of those 18, all of them showed signs of kennel cough. In total, the incidence of kennel cough in that kennel was over 90 percent.
He gave a nosode to all the animals that were there and all the dogs that came in through the rest of that summer. There were 214 dogs that came in. He broke those down also into vaccinated and unvaccinated groups. There were 64 vaccinated dogs and 164 that had never been vaccinated. After getting the nosode, somewhat less than 5 percent of the vaccinated group developed kennel cough and only one of the previously non-vaccinated dogs developed kennel cough. So he reduced the incidence of kennel cough there from over 90 percent to less than 2 percent.
The second interesting thing about this study is that before and after the nosode the vaccinated animals showed a higher incidence of kennel cough than the non-vaccinated animals.
In my own practice I use nosodes very extensively. To give you a couple of examples where there was definite protection: In one case in a breeding kennel 10 dogs had been given a mixed canine nosode which included kennel cough nosode. Two other dogs had had only vaccinations (these are 2 dogs she had bought), subsequent to giving the others the mixed canine nosode. They were fully vaccinated. She introduced a bitch into the kennel to breed and found that this bitch also introduced kennel cough. The 2 vaccinated dogs developed kennel cough. The 10 dogs that she had on nosodes did not develop kennel cough; no symptoms at all.
Cat Care, Naturally
by Celeste Yarnall
Historically, nosodes and homeopathic remedies have been used most successfully in the midst of human epidemics. This is probably the best use of these remedies in animals as well. Dr Chambreau suggests the following scenario: "You've put your new cat on a fresh food diet consisting of raw meat, raw vegetables, cooked grains and supplements. Your holistic practitioner has treated her with homeopathy or other holistic therapies in order to eliminate any of the subtle signs of underlying energy imbalance. Then you go to a cat show or bring home a stray you've rescued from an alley, and soon after you hear of an outbreak of panleukopenia at the show or in the alley cat population. You give one 200C dose of the nosode for panleukopenia, as well as herbal or dietary supplements to stimulate the immune system, and wait to see if any symptoms develop. If they do, you treat them homeopathically with the help of your holistic veterinarian."
Joanne Stefanatos, DVM
Excerpt from Letter of September 1995
Over-vaccinating predisposes an animal to chronic debilitating conditions such as immune-mediated diseases; immune-suppression; chronic liver, kidney and heart disease; arthritis; spinal myelopathy and blood dyscrasias. I have been using vaccine nosodes for five years and have seen excellent disease protection without any cases of vaccinosis. Even when a nosode-vaccinated pet is challenged by exposure to the disease, protection prevails.
Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide To Natural Health for Dogs & Cats
by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD & Susan Hubble Pitcairn
What To Do? What you can do depends on your access to a qualified holistic veterinarian. As an example, we have not used vaccinations in our practice for 17 years. In their place we give homeopathic remedies called nosodes, which are made from natural disease products. Distemperinum, for example, is made from the secretions of a dog ill from canine distemper. It is sterilized, diluted and carefully prepared in accredited pharmacies. When properly used, this medicine can protect a dog from distemper even better than the vaccine can. In fact, this method of disease protection, first developed by a veterinarian in the 1920s, showed impressive results even before vaccines were developed.
Nosodes are also available for kennel cough, parvovirus, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis and other common dog and cat diseases. We have been using this method of protection for several years now with very satisfactory results and without the side effects and illness associated with vaccine use.
Cat Care, Naturally
by Celeste Yarnall
Unfortunately, the notion of using nosodes on an ongoing basis is slipping into our modern rationale of "protecting the body because it can't be healthy enough to protect itself." But far better than using vaccines or even nosodes supposedly to prevent or control disease is to have your cat be so healthy that you don't feel the need to protect against any specific disease.
Indeed, there's a trend among many holistic veterinarians to use the nosodes in place of vaccines. I feel they're far less risky than conventional vaccines as a preventative protocol. Though most often given orally, they may be injected as well; however, I'm opposed to the all too-common practice of injecting things into the body. If you decide to use nosodes prophylactically, contact your homeopathic veterinarian for her/his recommendations as to how and when to administer them.
Warning: I've heard that some holistic veterinarians have recommended oral administration of nosodes, with follow-up doses put in the cat's water bowl. This can be a very dangerous practice. Nosodes are not food supplements, but extremely energetic remedies. They should be used, if at all, only under the strictest guidelines, so seek a second opinion if this manner of administration is suggested to you. When used in a haphazard way, nosodes may cause an aggravation (symptoms that actually mimic the remedy, that is, look like the disease you're trying to prevent).
I've found that all the practitioners in the holistic community care deeply about the welfare of your companion animals. Feel free to share information with them and to network actively. If you experience a problem with nosodes, please report it to Drs Pitcairn, Chambreau, Loops, and Hamilton or the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA). Remember, the jury is still out on nosodes.
Opinion is deeply divided at present. To reiterate my personal feeling about the use of any substance, conventional or not: A healthful lifestyle, with plenty of fresh food and proper hygiene is what keeps our immune systems at their peak. Let's encourage research dollars to be spent on natural ways to build up the immunity of both ourselves and our companion animals.
Pat McKay: Other newsletters and magazines with information about nosodes, natural immunity alternatives and other holistic health issues include: Healthy Pets - Naturally) Journal of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Natural Pet) and Natural Rearing Newsletter.
Christine Chambreau, DVM
Many experienced homeopathic veterinarians, including Drs Hamilton, Loops and I, have two major cautions about the use of nosodes.
1) Do not use combination nosodes. This confuses the body. Use only those nosodes for life-threatening diseases in the young; only those likely for your animal to be exposed to.
For dogs: distemper and parvo; given at different times.
For cats: panleukopenia (cat distemper) only.
2) Do not act from fear and continue giving nosodes preventatively for life. Use, if you feel essential, for kittens and puppies only; then stop by one year of age and give only when your animal has been exposed.
Pat McKay: A few holistic veterinarians are giving nosodes before and after giving the conventional vaccine. For example, when giving a rabies vaccination, they give the nosode, Lyssin (Hydrophobinum), or in the case of giving a distemper vaccination, the veterinarian will also give the nosode, Distemperinum, stating that it will “antidote" the bad effects of the vaccine. My feeling is that the body is confused even more by giving both. The solution: Don’t vaccinate.
Pat McKay: Homeopathic remedies prepared from healthy origins, like vegetable or mineral sources can be used in treating vaccinosis in animals (and people, too). Some of them are Thuja, Nux Vomica, Sulphur, Sarsaparilla and Silicea. I mention this to let you know there are ways of working with homeopathic remedies that are not nosodes.
For example, if your animal is suffering from a chronic condition that does not improve even after using holistic healing methods, it could well be the result of vaccinations. One of the ways this can be treated is by working with a classical homeopath using the above-mentioned remedies. Because it is a chronic condition and difficult to diagnose, I do not believe it is something you should treat on your own; you need a professional.
Because of the importance of knowing that there are ways to work through vaccinosis, I am including the following excerpt from an article by Richard Pitcairn and a letter from Don Hamilton, DVM, wherein they give examples of the use of Thuja.
Homeopathic Links/Excerpt from February 1995 Issue
A New Look at the Vaccine Question
by Richard Pitcairn, DVM, PhD
My understanding of the importance of vaccination in animal diseases gradually developed over several years. I began homeopathic practice without considering vaccination as a factor of special importance. So, what I did was to consider the totality of symptoms in the case and choose the remedy which seemed to be the similimum based on that picture. This is classical homeopathic procedure and, ordinarily, one which would be effective. However, there were a significant number of cases that would not react curatively. Though there was improvement in some respects, nonetheless, a cure was not forthcoming. Eventually, through following the case over a period of time, the image of the remedy Thuja would emerge -- which when administered would resolve the case which had been so difficult.
What, then is the significance of Thuja as a remedy? Thuja is the most important remedy to be used for that state induced by vaccination. Other remedies noted to have this correspondence are Sulphur, Mezereum, Malandrinum, Sarsaparilla, Carcinosin, and Silicea among others.
It gradually dawned on me that the underlying problem in some of my difficult cases was a state of illness that had been induced by vaccination. So, rather than simply use a totality of symptoms to choose my prescription, I found it more effective to emphasize the rubric "Vaccination, effects of" almost to the exclusion of other remedies. In this way, I was able to make progress in some very frustrating clinical situations.
Let me give you a few recent cases that demonstrate the usefulness of Thuja.
Case 1) Jerri, 3 1/2 -year-old mixed chow dog. Mflicted with sarcoptic mange and recurrent ear infections for two and a half years. Treated allopathically without resolution of the problem (Mitaban and Paramine dips, immune system stimulants, bacterial extracts, etc). Skin condition characterized by itching, hair loss, thickened dark skin, red irritated skin involving primarily the feet, lower legs, around the eyes, abdomen, top of the head, inside both ears. Patient has also become timid and cautious with the other dogs. Condition markedly ameliorated by a dose of Thuja 1M with regrowth of hair, normalization of appearance of the skin, reduction of ear inflan1mation and return of normal personality and behavior. Condition recurred in milder form one year later (after use of homeopathic nosodes for disease protection) and was resolved by one dose of Thuja 10M.
Case 2) Manny, 7-year-old DSH, tiger stripe.
Chronic diarrhea for one and a half years with 13 bowel movements a day. Very offensive diarrhea with a lot of gas being passed. Thuja 200C, one dose, resulted in marked improvement, with a perfectly formed stool within three weeks.
Case 3) May Flower, 6-month-old, female, Shar Pei dog, imported from Brazil to Kansas. Never well since first obtained; now is diagnosed with a seborrhea (biopsy) and skin fungal infection. The skin is dark, itchy, with red, scaly spots. These lesions spread rapidly over most of the body. Client says the puppy was normal until receiving "puppy shots." She began to lose hair all over, especially from flanks and tail. Treated with oral anti-fungal drug and two ointments without improvement. No effect from treatment with Sulfur 6X; temporary improvement with Rhus toxicodendron 200; rapid recovery after Thuja 200.
Change for the better was very rapid with hair growing in faster than ever seen before with this dog. Another dose ofThuja 200 needed three months later, after exposure to plaster and chemicals used in refinishing a room. Other remedies were needed months later for some lingering minor symptoms, but Thuja clearly turned this case around.
You can see from these cases that progress was dependent on use of Thuja, the anti-vaccine remedy. Though this was not necessarily the final remedy for these patients, it seemed to be a necessary prescription. It is as if vaccinations have the ability to block response to a constitutional remedy, an obstacle that must be dealt with before cure can be underway.
Richard Pitcairn, in his workshop held at La Posada de Santa Fe, New Mexico, March 1992, Veterinary Homeopathy, Advanced Prescribing, went into great detail about the proper use of nosodes and other homeopathic remedies for treating vaccinosis. All veterinarians would do well to get his tapes and workbooks on the Santa Fe workshop and/or attend future seminars.
Don Hamilton, DVM
Letter to Pat McKay dated October 9, 1995
I have spoken to two new clients today, one of whom called while I was reviewing your manuscript. The first was about a cat that was rescued as a stray and dutifully taken to the local vet. The cat was VERY thin and malnourished from lack of food. Predictably, the cat was given the 3-in-l vaccine and a rabies vaccine, even though she was still in poor condition. Also, quite predictably, she became ill within four days of the vaccines, developing a very severe form of asthma, a common sequela to vaccines, particularly in cats. (Thus the high incidence of feline asthma these days.)
The second case was a 7 -year-old Lhasa Apso who was just fine until taken in for her yearly "boosters." That night she became ill, was taken in and found to have a "kidney infection," and hospitalized. When the veterinarian was asked if this could be related to the vaccines, he replied, "Of course not, vaccines do not have any side effects." What planet he practices on, I'm not sure. Within homeopathic theory it is well known that vaccines directly affect the urinary tract.
The denial our profession practices under would be even harder to imagine had I not been there myself. But I still do not understand how anyone can practice for more than five or ten years and make such a statement with a straight face. I guess it's a good thing we are not a profession of Pinocchios.
The following case is of a cat that developed a rapid heart rate, probably on the way to hyperthyroidism, subsequent to vaccination.
Sheba, feline, part Siamese, female, spayed, 9 years old: Presenting complaint, 1/5/95: Two-week duration of appetite loss with concurrent tachycardia.
History and physical symptoms: Vaccinated with FeLV and FVRCP on 12/12/94.
On 12/19/94 Sheba stopped eating. She was taken to the local veterinarian who found the tachycardia and suspected onset of hyperthyroidism. She was started on Atenolol for the tachycardia, and she began to eat normally within 2-3 days. Sheba is on the slim side, a little spooky and shy of noises particularly. She has been healthy up to this tin1e. The only other possible symptom is vomiting once or twice a year. T3 and T4 were normal.
Assessment: This was clearly an acute reaction to the vaccinations.
Plan: As the symptoms were sparse, Thuja 200C was given for the vaccinosis. Client was to taper the Atenolol over 3-4 days.
1/17/95: Heart rate now 80-90/minute with no medicines. Appetite is good.
Assessment: Curative. Plan: Wait. Monitor heart rate every few days.
2/23/95: Heart rate still normal, appetite is good. Sheba is putting on a little weight for the first time ever. Assessment: Curative.
Plan: Continue to wait and watch. Comment: This is probably an acute manifestation of chronic disease rather than a truly acute disease. It is very possible this would have progressed to hyperthyroidism had the client not sought alternative help. Sheba may still have chronic disease, but without symptoms we can only wait as well as correct the diet and stop vaccinations.
Pat, I agree with those you quote in your manuscript who state that we, in essence, spend most of our time correcting the damage done by our profession. That is, damage from vaccines and damage from the poor diets we advise people to feed.
Pat McKay: Oxygen and ozone therapies are other alternatives that can be used both as a preventive measure and as a healing modality. As a matter of fact, oxygen should be one of the first to consider. Who would ever think of oxygen as a healing modality. We take it for granted that we have sufficient oxygen available to us at all times. Decades ago the air engulfing our planet was 38 percent oxygen. Now it ranges from as low as 10 percent in many of our cities to 20 percent under the best of country conditions.
In addition to oxygen-deprivation from the environment, our oxygen levels, and our animals', can drop because of injury, disease or vaccinations.
Oxygen can be used in the form of food-grade hydrogen peroxide and/or magnesium oxide.
H202, hydrogen peroxide, originally called Oxygen Water, is water (H20) with an extra molecule of oxygen (01). It is that extra molecule of oxygen that creates the volatility and instant release of an electrically charged oxygen atom on contact with an unfriendly microorganism to transform it into a nothing. Bacteria, viruses and fungi cannot live in an environment which has a preponderance of oxygen. Magnesium oxide involves the bonding of oxygen and ozone to magnesium. This oxygen is made bio-available to the stomach which is 40 percent more efficient in assimilating oxygen than the lungs are. It also assists in oxidizing the undigested putrefaction that is known to be impacting the intestines and the colon. By introducing oxygen and ozone into the intestines and the colon, one can assist this process, as well as oxidizing the undigested material. Stabilized oxygen aids digestion, facilitates removal of diseased and dying cells and cleanses and purifies the intestines.
Ozone is a gas, an energized form of oxygen, with a chemical formula 03. It is unstable and disassociates readily back into oxygen, thus liberating so-called singlet oxygen which is a strong oxidizing agent. It is this particular reactivity which provides the starting point for ozone's multiple effects within the body.
The different modes of action of ozone on a living organism are now well understood and involve the production of ozone-generated peroxides. It is these which are responsible for the remarkable bactericidal and fungicidal effects. The virus inactivation takes place in a similar way and is enhanced by a peroxide intolerance of virus-infected, weakened cells. Peroxides are powerful, free-radical producers and as such could be harmful, but ozone has an advantage here which other free-radical producing agents do not appear to have.
Not only are normal cells protected from oxidative stress effects of ozone infused in correct amounts, but-almost paradoxically-ozone appears to promote a stimulation and activation of the enzymes involved in peroxide and free-radical scavenging thus enhancing immune responsiveness.