A widening area of gray is replacing what was once a black and white issue for most of us as dog owners. Every year we did our part as responsible pet owners and made our appointment for the "annual vaccination visit". What many people do not know is that the annual administration of most vaccines is completely based on vaccine manufacturers' recommendations and not on duration of immunity or even scientific fact. Veterinarians' long-standing approach to annual vaccination has been that the good that vaccinations do far outweigh the bad and that it is "better to be safe than sorry". But is this really valid and more importantly is it safe? Unfortunately evidence is mounting to the contrary.

Over-vaccination has become suspect in contributing to a host of canine health problems such as allergies, susceptibility to infections, irritable bowel syndrome, thyroid disorders, autoimmune hemolytic anemia etc. etc. All twenty seven Veterinary Colleges in North America are adjusting their vaccine protocol in response to these issues. The Tibetan Mastiff has proven to be very sensitive to over-vaccination and great caution should be used when considering which vaccines are truly necessary. We have chosen to adopt a very conservative vaccination protocol supported by our veterinarian. Below are a few links describing the concerns involved with over-vaccination and what your alternatives are.

All of my puppies are sent home with detailed information about vaccination and how best to protect their Tibetan Mastiff without compromising their long-term health.

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