Frequent readers of our blogs will know we aid pet owners with the vast majority of health complaints in their beloved furry family members. One of the health complaints we see in puppies is ‘Puppy Strangles’. Being a life threatening disease, owners of puppies suffering with this are right to be concerned! Read on to find out more about Puppy Strangles, what it is, how it is caused, diagnosed and treated, and how we can support healing naturally. Puppy Strangles is a rare skin disease affecting puppies, often referred to as Juvenile Cellulitis, lymphadenitis, or sterile granulomatous dermatitis. The disease can be life-threatening if left untreated, so acting fast and seeking veterinary care is essential. While Puppy Strangles has been seen in dogs of up to 4 years of age, it is most commonly seen in puppies of 6 months and under. Symptoms and Causes There are a variety of symptoms associated with Puppy Strangles. Some symptoms you may see in a puppy with this condition are: Sudden facial swelling: the swelling you may expect to see will show rapidly, and can usually be seen first around the muzzle and eyelids. Eventually, the lip area, and the underside of the chin may be affected in a similar way. Lesions on the skin: in some cases, lesions may also form on the skin, primarily around the face, but also seen in some cases around the paws, anus and vulva. Swollen lymph nodes: the lymph nodes located under the chin and in the neck will swell, looking like small, soft lumps. This is one of the biggest signs of Puppy Strangles. Reduced appetite: as your puppy will be significantly unwell, their appetite may reduce. Lethargy and fatigue: your puppy’s immune system will be heavily impacted, and will be taking a huge amount of energy, resulting in lethargy and fatigue. Lameness: due to the inflammation in the body, and lack of available energy, your puppy may show signs of lameness. Fever: the body temperature will rise due to inflammation. Behavioural changes: many puppies display low mood behaviours when severely unwell. When looking at causes of Puppy Strangles, there are a few avenues under exploration, but the overall cause is largely unknown at present, and it is deemed ‘idiopathic’, meaning the cause is unknown, and it happens spontaneously. There are some suggestions that this condition has aspects of an autoimmune disease, whereby the dog’s immune system malfunctions and causes the body to attack it’s own skin. There is also a chance that the disease has hereditary predispositions, meaning the risk is passed from generation to generation. There may also be breed predispositions for puppy strangles, as the breeds most commonly affected appear to be dachshunds (all sizes and coat types), Gordon Setters, and Golden Retrievers. Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here Diagnosis Diagnosing puppy strangles can be a complex task. There are various methods used, some vets will use multiple methods, some will use one or two. The diagnosis methods include: Physical examination: as the visible symptoms for Puppy Strangles are so noticeable, the first part of diagnosis is a physical examination of the skin. the vet will look at the puppy’s overall condition and look for lesions etc. Checking the puppy’s medical history: the age, breed, and family history of the puppy will be analysed. Skin biopsies: samples of skin from affected areas may be taken. A full laboratory report will be written regarding the biopsies after analyses under a microscope. This is the most conclusive form of diagnostics for Puppy Strangles. Skin lesion cytology: in some cases a small sample of tissues from a skin lesion will be taken and analysed under a microscope to rule out infection in these areas. Skin scrapes: the veterinarian may take scrapings of the top layer of skin, and take a look at these under a microscope. This will enable them to rule out possible mites or fungal infections which can present similarly to Puppy Strangles. Hair plucking analysis: much like skin scrapes, examining plucked hairs under a microscope will rule out parasitic or fungal burdens. Blood panels: a full blood panel will often be run, which will show any potential discrepancies which could form a different diagnosis, and to check the white blood cell count of the individual. A classic symptom of Puppy Strangles is an elevated white blood cell count. In cases where a veterinarian suspects a secondary infection in an individual, they may also perform fungal or bacterial cultures to rule out further infection. Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here Conventional Treatment As Puppy Strangles is immune mediated, the immune system needs to be suppressed to treat the disease. If the immune system is not suppressed, the body will continue to attack itself, causing the condition to worsen, and the puppy’s life to be at risk. An immunosuppressive drug (usually a corticosteroid such as prednisone) will be administered to your puppy, daily over the course of a few weeks in order to combat the disease. After the initial few weeks, the dose will be gradually tapered as your dog will need to gently wean off it. Due to the risk of infection in skin lesion sites I those with Puppy Strangles, it is common for antibiotics to also be prescribed by your veterinarian as a precaution. Anti-inflammatory medication may also be prescribed to reduce inflammation in the body, caused by the disease. It is imperative that you follow your veterinarian’s advice, but you may wish to use complementary support alongside treatment. Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here A Natural Approach to Puppy Strangles As always, our approach is often supported by veterinary care, so we tend to look at this as a complementary approach as opposed to alternative. Side effects of short-term use of the aforementioned drug protocol can include increased appetite, thirst and urination, as well as reduced gut microbiota diversity and microbiome health, and increased lethargy. Complementary support can go some way to reducing these side effects. Here are some
Here at My Pet Nutritionist, we love to take an in-depth look at all organs and systems within the body in an approach to overall health and well-being in pets. As part of our mission to help pet owners keep their pets in the best health possible, some of our blog posts are designed to target one specific part of the body – this blog post take a deep dive into everything liver! Learn what the liver is, what it does, common complaints we see within our customer base, and how to support the liver through diet and lifestyle changes! Liver Structure The liver is the largest internal organ in the body. It is found inside the ribcage of dogs and cats, just below the diaphragm, and while it is a rough triangle-type shape, it is soft, and takes the impression of the surrounding organs including the gallbladder, stomach, pancreas duodenum and the right kidney. It is a large organ, and consists of 6 lobes. Each lobe is made up of many ‘hepatic lobules’, and each lobule holds a large number of blood filled, sac-like cavities called sinusoids. Due to this structure, the liver is a spongey texture, and is able to hold large amounts of blood, which gives the organ a deep red colour. There are two ways fluids travel into the liver; both major blood vessels! The first, known as the Portal Vein takes nutrient rich blood from the gastrointestinal tract into the liver, however this vessel also brings the not-so-beneficial products of chemicals and drugs into the liver too! The other major vessel is called the Hepatic Artery, which delivers oxygen rich blood from the heart and lungs, into the liver. Just like routes into the liver, there are two ‘exits’ too! Hepatic Veins carry blood out of the liver, whereas the Bile Ducts take bile (a yellow coloured digestive substance made in the liver, and stored in the gallbladder) out of the liver, and into the gallbladder. The liver can also self-regenerate if it is compromised through trauma!’ Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here What Does the Liver Do? The liver has many major functions within the body, affecting various aspects of health. Let’s take a look at these: Bile Production: the liver plays an enormous role in digestion. It produces bile, a yellow coloured digestive juice, which is absolutely essential for the digestion of fats in the small intestine and nutrient absorption. Metabolism: the liver’s role in metabolism includes breaking down protein, fat and carbohydrates in order for the body to be able to use them as energy. The energy gained through this metabolic process is stored in the liver as glycogen which is released when required. Vitamins and minerals are also stored by the liver, and inactive forms of these are made active. Blood Detoxification: the liver is the body’s very own toxin removal system! When there are unwanted substances in the blood, the liver removes them from the body. As part of this function, the liver also breaks down any medications in order to eliminate the toxins. Filtration from digestive tract: not only does the liver filter the blood for toxins, but it also filters blood from the digestive tract. Blood Clotting: the liver is home to a variety of proteins which clot blood. These proteins include various coagulation factors, fibrinogen, and prothrombin. Immune aid: the liver plays a role in the immune system too! Some essential proteins and enzymes used in the immune system are produced in the liver. Blood storage: finally, due to the liver’s texture and storage capacity in the sinusoids, it is excellent for storage of blood which it releases if required. Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here Common Liver Complaints Many of our customers come to us for help with their dog’s liver problems. We have helped to support those with a wide range of liver complaints over the years. Some of the most common complaints we see are: Liver Disease: liver disease has many possible underlying causes including genetics, hepatitis, liver tumours, infections or toxin exposure, including from medications and some plants. Liver disease can have a lot of knock on effects on the body including disturbances in filtering toxins, difficulties storing nutrients, and reduced digestive capabilities. Symptoms include increased thirst (polydipsia) and urination (polyuria), vomiting, reduced appetite, rapid weight loss, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Diagnosis is sought via a combination of blood test, imaging, and sometimes biopsy of the liver to discover the underlying cause. Liver Shunts: clinically, these are referred to as portosystemic shunts. Dogs with liver shunts have abnormal blood vessels which bypass the liver, meaning the liver cannot perform it’s job of filtration of, or nutrient metabolism from the blood efficiently. Liver shunts can be congenital defects (present from birth), or caused by some types of liver disease. Symptoms of liver shunts include vomiting, diarrhoea, hypersalivation, stunted growth, reduced coordination, seizures, and behavioural changes. Blood tests and imaging (including ultrasound and CT scans) are used to diagnose a liver shunt. Hepatitis: this condition is a chronic inflammatory condition in the liver, often caused by infection, toxin exposure, or immune dysfunction. There are various types of hepatitis, the most infectious one being Adenovirus Type 1 which is potentially life-threatening! Fever, lethargy, vomiting, jaundice, and enlarged liver are all common symptoms of hepatitis. Lifelong liver damage can occur depending on the severity of infection. To diagnose this condition, imaging, blood tests and often liver biopsies are performed. Liver Cancer: liver cancer can be classed as ‘primary’ in which the abnormal cells originate inside the liver itself, or ‘metastatic’ where the abnormal cells spread from other parts of the body. Reduced appetite, weight loss bloating and lethargy are the initial symptoms one can expect, and these may not be clearly linked to liver cancer. More advanced symptoms of liver cancer are those of liver failure. Biopsies, imaging and blood tests are used to diagnose the condition. Acute Liver Failure: the term ‘acute’ refers
Here at My Pet Nutritionist, we know that a healthy gut microbiome is the most important aspect to keeping your dog healthy all round! There is so much to learn about the gut microbiome – what it really is, what it consists of, what other parts of the body it interacts with, and what happens when it’s not in tip top condition. Many of our readers will notice that most of our blogs mention the microbiome, so this blog post is a full round up of everything gut microbiome related, in one easy read! What is the Gut Microbiome? Every dog has a gut microbiome. It’s one of the most important parts of your dog in terms of digestion and overall health, from joints to skin, to the brain and immunity. The microbiome is a community of microbes, including good and bad bacteria, viruses, and fungi. The gut microbiome is very carefully balanced. Some of the microbes found in a healthy gut microbiome are ones we would typically class as ‘bad’ which have health conditions associated with them, including bad bacteria such as Salmonella, and Clostridia. Viruses and Fungi are typically classed as ‘bad’ microbes too, but are still part of a healthy microbiome. Good bacteria such as Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium and Enterococcus are all found in abundance in the healthy canine gut microbiome – these beneficial bacteria are found in high enough numbers to outweigh the negative impact of the bad microbes found in the gut. A healthy gut microbiome means the ‘good guys’ outweigh the ‘bad guys’. Health problems begin to emerge when the gut microbiome is knocked out of balance, allowing for gut dysbiosis to occur. Gut dysbiosis can lead to a host of health problems including reduced skin and joint health, increased digestive issues, and prominent or mild negative behavioural changes. Findings Here Findings Here Interactions Between the Gut Microbiome and the Rest of the Body The health of the gut microbiome is a huge part of overall health – but why is this? You may be wondering how gut health could impact so many other parts of the body, so let’s take a closer look at these! We can look at the gut as a ‘roundabout’. Roundabouts have multiple exits – these ‘exits’ stemming from the gut are collectively called Axes; and these link to other parts of the body to form a two-way pathway/link from the gut. The main axes are: The Gut-Skin Axis: this pathway connects the gut to the skin, and the skin to the gut. If we start at the gut and work our way to the skin, we can see that poor gut health can cause or exacerbate skin conditions. Going to other way; from skin to gut, we unfortunately have the risk of gut microbiome damage caused by external exposure to toxins, whether they’re from laundry detergents, household cleaning products, external flea and tick medications, or other environmental toxins. The Gut-Joint Axis: this pathway connects the gut to the musculoskeletal system, and the musculoskeletal system to the gut. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can be connected to poor joint health, especially in cases of osteoarthritis due to the increase in inflammation around the joints. In a poorly balanced gut, there is often an increased risk of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inflammatory metabolites being produced, which are the main cause of poor joint health in dogs. The Gut-Brain Axis: this is the bidirectional pathway between the brain and the gut. This pathway has connections both physically, and chemically. In terms of physical connections, the Vagus Nerve is the main avenue for carrying signals between the two locations. Chemically, the healthy gut produces neurotransmitters and hormones, which move between the brain and gut. Mood, response to stress, and digestion are three of the main roles of the gut-brain axis. It is also important to note that around 70-80% of the immune system is found in the gut! Keeping the gut microbiome healthy, and perfectly balanced means the immune system, and therefore overall health of an individual remains stable. Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here What Happens When the Gut Microbiome is Unhealthy? When the Gut Microbiome is unhealthy, a host of health conditions can occur. As previously mentioned, an unhealthy gut microbiome is unbalanced; and this condition is called Gut Dysbiosis. Gut Dysbiosis occurs when the ‘bad microbes’ outweigh the ‘good microbes’. Here’s some health concerns that we see a lot in those with an unhealthy gut microbiome: Food sensitivities: when the gut microbiome is unbalanced, food sensitivities are common due to increased gut permeability; known as Leaky Gut. When the gut integrity is poor, food particles leak into the bloodstream which encourages the body to create an immune response, presenting as food sensitivities. Yeast: yeast cells are naturally present in the gut; they’re called Candida. When Candida is present, and there’s not enough of the good microbes to keep these in check, a yeast infection will often occur. Symptoms include rust coloured paws, ears and groin, cheesy smelling feet, and itching among others. Digestive problems: digestive upset including diarrhoea and vomiting is common in those with an unhealthy gut microbiome, due to the abundance of ‘bad’ microbes and a lack of ‘good’ ones to keep the effects of the bad ones at bay. Many dogs also suffer with Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) which contributes to these symptoms. Bad breath: a lot of owners assume their dog’s bad breath is caused by poor dental hygiene, however this is often not the case. Bad breath can emanate from the gut, in those with poor gut health. When the gut microbiome is unbalanced, the overgrowth of harmful bacteria in the gut results in the production of VSCs; Volatile Sulphur Compounds, which cause bad breath. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): when the gut microbiome is unbalanced, inflammation occurs as a result. This inflammation often leads to chronic inflammatory conditions such as IBD. Other gastrointestinal conditions occur due to this too, however IBD
A question commonly asked by owners, here at My Pet Nutritionist, is ‘how can I boost my dog’s immunity?’, or ‘how do I strengthen my dog’s immune system?’. Well, we’re here to give you some helpful tips on how to strengthen your dog’s immune system – you may be surprised with some of the topics covered, but hopefully you will understand the concepts in this detailed blog post. A healthy immune system is the difference between overall health, and disease, and in many cases, the difference between life or death! We strive to keep our own immune systems strong, and our pets deserve just as much strength in their immune system – they are outside, low to the ground, sniffing public areas barefoot much of the time, after all! The Immune System There are various parts to the immune system as a whole. Generally speaking, when an owner wants to ‘boost the immune system’, it’s the Adaptive (or Acquired) Immune System in question – the immunity gained following seroconversion of vaccinations. Here’s a bit about the Adaptive Immune System, which can be split into two mechanisms: Humoral (antibody mediated) immunity primarily involves B-Lymphocytes. During a humoral immune response, when an antigen is detected, with the help of T Helper Lymphocytes, the B Cells go through a differentiation process, which produces Memory B Cells and Effector B Cells, which are both specific to the B Cell they were differentiated from, and therefore are specifically shaped to combat a specific antigen/pathogen. This is the most common immune response, especially following successful vaccination. Titre Tests pick up these antibodies. Cellular, or cell-mediated immunity involves another type of cell – T-Cells. When T-Cells differentiate, they become T-Killer Cells which attach to and engulf antigens. Allergic responses and autoimmune conditions are part of the cell-mediated adaptive immune system. There are other parts to the overall immune system of a dog, or any other mammal, too. Let’s take a brief look at what these are, and how they differ from the Adaptive Immune System. Active Immunity: this is what is happening when the dog is exposed to a pathogen. The active immune system is the fastest acting system and is the body’s first response to the presence of a pathogen. In the presence of a pathogen, the B-Lymphocytes create and release antibodies. Passive Immunity: this is the immunity passed on to an individual instead of being created by their body. In dogs we call this Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDA). MDA is passed onto the puppies from the mother and is vital to health in the early weeks. It usually wanes between 10 and 16 weeks of age, unless interrupted by vaccination. MDA is passed onto the puppies through the placenta, and through the mothers milk. If a puppy is hand reared, he/she may require extra caution than those who drink mothers milk. Innate (also called non-specific) Immunity: this includes the immunity and defence systems your dog is born with. Barriers like skin, the gastro-intestinal tract, eyelashes etc all help keep pathogens out of the body which is why gut health is so very important – at least 70% of your immune system is in the gut! Defence systems like mucosal layers, saliva, stomach acid etc are also part of the innate immune system. Another immune response included as part of the innate immune system is inflammation – this often acts as a marker to pathogens so they can be destroyed. There are various day-to-day aspects of life, including diet and lifestyle which can affect your dog’s immune capabilities, so let’s dig deeper into these. How Gut Health Affects the Immune System It is becoming more widely known, that 70-80% of the immune system lays in the gut – quite a staggering figure! The all important gut microbiome is naturally perfectly balanced – there are ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ that all make up a healthy gut microbiome, but there’s enough of the ‘good guys’ to keep the ‘bad guys’ under control. When the gut is not healthy, the microbiome is knocked out of balance, and the ‘bad guys’ are able to take over, causing disease within the body. There are various substances, and other triggers such as stress, which cause damage to the gut wall, too. When the gut wall is damaged, the gut microbiome is again, knocked out of balance as it is leaked from the gut (known as Leaky Gut). When the gut is leaking, the immune system is left very vulnerable, so it’s imperative to keep the gut healthy at all times – and if it’s not healthy, focus on getting it healthy! The vast majority of systems in the body are connected to the gut very much like a roundabout. These connections are called axis and there are many, for example, the gut-brain axis, the gut-musculoskeletal axis, the gut-liver axis, and the gut-skin axis. The microbiome communicates with this organ systems by creating messengers and metabolites such as probiotics in order to help support function. This is an emerging area of immunity that science is newly delving into. We will delve into some gut health supplements later on in this blog post. Findings Here Findings Here Gut Guardian How Diet Affects the Immune System The diet plays a large role in gut and immune health. Commercial dry food diets being overly processed do not have the live capacity to nourish the gut microbiome like fresh foods do. Moisture in food is incredibly important for all mammalian species, and dogs are no different. Dry food generally has 6-10% moisture; making it dehydrating to the intestinal tract. We know there are some wondrous foods to feed our dogs to support immunity. Fresh in raw or cooked form is always advisable but there are certain ingredients that we favour as they hold great healing and supportive capabilities. We have a fantastic blog explaining the ingredients we tend to favour, which can be found here. When we look at ingredients, both in kibble and in
Yeast is a problem we see very often here at My Pet Nutritionist. Owners often feel they have run out of options with regards to treating the yeast, so this guide has been made with the goal of helping you overcome yeast; you may just see something missing from your routine which could be the missing piece for success! What Is Yeast? Yeast, as we commonly call it, comes in two forms – Candida; a fungal pathogen, and Malassezia; a skin based hydrophobic yeast. Candida makes up a small portion of a healthy gut microbiome, and is naturally found in the gut, and genital tract. While candida is a very normal part of a healthy gut, if the gut is not kept in tip top condition, it can cause problems. In the healthy gut microbiome, there are good bacteria, and there are bad bacteria. The good bacteria keep the levels of bad bacteria in check, which means the bad bacteria aren’t able to wreak havoc! When the gut is impaired the opportunistic fungal pathogen, candida will take hold, and grow. Now we have too much of the ‘bad guys’ and not enough of the good bacteria to fight it off, and so candida takes over! Once candida has taken over, and the gut is not healed, we start to see the typical yeast symptoms in our pets. Malassezia often happens as a result of environmental allergies, as the skin barrier is damaged, allowing for the formation of yeast on the skin. Much like inside the gut, the skin has it’s own microbiome, in which the bad pathogens are kept in check by the good. When the good pathogens diminish, the bad ones are able to take over! This is something we see in a vast amount of customers who come to us with a dog with environmental allergies. Symptoms include: Rusty colour, mainly between toes and paw pads, ears, under the tail, and around the groin and armpit areas. It can occur in other places too, but these moister areas are prime location for it! Repetitive paw licking Licking under the tail area Ear scratching and head shaking Excessively rubbing face and body on walls and furniture Hair loss An unmistakable odour; much like a damp, cheesy smell, or popcorn-like smell Sometimes discharge is apparent in yeast cases More Information on yeast can be found here. Let’s take a look at how we can help our dogs battle Candida and Malassezia! Battling Yeast When dealing with yeast, there are many contributing lifestyle and nutrition factors, which may need to be tweaked a little, or added to combat the pathogens, and repair both the gut barrier, and the skin barrier. Diet As always, here at My Pet Nutritionist, we are very fresh food forward. Feeding a dog with yeast is no different – one of the main steps to battling yeast, is cutting out dry food as much as possible. A fresh, balanced diet would be your best option whether it’s raw, or homecooked using one of our balanced recipes. Why does diet matter for those suffering from yeast? Let’s take a look at the composition and manufacturing process of dry foods, first and foremost. Kibble is high in carbohydrates: generally speaking, most kibbles are between a whopping 30 and 70% carbohydrates! Carbohydrates are sugars – a fantastic food source for yeast! The canine body struggles to digest carbohydrates often found dry foods, which causes gut inflammation. Kibble is ultra processed: excessive processing causes the food to become inflammatory. When the gut becomes inflamed, damage occurs, which leaves the microbiome vulnerable, and causes imbalances as the bad microbes out compete the good microbes. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) are produced during high heat manufacturing and extrusion of dry foods. AGEs not only speed up the ageing process, but they have many other health disadvantages too, one being that they expand the life of yeast. We need to cut out products which produce AGEs when we are battling yeast! Findings Here Why can fresh feeding help combat yeast? You can tweak the diet to ensure there’s no starchy carbohydrates. Less ‘food’ for the yeast! It’s much easier on the gut, as it’s highly digestible! This means less gut damage and less inflammation. There’s no high temperatures or vigorous processing involved, meaning no AGEs form! What do we need to include in a fresh diet for yeast sufferers? Our recipes for cooked foods are already balanced for you! However if you are raw feeding, you will want to feed 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, 10% secreting offal (half liver, half other secreting offal, preferably!) with the addition of omega 3 sources like raw eggs, fish oils and oily fish, and algal oils. Some vegetables may be suitable to be added to the diet of a yeasty beastie, but we need to be very selective, and very careful which ones we pick! High fibre, low starch veggies are ideal, if tolerated – it’s wise to start off by giving a miniscule amount of plant matter, and gradually building up to 10% plant matter. Some options are broccoli, kale, and cabbage. Try to avoid starchy carbohydrate plants such as sweet potato, carrot and squash. Supplements There are so many supplements on the market these days – it can feel quite daunting selecting the most suitable ones for your pet. Some are better than others when it comes to battling yeast. Gut healing: gut healing supplements are very important – in order to regain balance in the gut microbiome, we want the gut to be in a good, healthy, and strong state. Mucilage herbs are our friend here! Slippery Elm, Marshmallow Root and Deglycyrrhizinated Liquorice are all great for this purpose! Gut Guardian Probiotics: probiotics are essential for yeast sufferers, as they help to rebalance the gut microbiome, by out competing the bad bacteria, which in turn will aid the recovery of the skin barrier. Once there are sufficient levels of good bacteria, the ratio
Immunity is no doubt at the forefront of most pet owner’s minds. Everyone wants their pets to live a long and healthy life, so keeping a strong immune system is essential. Here at My Pet Nutritionist, we help many pet owners through their own experiences of disease in their pets, so we thought we would put together this blog on the cornerstones for a strong immune system in your pets. 1. Gut Health Gut health is key to general health of all species, whether it be human, canine, feline, or even smaller furry pets! Virtually all aspects of health can be improved through good gut heath. Around 70% of the immune system is found in the gut! Quite a staggering figure, but a very important fact to keep in mind when it comes to our pets’ health. In an unhealthy gut, the immune system becomes massively impaired, leading to a potential multitude of health issues, including those allergy dogs we so often help here at My Pet Nutritionist. Many things can damage the gut, including chemical flea and worm treatments, poor diets which are processed and/or high in ingredients containing lectin, contact with household and garden chemicals and much more. It’s imperative to gut health, to feed fresh, and limit the exposure to all toxins! Using a mucilage herb for those with damaged guts, helps to heal the gut; these include slippery elm, marshmallow root, and deglycyrrhised liquorice. Teaming these with a probiotic allows the gut to flourish, as a damaged gut will leak the good bacteria which forms a large part of the immune system. Gut Guardian 2. Methylation DNA Methylation is a very important chemical process within the body. This process includes the chemical modification of DNA during replication of cells. Gene expression can be altered through methylation too. So, why is this process an important part of keeping the immune system strong? Various malignant cells, including those for lymphoid cells (produces immune cells B, T and NK) and myeloid cells (related health issues, such as Mast Cells) replicate through a process called hematopoiesis, making these cells ‘hematopoietic stem cells’ (HSCs). Myeloid cells are not ones we want replicating in the body, as they can lead to various types of tumour. Here’s where the process of Methylation comes in to play! Methylation has the ability to regulate HSC differentiation – in other words, it reduces the risk of the Myeloid cells replicating, and forming tumours, but increases differentiation of lymphoid cells. For more information on the types of cells involved in immune responses, read our blog here! Findings Here Findings Here Findings Here 3. Healthy Brain and Endocrine System The Endocrine System is what keeps the body’s organs in good health, through homeostasis. The endocrine system and immune system used to be thought to work independently from one another, but more recently, it was discovered that the two systems work hand in hand to keep the body healthy, and control infection. The immune system uses a mixture of immune receptors and cytokines to fight infection, and the endocrine system uses hormones to regulate metabolism in the body’s organs. As an example, one of the most important regulations aided by both systems, is the metabolism of glucose. Insulin is produced by the endocrine system to regulate glucose levels in the blood, and helps the body to fight infection. Cytokines aid the body during glucose spikes by increasing responsiveness of the peripheral organs to the endocrine system. When the organ becomes more responsive to the signals from the endocrine system, greater amounts of the required hormone can be produced. The brain produces so many important hormones for health of the body, and to help fight a variety of infections, so it is important to keep the brain healthy and free from inflammation. Supplementing your pet’s diet with plenty of omega 3 is a great way to keep inflammation down. To read more about the endocrine system, and the importance of hormones, read our blog here! Findings Here Findings Here 4. Circulation and Lymphatics The lymphatic and circulatory systems are an important part of immunity, and keeping the immune system strong. The lymphatic system is responsible for draining excess fluid from bodily tissues, removing cellular waste, absorption of fat soluble vitamins from dietary sources, and helping to fight infections. The circulatory system works with the lymphatic system to transport the cellular waste and excess fluid around the body, and away from the relative organs. The interstitial fluid (found between tissues) is what provides the body’s cells with important nutrients, and a way of removing any waste from the cells. The lymphatic system acts as a taxi for antigens and antigen-presenting cells to transport them through the body to places of infection. This enables the antigens to fight the infection in question, and expel waste. Findings Here Findings Here 5. Detoxification Finally, detoxification is essential for immune health. The body is exposed to a host of toxins, just by going through daily life. We live, generally, in a very toxic world, so detoxifying the body is essential. Detoxification aids methylation, which as discussed above, is a very important process for a strong immune system. Liver Guard Heavy metals can be picked up and consumed very easily in our pets – traces can be found in food, and heavy metals are also in abundance in vaccinations. Those who have received vaccinations during their lives, whether only one has been given at an appropriate age as a puppy, or they’re given regularly (if given regularly, over vaccination occurs, making the risk of vaccinosis higher; read more here) the likelihood that your pet has heavy metals in the bloodstream is high. Heavy metals disrupt metabolic functions in vital organs, as well as reducing the ability to efficiently absorb vitamins and minerals from dietary sources. Detoxification can be achieved through feeding a fresh, preferably organic diet, minimising exposure to environmental and veterinary toxins, occasionally offering Epsom salt baths, supplementing the diet with milk thistle (this
Immunity – a word we hear so often in the health and diet industry. The basis of health all around. It can be very much a ‘rabbit hole’ subject, because the further you look into it, the deeper you research. It can be a confusing topic at best, so here at My Pet Nutritionist, we have put together this handy guide on things that can affect immunity. What is Immunity? Immunity is the ability to be resistant to a pathogen or infectious disease. Immunity can be gained naturally (through careful socialisation), by exposure to the pathogen, or through the use of vaccinations. There are various mechanisms of immunity, which we will briefly outline below: Active Immunity This is what is happening when the dog is exposed to a pathogen. The active immune system is the fastest acting system and is the body’s first response to the presence of a pathogen. In the presence of a pathogen, the B-Lymphocytes create and release antibodies. Passive Immunity This is the immunity passed on to an individual instead of being created by their body. In dogs we call this Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDA). MDA is passed onto the puppies from the mother and is vital to health in the early weeks. It usually wanes between 10 and 16 weeks of age, unless interrupted by vaccination. MDA is passed onto the puppies through the placenta, and through the mothers milk. If a puppy is hand reared, he/she may require extra caution than those who drink mothers milk. Innate (also called non-specific) Immunity This is immunity and defence systems your dog is born with. Barriers like skin, the gastro-intestinal tract, eyelashes etc all help keep pathogens out of the body which is why gut health is so very important – at least 70% of your immune system is in the gut! Defence systems like mucosal layers, saliva, stomach acid etc are also part of the innate immune system. Another immune response included as part of the innate immune system is inflammation – this often acts as a marker to pathogens so they can be destroyed. Adaptive (or Acquired) Immunity This is the immunity gained following seroconversion of vaccinations, or through natural build up of immunity. The Adaptive Immune System can be separated into two mechanisms. Humoral (antibody mediated) immunity This primarily involves B-Lymphocytes. During a humoral immune response, when an antigen is detected, with the help of T Helper Lymphocytes, the B Cells go through a differentiation process, which produces Memory B Cells and Effector B Cells, which are both specific to the B Cell they were differentiated from, and therefore are specifically shaped to combat a specific antigen/pathogen. This is the most common immune response, especially following successful vaccination. Titre Tests pick up these antibodies. Cellular, or cell-mediated immunity This involves another type of cell – T-Cells. When T-Cells differentiate, they become T-Killer Cells which attach to and engulf antigens. Allergic responses and autoimmune conditions are part of the cell-mediated adaptive immune system. So, let’s discuss some of the factors which affect immunity. Genetics Genetics play a large role in immune responses. If a dog comes from lines of ‘breeding stock’ affected by genetic health issues which affect the immune system, it is very likely they will also carry the genes. There are many ‘pathways’ in the genome (all of the body’s DNA), which contribute to various bodily functions. Studies around genetics and the link with the immune system mainly focus on the Toll Pathway, which in vertebrate animals, is all about inflammation. Inflammation occurs in response to infection or virus. The Toll pathway helps to regulate inflammation in the body by triggering the release of antimicrobial peptides in response to challenge. When the pathway is downregulated by SUMOylation (a protein which prepares cells for transcription, DNA binding, and replication), it misfires; this can lead to greater inflammatory response. Findings Here The domestication of dogs has also contributed to genetic immune function issues – going from hunting to having food served to them, going from a natural diet to, in many cases, a commercially prepared diet are both factors which over time, alter genetics. Survival of the fittest, and selective breeding will bring these altered genes out in litters, which then continue for future generations. In many breeds, the gene pool is very small, which also leads to larger affects on the immune system. Findings Here Pregnancy and Birth During pregnancy, many changes occur in the mother’s body. Hormones strengthen and change, the body physically changes, milk production begins, and the immune system takes a beating in order to produce a healthy litter, at the same time as keeping healthy herself. During pregnancy, the immune priorities are changed. It’s a common misconception that during pregnancy there is a time of immunosuppression; what actually happens, is the innate immune system strengthens, in order to provide the puppies with great physical barriers, but there is a reduction in the adaptive immune system, particularly later in the pregnancy, which is why many bitches suffer with itching or yeast toward the end of the pregnancy, and shortly after giving birth. Finding Here During birthing, the neonatal puppy’s innate immune system comes into full force, as it goes from being protected in the womb/uterus, to being completely open to the environment, including various pathogens. The Maternally Derived Antibodies will now be viable too, to help protect the puppy against viruses in the environment. Findings Here If the MDA is interrupted by early vaccination, this can leave the puppy more vulnerable to disease, so it’s incredibly important to understand when the best time to vaccinate is, if using vaccines for your puppy. That leads us nicely on to toxin exposure. Toxin Exposure There are so many toxins our pets are exposed to on a regular basis, both through some veterinary pharmaceuticals, and through household products in the environment. These toxins can have a largely detrimental effect on the dog’s immunity. Vaccinations While we are not against vaccinations here at
Dogs can be vaccinated against many things, including Kennel Cough, as it’s not a core vaccination many owners often wonder whether their dog should be. Let’s take a look at kennel cough in a little more detail and some data around the vaccination. What is Kennel Cough? Kennel cough is a broad term covering any infectious or contagious condition of dogs where coughing is one of the main symptoms. Several viruses and bacteria can cause kennel cough, and often at the same time. They include (but are not limited to): Adenovirus type-2 (distinct from the adenovirus type 1 that causes infectious hepatitis), Parainfluenza virus Bordetella bronchiseptica. The coinfection of these pathogens, among others, manifests as CIRD and they act synergistically to cause respiratory illness. Kennel Cough: A Natural Guide What Does The Vaccine Do? The smallpox vaccine was introduced in 1796 after Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who had previously caught cow pox didn’t catch smallpox. The idea was that exposure to killed or weakened virus/bacteria that cause disease can prime the immune response, but it doesn’t actually make the host sick. So, vaccinations allow the host to develop immunity without having to suffer the disease. This is the basic premise of the kennel cough vaccine – or any vaccine your dog may have for that matter. Sadly, it’s not quite as cut and dry as it sounds. There is increasing evidence that over-vaccination is associated with the development or aggravation of immune-mediated disorders and chronic diseases in individual pets that are genetically predisposed. This raises a particularly interesting element that has perhaps been missed when developing the blanket vaccination schedules for our pets. Twin studies in humans have demonstrated there is a clear genetic role in vaccine response. A growing list of genes have been associated with immune related functions critical to immunological response and much data is concluding it is the status of these genes that is key to immune response. Human data is highlighting that this is one of the reasons vaccines can either elicit partial, complete or failure to protect individuals treated under the same conditions. This would also suggest that the opposite is therefore true; gene status could elicit partial or complete adverse reaction, or hopefully failure to demonstrate adverse reaction. This is likely understood in the canine world to some extent because most vaccines are advised as safe for healthy dogs but not those with a compromised immune system, and this applies to the kennel cough vaccine for dogs. Is the Kennel Cough Vaccine Effective? One study of 972 dogs found that the kennel cough vaccine was around 20% effective in reducing coughing compared with a placebo vaccine. Findings Here In addition, another study demonstrated that between 40-60% of all dogs who suffered with kennel cough, had a history of vaccination. Findings Here However, other studies regularly report a 100% effectiveness rate. A literature review from 1977-2014 explored all relevant studies on the kennel cough vaccines and concluded that questions around the longevity of vaccine induced immunity and the prevalence of natural exposure on immunity remained largely unanswered. They also suggested that many studies into the vaccine are flawed. Whilst researchers seemingly disagree on the effectiveness of the vaccine, they continue to ask whether the live attenuated vaccine and its shedding contributes to exposure and therefore herd immunity? On the other side of this scale, could it be contributing to levels of the pathogens in the environment and fuelling further infections? It is well known that the kennel cough vaccine can shed for around 6 weeks after administration after all. Is the Kennel Cough Vaccine Safe? There are side effects reported after administration of the kennel cough vaccine including: Sneezing, Coughing, Nasal discharge, Lethargy, Fever, Discomfort at vaccination site. We must also consider the risk of vaccinosis. Check out our blog here for more information: Vaccinosis in Pets Whilst researchers are still disagreeing on the effectiveness of the vaccine, they all agree that prevention is better than cure. Largely because most healthy dogs recover uneventfully. There may be concerns if poorly or elderly dogs catch kennel cough, but even if we were to consider a vaccine here, like all data sheets suggest, a vaccine should only be administered to healthy dogs anyway. Can I titre test for Kennel Cough? A titre test is a simple blood test which establishes the levels of existing antibodies in the blood. Antibodies are produced when an antigen provokes a response from the immune system. This response can be from natural exposure or a previous vaccination. The issue is that kennel cough can be caused by a number of bacteria or viruses; often at the same time, so a titre test is little use in this case. So, Should I Vaccinate My Dog Against Kennel Cough? The choice is ultimately up to you, but we would ask the following questions to help you decide? Is the vaccine safe? Is the vaccine effective? Is your dog at risk of catching it? Is your dog healthy? You can also learn more about vaccinations in general in our blog here: Everything You Need to Know About Vaccinations Preventing Kennel Cough The best weapon in your arsenal is to support your dog’s immune function as much as possible. If they have a well-developed and mature immune system they are better able to fight threats. Your Pet’s Immune System Do We Need To Boost Our Pet’s Immune System? 10 Top Foods For Your Dog’s Immunity If you would like some support with your pet’s health, then check out our services to see how we can help. Thanks for reading, MPN Team
It can feel like we are bombarded with information to boost our immune function, and as immune system health is key to survival, this seems like something we should be interested in. We also talk about immune responses a lot here at My Pet Nutritionist, so should we be boosting our pet’s immune systems too? What if we told you that immune boosting isn’t really something we want to do? Read on to find out why we believe immune boosting is a myth. The Immune System When the body is invaded by bacteria, a virus or parasites, an immune alarm goes off, setting off a chain reaction of cellular activity in the immune system. Specific cells are deployed to help attack the invading pathogen. Those cells often do the job, and the invader is destroyed. But sometimes, when the body needs a more sophisticated attack, it turns to a more specialised set of cells. These cells are like the special ops of the immune system—a line of defence that uses past behaviours and interactions to tell it exactly how to deal with the threat. The immune system is responsible for all of this, and not surprisingly is has many systems to mobilise action. We tend to explore the immune system in terms of innate immunity and adaptive or acquired immunity. Innate immunity is what everyone is born with – it’s a type of general protection. Acquired (adaptive or specific) immunity is not present at birth. It is learned. It’s easy to consider the immune system as an “us against the germ” fight, it’s also easy to think of the immune system as binary. There are either threats, or there aren’t. But how do we figure out what aren’t threats? This is where the concept of immune tolerance comes in. Immune Tolerance Immune tolerance is an active state of unresponsiveness to specific antigens in an effort to prevent destructive over-reactivity of the immune system. It prevents an immune response to antigens produced by the body itself or recognised from a prior encounter. It’s Evolutionary Immune tolerance is an evolutionary benefit – mounting an immune response is resource demanding, and sometimes brings some collateral damage with it. If tolerating an antigen conserves resources and doesn’t result in overt threat or damage, then it makes biological sense to do so. There are two types of immune tolerance: self-tolerance and induced tolerance. Self-tolerance refers to the ability of the immune system to recognize and therefore not respond to self-produced antigens. If the immune system loses this ability, the body can start to attack its own cells, which may cause an autoimmune disease. Induced tolerance occurs when the immune system actively avoids responding to an external antigen. This tolerance is induced by previous encounters with that antigen. Immune tolerance mechanisms are separated into two categories: central tolerance and peripheral tolerance. Central tolerance occurs during lymphocyte development in the thymus and bone marrow. In short, if any developing T or B cells become reactive to self, they are eliminated. Peripheral tolerance mechanisms occur after mature lymphocytes are released into the lymph nodes or other tissues. When T cells that are reactive-to-self escape into the periphery, this mechanism ensures they are either deleted or they become functionally unresponsive to the antigen. The Immune System as A Seesaw We can think of the immune system as a seesaw and immune responses need to be balanced. Immune tolerance helps balance the seesaw as our pet’s make their way through life. It is different from non-specific immunosuppression and immunodeficiency. Immune tolerance prevents inflammatory reactions to many innocuous airborne and food allergens found at mucosal surfaces (and more). How is Immune Tolerance Developed? Immune tolerance is only induced via exposure to the antigen in question and it is thought that the timing of this exposure is crucial. This is where the hygiene hypothesis has been largely considered. The Hygiene Hypothesis Early exposure to a diverse range of “friendly” microbes—not infectious pathogens—is necessary to train the immune system to react appropriately. The immune system is like a computer; it has software, but it needs data. The microbial ecosystem in various mucosal sites is important for the development of the immune system. The young gastrointestinal tract is colonised soon after birth by a variety of commensal bacteria that influence the development of the immune response both in the gut and systemically. The mucosal immune system in the gut must avoid adverse immune responses to dietary antigens and commensals in the new microbial ecosystem while remaining able to mount an effector response to pathogenic organisms. In an ideal world, our pets will develop a heathy immune system, and they will have sufficient immune tolerance but also eliminate threats when necessary. But we don’t always live in an ideal world, and so loss of tolerance, along with excessive tolerance can occur. Loss of Tolerance Loss of tolerance results in an overt immune response. This could be in the case of allergy, but also autoimmunity. T and B lymphocytes are key players for immune responses, and during the T and B lymphocyte differentiation process, the regulation of each progression step is influenced by a potent network of transcription factors specific for each cellular state. Recent studies indicate that both T and B lymphocyte development are under epigenetic regulations which suggests a genetic consideration in immune function, but that modifiable lifestyle changes could influence gene expression. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet rays, infections, nutrition, and chemicals, also participate in the pathogenesis of both allergies and autoimmunity. Excessive Tolerance Excessive tolerance may lead to invasion by microorganisms or parasites, or to development of cancer. The Immunity Boosting Myth This idea of immune tolerance is in opposition to immune boosting. Ideally, we want an immune seesaw. We want responses to be balanced to whatever they are facing, not boosted and over-zealous and likewise, not lazy! We want an immune system that has 20/20 vision. So, how do we support this in our pets? Exposure to bugs – let
When we take on a dog, we make it our life mission to keep them healthy and happy; but this isn’t always easy. In an age of information, it can get confusing what to do for the best, so here at My Pet Nutritionist, we thought we’d pop together the top 5 mistakes dog owners can make which compromises health. 1) Over-Vaccinating There is no doubt that vaccination has been progressive in public health concerns, for both humans and pets, but they were never meant to make the host sick. For a number of reasons, the current vaccinations schedule for our pets, is. There is increasing evidence that over-vaccination is associated with the development or aggravation of immune-mediated disorders and chronic diseases in individual pets that are genetically predisposed. This is where titre testing can be useful. A titre is a simple blood test which establishes the levels of existing antibodies in the blood. Antibodies are produced when an antigen provokes a response from the immune system. This response can be from natural exposure or a previous vaccination. A positive test indicates that the patient does have protective levels of antibodies. A negative test indicates that the patient does not have protective levels of circulating antibody. However, it is worth noting here that a negative test result does not indicate susceptibility to disease. On the whole, test correlation with protection is fair to good. Canine adenovirus, distemper virus and parvovirus all correlate well. Feline calicivirus is fair to good, whereas herpesvirus is fair. Feline parvovirus correlates well. Findings Here Titre tests are routinely used to establish the efficacy of rabies vaccination for pet travel schemes. Findings Here These outcomes particularly shine when you compare them to the suspected adverse reactions for vaccination in small animals. Findings Here Titre testing is like checking your fuel gauge before you leave home. You want to make sure you have enough fuel to get to where you need to go. Why not check your dog needs a vaccine before you actually give it? Vaccinosis: Damage Vaccinations Can Cause Your Pet 2) Not Feeding A Fresh Food Diet Dogs are facultative carnivores. This means they thrive on a meat-based diet. Every cell in the body requires energy to carry out its role. Without getting caught up in biology 101, there are a number of cycles that occur in the body to produce energy. Dogs have this nifty ability to use this process known as gluconeogenesis – this produces glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. Dogs have a great capacity for using fat for energy. Not only do they reap the energy rewards from nutrients, but meat in it’s whole-food form contains a number of micronutrients which support body function. Why Does My Dog Need Minerals The issue with over-processed food is that it often becomes nutrient deplete during the process, and so, synthetic nutrients are added back in – makes a little more sense to offer them in their whole-food form in the first place doesn’t it? In addition, food is only as useful as its constituents; it all needs to be digested. Dogs have evolved on a whole-food diet for thousands of years, so their digestive system has figured out how to deal with it. It also makes sense to feed the system something it knows how to work its magic on doesn’t it? Why Dry Food Is Not Good For Your Pets What Is The Best Kind Of Pet Food 3) Using Toxic Chemicals in Your Home and Garden Every day, ours and our pet’s bodies are exposed to toxins. They are produced internally in the body, like lactic acid, and consist of waste products from gut microbes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. But the largest threat is possibly those external toxins, like air pollution, chemicals from cleaning products and volatile organic compounds from the plug-in air diffuser in your lounge. It is thought that in the 25 years between 1970 and 1995, the volume of synthetic organic chemicals produced tripled from about 50 million tonnes to approximately 150 million tons, and this number has grown year on year since. Findings Here Data way back in 2008 reported that dogs have perfluorochemicals in their systems 2.4 times higher than humans, and cats have fire retardant particles in their systems 23.4 times higher than humans. We can only imagine how this has panned out over recent years. The Environmental Working Group found that dogs and cats are contaminated with 48 out of 70 industrial chemicals found in plastics, food packaging, heavy metals, fire retardants and stain-proofing chemicals. In dogs, the findings established: Contamination with 11 carcinogens Contamination with 31 chemicals toxic to reproductive health Contamination with 23 neurotoxins Exposure included: Dog food bag coatings House dust Stain-proofed furniture Medications/pesticides Dog beds Carpets Plastic toys Shampoos Findings Here Check out our other blogs on how to avoid this and also ways to help! Does My Pet Need To Detox Is Your Toxic Home Affecting Your Pet 4) Overuse of Medications Whilst medications are lifesaving, there are often cases of overuse. Antibiotics are commonly inappropriately prescribed which can have long lasting effects on the health of your dog’s gut. Broad-spectrum antibiotics are exactly that – they take all the bugs (both the bad and the good). There is also the increasing concern around antibiotic resistance; this is when a microbe becomes more or fully resistant to antimicrobials which could previously treat it. For this reason, the EMA “is promoting the prudent use of antimicrobials in animals.” Source NSAIDs are also increasingly overused. During the inflammatory response, certain enzymes catalyse the production of compounds which cause pain, redness, and heat. NSAIDs work by blocking the activity of these enzymes and so inhibit the response. But these same enzymes, like many in the body don’t just carry out that role. They are also protective of the stomach mucosa for example, which means when you take out that enzyme, you also take out a layer of mucosal protection! This is why chronic
Here at My Pet Nutritionist, we get asked about vaccines a lot. We have plenty of data and scientific, validated research on the core DHP vaccines, but then we have the supposed concern of Leptosporosis, so here is our presentation of the facts. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection with around 250 serovars. It affects dogs, most mammals and marsupials and even humans. Leptospirosis can be found worldwide but is most prevalent in warm humid countries that experience heavy rain fall. The bacteria can be found in puddles, stagnant water and moist soil that has been infected by the urine of an infected animal. Leptospirosis is transmitted by drinking infected water, through open wounds and through mucus membranes like the eyes and nose. Symptoms can range from mild, subclinical infection with little to no symptoms at all, to multi-organ failure and in some cases death. Signs of leptospirosis are fever, muscle tenderness, vomiting, diarrhoea and jaundice to liver and kidney failure. In 80-90% of cases, leptospirosis is treatable with doxycycline. Low Phosphorus Beef {br} The leptospirosis vaccine is made by Nobivac MSD animal health, a subsidiary of Merck. There are two vaccines available, Nobivac Lepto 2 which covers two serovars and Nobivac Lepto 4, that covers four serovars. We must note that the L3 serovars is not found in the U.K., so one quarter of the vaccine is totally unnecessary. Vaccinating dose not prevent your dog from getting leptospirosis, it is only meant to lessen the severity of the illness. Interestingly a post vaccination survey done by Canine health concern, observed and analysed the history of over 3,800 dogs post vaccination, found that every single dog in the study with leptospirosis, contracted it within three months of the vaccination, which begs the question are we reducing the severity or actually making our dogs more susceptible to it!? Findings here In a 2007 study completed before the availability of the Lepto 4 vaccination, 1,241 healthy dogs, some of whom had been vaccinated and some had not, found that 24.9% of dogs had antibodies 1-6 different serovars. This shows these dogs had natural exposure to these serovars and had built some natural immunity to them. Findings here In cases of the vaccinated dogs, some showed antibodies up to 1,745 days after vaccination. Is this from the vaccination? If so, why are we annually vaccinating? If not, is this from natural exposure? If so, why is it necessary to vaccinate? In 2013, Christopher Ball from Liverpool university wrote his thesis on leptospirosis. This was funded by MSD the manufacturer of Nobivac leptospirosis vaccine. A questionnaire was sent out to 472 vet clinics all around the U.K.. They were asked how many cases of leptospirosis had been seen in the last 12 month’s. 89 clinic’s returned the the questionnaire, the majority reported no cases at all in the last twelve months, only 13 of the practises reported a case within the last twelve months, of which only 3 had been confirmed by laboratory test. None of the practises in the study reported suspecting or confirming two or more cases of leptospirosis in the previous 12 months to the study. With these figures, we need to ask ourselves how prevalent leptospirosis is in the U.K.? And does it really warrant the risks associated with the vaccine? Gut Guardian We may need to look to other means for evidence of adverse reactions, there has been a Facebook group set up called “Novibac Lepto 4 -our experiences” with 35,000 members and growing. Some of whom are professionals all sharing their experiences of this vaccine. There are some extremely harrowing and heartbreaking stories in the this Facebook group. The manufacturer’s of the vaccine and some professionals will say these stories are anecdotal, this may be so, but it reaches a point when ‘coincidence’ can’t be ignored when so many of the same stories are being shared. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) say that leptospirosis is not a core vaccine and in 2013 Christopher Day said in his thesis due to the perceived low rates of infection in the U.K., the leptospirosis vaccine is not considered a core vaccine, yet recently the BSAVA (British Small Animal Veterinary Association) made it a core vaccination. We would like to know what research and data this is based off. Leptospirosis is a killed vaccine (not live) and therefore contains adjuvants such as mercury and aluminium hydroxide, to stimulate the immune response when the vaccine is administered. This may potentially make it more dangerous in terms of adverse immune events in some dogs. Adverse reactions can be instant or within 7 days of administration. Symptoms can be anything from, sickness, diarrhoea, welts and swelling at the injection site, swollen glands, hives to anaphylactic shock, seizures, auto immune responses and even death. Vaccinosis however, is a disease resulting from a vaccination. This can occur many weeks and even months after the vaccine has been administered, hence why it can be difficult to get a vet to acknowledge and report adverse reactions. Leptospirosis is a zooatonic infection which means we can contract it from other animals. Lepto is known as weils disease in humans and we are often led to believe (from our vets) that it’s very important to vaccinate our dogs due to the risk of leptospirosis to ourselves and our families. However, on the NHS website it say ‘it’s very rare” to contract leptospirosis from our pets. When we take into consideration the low number of cases of leptospirosis, in Christopher Days study, and the fact the NHS have said its very rare to contract it off our pets, this would defiantly go against the consideration of this vaccination for our dogs. Findings here Health and safety executive .gov.uk say there is are around 50 cases of weils (Lepto) disease in the U.K. per year, out of a population of 65 million people. Some of those cases are brought back from abroad, its treated with antibiotics and there is no
Autoimmune disease, irritable bowel disorders, lupus, thyroid issues, eisonophilic skin disorders, chronic skin disease and allergic dermatitis, not a list any owner wants to pair with their pet, but sadly all of these diseases can be vaccine-related conditions. We can identify them as vaccine related conditions because symptoms are concomitant with vaccination date. We deem this reaction as vaccinosis. And sadly, it is far more prevalent than we could even imagine. At MPN, we see the correlation of vaccination and disease in many of our clients. So let’s take a look at where we started, and how we ended up in such dire straights. The smallpox vaccine was introduced in 1796 after Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids who had previously caught cow pox didn’t catch smallpox. The idea was that exposure to killed or weakened virus/bacteria that cause disease can prime the immune response, but it doesn’t actually make the host sick. So, vaccinations allow the host to develop immunity without having to suffer the disease. To this end, smallpox is now declared eradicated. There is no doubt that vaccination has been progressive in public health concerns, for both humans and pets, but they were never meant to make the host sick. For a number of reasons, the current vaccinations schedule for our pets, is. There is increasing evidence that over-vaccination is associated with the development or aggravation of immune-mediated disorders and chronic diseases in individual pets that are genetically predisposed. This raises a particularly interesting element that has perhaps been missed when developing the blanket vaccination schedules for our pets. Twin studies, in humans have demonstrated there is a clear genetic role in vaccine response. A growing list of genes have been associated with immune related functions critical to immunological response and much data is concluding it is the status of these genes that is key to immune response. Human data is highlighting that this is one of the reasons vaccines can either elicit partial, complete or failure to protect individuals treated under the same conditions. This would also suggest that the opposite is therefore true; gene status could elicit partial or complete adverse reaction, or hopefully failure to demonstrate adverse reaction. Genes are a set of instructions and there are a number of factors that can affect how they are expressed. This is likely understood in the canine world to some extent because most vaccines are advised as safe for healthy dogs but not those with a compromised immune system. So, what constitutes a compromised immune system? The primary role of the immune system in dogs is to protect against foreign invaders, or abnormal cells that invade or attack. The immune system must distinguish between self and non-self. Substances that stimulate a response are antigens. These can be contained within bacteria, viruses or microorganisms or cancer cells. They may also exist on their own, like pollen or food particles. There are three lines of defence, physical barriers, non specific immunity and specific immunity. Physical barriers are the first line of defence, they include the skin, the cornea of the eye and the membranes lining the respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive tracts. The key is to keep these barriers unbroken. These barriers are also defended by bacteria and secretions that contain enzymes that can destroy harmful bacteria. Examples include eye tears, secretions in the digestive tract and the microbiome in the gut. Nonspecific immunity should be present at birth; it treats all foreign substances in the same way. Inflammation results in white blood cells travelling into tissues to kill invading organisms and remove injured cells. Specific immunity is acquired and developed as the immune system encounters different antigens, it learns the best way to attack and develops a memory for that specific antigen. It takes time to develop a response, but in future encounters, the response is more rapid. Specific immunity involves the action of lymphocytes (B and T cells), antibodies, antigen presenting cells and cytokines. Most vaccines work by stimulating the development of specific immunity. But the immune system does not always function properly, it can be underactive and overactive. An underactive system puts the animal at risk of infection, but an overactive immune system can attack parts of its body that it misidentifies as being foreign. This is what happens in autoimmune conditions. The immune system can also overreact and produce too many antibodies or other chemicals; these are what we see as hypersensitivity or allergic reactions. Not only do we have to ensure the physical barriers remain healthy, but we also must ensure that responses are just right. We know that genes play a role in this, but so does the environment your dog (exposure to toxins, chemicals and pesticides etc) alongside nutrition. Each cell in every body uses chemical reactions to build some of the materials that it needs, converting substances provided by the diet into other chemicals necessary for normal functioning. This is why the immune system has its own micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) requirements. For example, Vitamin A helps to maintain structural and functional integrity of mucosal cells in innate barriers like the skin and respiratory tract, Vitamin D stimulates immune cell proliferation and cytokine production, helping to protect against infection, B12 has roles in natural killer cell functions just as folate maintains natural killer cells. Many micronutrients play a role in protecting against reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species which are produced when pathogens are killed by immune cells. Findings here So, there are many things that can compromise an immune system, which also informs whether the dog is a candidate for vaccination and indeed subsequent and frequent booster vaccinations. Signs your Dog may have a compromised immune system: Tiredness/lethargy Increased stress levels Digestive issues Slow healing wounds Frequent infections (eyes, ears etc) Delayed growth/development Skin sensitivities/allergies Joint stiffness and disease Other diagnosed disease If your dog is suffering with any pre-existing health conditions, it pays to consider titre testing. No animal should be vaccinated with a compromised immune system.
