Here is a firsthand story about Minnie, the 3-year-old female tabby cat.
During her first visit to my office, it struck me as odd that Minnie had been going around the examination room along the walls in the same direction, non-stop, for the past 15 minutes. Even under stress, cats usually change course and look for a place to hide or explore. When I inquired about the unusual behaviour, the reply from Minnie’s owner was: “Minnie is schizophrenic.” For a moment it seemed to me that the owner’s reply and Minnie’s behaviour were competing for first place in The Guinness Book of World Records in the category of “Weird”. But the owner went on to explain that she was a psychiatric nurse and that her cat, who she loved dearly, definitely fit many of the criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Upon further investigation, some interesting facts were revealed. Minnie had originally been a wonderful, inquisitive, affectionate and intelligent cat. But her behaviour started changing just before she turned one year old, and by the time of her first birthday she had stopped relating to the owner and the other cats in the household.
The reason for this day’s visit was a lump between Minnie’s shoulder blades that had appeared a week prior. A review of the animal’s records, which had been faxed from the previous veterinary clinic, revealed that she had just been vaccinated the week before. As this is a common vaccine reaction at the site of injection, this explained the lump-like swelling between her shoulder blades. Another noteworthy part of her medical history was that she had been spayed and vaccinated for Rabies at the age of 8 months.
My tentative diagnosis was “Rabies Vaccinosis.” To test this diagnosis, I gave Minnie a single dose of Rabies vaccine 30C by mouth. This is an homeopathic preparation made from the Rabies vaccine. One of the basic principles of homeopathy is that “Like treats like.” Therefore the use of an homeopathically prepared, infinitesimal, amount of rabies vaccine to treat a case of Rabies vaccinosis was deemed appropriate in this case.
About six weeks after Minnie’s visit, I received the following voice message from her owner: “Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, I’ve got my kittie back. Minnie is playing with the other cats, she’s affectionate and happy, her behaviour is back to normal.”
Vaccinosis is a state of illness induced by vaccination. The well known effect of vaccination is to prevent acute diseases. The less well known effect of vaccination is to trigger a chronic disease. This chronic disease is long lasting and does not trigger a strong immune response. Vaccinosis can have different manifestations and different degrees of severity in different individuals.
Because of the lack of a strong immune response, the animal has difficulty overcoming Vaccinosis disease. This does not mean that there is absolutely no place for vaccination, but it does mean that vaccines must be used with discrimination and caution.
Here are some guidelines we use at our clinic:
– In younger animals, delay vaccines; wait until the immune system is more mature.
– Assess each case individually to determine the need for vaccination.
– Use single vaccines, not combinations.
– Use vaccines only for those diseases which represent a real health risk.
– Avoid over-vaccination by using titre testing to assess the necessity for boosters.
– Use the appropriate vaccine nosodes, homeopathic Thuja, and detoxification after each vaccination.
May you and your pets be well and may we live in a world where animals are treated with care, love and respect.
Dr. Sasan Haghighat can be reached at NorthEast Newmarket Veterinary Services, a holistic clinic in Newmarket, Ont. at 987 Davis Drive. For appointments call (905) 830-1030; visit his website: https://holistic-vet.ca/dr-sasan-haghighat-hyatt-dvm-cva/
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The guidelines provided at the end of the story offer valuable considerations for pet owners and veterinarians when it comes to making informed decisions about vaccination. It's a reminder of the significance of responsible and individualized pet care in a world where animals are treated with care, love, and respect.