Hi

Just wondered if :

1) Anyone uses homeopathic tablets to cover against parvo etc instead of conventional vaccs?

2) People's opinions on how safe this method is.

I have used this method for over 3 years now BUT I have been living away from everything for that time where the dogs never came into contact with others. I now live back in civilisation and my vets says the tablets are a load of rubbish and do not work. He thinks I should give all the dogs puppy vaccs again and then continue with their boosters over time.

Thoughts please.

I think a good starting point for you would be to have your dogs titre tested to check what their level of protection is. :)

I use nosodes for leptospirosis because I prefer not to give the vaccine.  Effectiveness is a hotly contested subject (as you've found out from your vet and will doubtless find on here too :)).  Some people swear by them, others give them because they don't wish to use vaccines and think something is better than nothing and some use them as a 'might as well' because even if they don't work, they won't do any harm.  Very much a personal decision I'm afraid.

A few years ago in Dogs Today there was mention of a conference of holistic vets in the US, with more than 500 homoeopathic vets gathered to discuss complementary approaches to disease prevention. Dr Susan Wynn reported on an unpublished (;)) study carried out by her and Dr Ron Schulz, which showed that parvo nosodes failed to protect pups against virulent canine parvovirus. Dogs given nosodes developed clinical signs of the disease while most dogs given vaccine did not.

In the US homoeopathic vets legally have to get clients to sign a disclaimer that the vat has explained that nosodes do not give guaranteed protection from disease.

Interesting JG but a friend who stopped vaccinating her kennel 5 years ago had kennel cough last year.  The only dogs who didn't get it were the unvaccinated ones who were covered by nosodes.  But of course, these were the youngest dogs, so that's probably the reason. ;) :)

This particular study was apparently just concerning parvo, not any other disease. As there are very many viruses giving the symptoms of KC, vaccines wouldn't work against them all.

I found it interesting that the study was unpublished. The cynic in me wonders whether it would have been published if the outcome had been different. ;) Self-censorship to protect interests? ;)  ;)

1)  Yes for 10 years.
2)  I've no idea but as drug company Vet told me that 2 out of 5 puppy vaccination aren't accepted by puppies, then 2/5ths of the dog population isn't covered by vaccinations anyway.  I used to titre test but as the results always came back very high, I don't now.  And titre testing doesn't cover memory cells anyway.

My dogs used to come into contact with up to 10 grooming dogs everyday as well as travel all over the country to dog shows.  I don't have sick dogs and they've not needed Veterinary treatment.

Vaccination is a difficult and complicated subject.  Before deviating from the conventional methods of protection I feel that everyone should research for themselves, preferably with the help and support of a homoeopathic Vet, so that they are comfortable with the decision that they make. :)

Homeopathy is certainly not evidence based medicine so, personally, I agree with your vet entirely. 

As do I. There is no convincing evidence for homeopathy whatsoever.

Firstly before giving any Vax you may wish to consider having your dogs titre tested, I had a dog from 8 weeks old who never had a vax not even the puppy ones as his titre level tests always showed he did not need them.

My regime is to titre test first before the puppy vax & then yearly titre tests after that(I do get them done @ cost) None of my dogs for the past 30 years has shown that they needed a booster

I do not give Lepto vax ever as this(in the opinion of Veterinary experts in adverse reactions)causes the worst reaction(this reaction killed my father's cavalier)& in any case the vax doesn't covers all the types of Lepto & doesn't last a year(this is admitted by the Vax companies)

My dogs have noscodes & when there has been any outbreak of parvo etc I have my dogs retested & they have never needed to have a booster. The only dog I have ever had that caught KC was the only one who had had the KC vax given by his breeder

Vaxing dogs is quite a hot subject & at the end of the day it is your decision

sorry for my ignorance but what are nosodes? Can you give me a bit more info?

Nosodes

thanks Isabel for the link --must be those weeny little tabs that Boots sell in their homeopathic medicine range-just didn't realise they were called nosodes!

The ones I get are specifically for dogs and I buy them from Ainsworths, the homeopathic chemist. :)