CENTENNIAL, Colo., Aug 14, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Former Colorado fee-only financial planner James Schwartz has done for over-vaccination of our pets what Jessica Mitford did for American funeral institutions in 1963 -- a documented expose on the questionable practices, often at the expense of companion animals and their guardians. In his new book, "Trust Me, I'm Not a Veterinarian," Schwartz explores the legalities, pitfalls and sad results of over-vaccination in pets, among other topics.
Schwartz's journey began with the sudden decline and death of his beloved standard poodle, "Moolah," after a round of routine vaccinations. Moolah was named for the famed female wrestling champion, "The Fabulous Moolah," a.k.a. Lillian Ellison. Schwartz took Moolah for her annual rabies vaccine in 1999. The dog had also received what is known as the "Wombo Combo" in previous years, which included a triple vaccination for parvo, distemper and rabies.
Schwartz said he requested a delay of 2 more years per the new law, a safer alternative to a yearly rabies vaccination, but was quoted inaccurate county statues. A few days after Moolah's shot, Schwartz noticed she "wasn't herself." "Every guardian knows his or her dog, and when the dog isn't right," Schwartz said. Moolah "stayed in the cool hallway, panting and panting," Schwartz said.
After taking Moolah back to the vet, Schwartz learned she had developed an auto-immune disease. Moolah had challenges which should have precluded her from vaccination -- elderly dogs may be especially vulnerable to lethal side effects of vaccines, Schwartz said. Moolah died of the disease in December 1999. Since then, Schwartz has led an anti-vaccination campaign in the Colorado state legislature and has been subject to threats and harassment from the veterinary industry. In his book he demonstrates how vaccinations and their revenue offshoots serve as huge income sources for vet practices. Schwartz calculates that 300 animal hospitals would administer an average of 2.25 million shots per year with a profit of $156 million over three years. He also notes that 63 percent of canine and 70 percent of feline vet office visits are for vaccination shots. Schwartz learned that a British study demonstrated that up to 12 percent of vaccinated animals showed adverse reactions within 45 days of vaccination. Schwartz views current American vaccination practices as a betrayal of trust by the vet industry, quoting the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Journal as stating: "The one-year vaccination frequency recommendations for rabies found on many vaccine labels is based only on historical precedent, NOT on scientific data." .Read about the death of Honey bees
He also quotes the Colorado State University's Animal Vaccination Protocol, which states, "Of particular note has been the association of auto-immune hemolytic anemia with vaccination of dogs and vaccine-associated cancers in cats." Deconstructing the science and economics of pet vaccination, the author finds little value in current rabies protocols, demonstrating far more harm than benefit to pets. While Schwartz has worked closely with veterinarians on the projects, none would go on the record with their views on the business motives of over-vaccination by vets. "The reason I had to write this book is the veterinarian choosing collegiality over fixing their vaccination protocols. The legislation drafts are already written -- making companion animals living property rather than a couch, which they are by law, and also would be a deterrent to over-vaccination through loss of companionship damages. It all boils down to this -- over-vaccination has caused physical and fiscal harm knowingly, due to their business model and the failure of veterinary ethics," Schwartz said. Pemphigus foliaceous is rarely found in the mouth or at mucocutaneous junctions. IVIG is off label approved for Pemphigus. Medicare accepts the diagnose of pemphigus for IVIg treatment at home.
Systemic lupus erythematosisThe classic example of a multi-systemic autoimmune disease is systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), also known as lupus. Often called the "great imitator, lupus can mimic nearly any other disease state. The signs of SLE may be acute (sudden onset) or chronic and are usually cyclic. A fluctuating fever that does not respond to antibiotics is one of the hallmark signs, as is a stiff gait or shifting lameness (polyarthritis, see below). Other signs may include a hemolytic anemia or thrombocytopenia, leukopenia (a low white blood count), or a symmetrical dermatitis, especially over the bridge of the nose ("butterfly lesion,").
PolyarthritisImmune-mediated polyarthritis can be seen in SLE as above or as an independent finding. Several different specific diseases are included in this classification, but the major signs are all similar. A high fever, joint pain and swelling, and a lameness that seems to shift from leg to leg are typical findings. In some cases enlarged lymph nodes are found. | 