I ran across this website of a "breeder" that took an all natural approach to raising and breeding Golden Retrievers. She only ever does the rabies vaccine with her dogs and never anything else. Read what she has to say about it under the Limited Vaccines tab...I have not really heard of this but I don't think its good. Seems like a way to allow sickness and disease to run wild.

Limited Vaccinations | www.golden-Pawprints.com | Ellen Welk

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Any one have opinions on this?

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I think the no-vaccine approach is just wrong, and dangerous to the unvaccinated dog as well as puppies, etc that it may be exposed to. She is counting on herd immunity to keep the unvaccinated dogs safe, and that does not always work-witness the current parvo epidemic in parts of Texas.

Growing up, I had an aunt who was too busy and too thoughtless to get my young cousin vaccinated. He died of whooping cough, wholly preventable had he been vaccinated.

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Linda
Tahnee Golden Retrievers

I agree with Tahnee ... while I am a limited vaccine person and try to breed as naturally as possible I do not agree with this approach at all. I know several breeders in the Northeast who are taking this approach of no vaccines. I am very uncomfortable with this extreme approach these diseases come from somewhere and only through vaccination have we gotten them under control. This is not to say that we should be overvaccinating but there is a balance....

I personally don't want my dogs around these unvaccinated dogs

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Shalva and the Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhound
Milbrose Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds

I can only imagine how terrible the dying experience must be for a dog dying from heartworms.

Like any cult, I think there's a nugget of truth in what they're saying (some sort of appeal to nature is a good thing), but when an outbreak occurs, the least prepared are the first to die, and I think the "all natural" approach is no exception.

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-Tim

"The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind." (Theodorus Gaza)

Thank y'all for you replies. I agree, it sounds no bueno! And I wouldn't want my dog around unvaccinated dogs either. When I saw the part about not vaccinating I was like, "Okay, that's different but I'll go with it" and then I saw the part about no heartworm prevention and was like NO NO NO! I had a dog die from heartworms a long time ago and it was awful! And completely preventable. And if a dog is not on heart worm prevention he is VERY likely to get it!

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What is your approach to limited vaccines? I haven't heard of it. What vaccines would you be limiting? Thanks for your reply. I am curious about your response to this question...

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Dr. Dodds has a limited vaccination protocol. That was the protocol I followed for Molly.

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Hmm I didn't see much difference in that and what I'm used to. 2-3 puppy shots, rabies. Then at one year another booster and a 3 year rabies. Sorry, I may not see it but what's the difference?

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Okay, i see. He's not recommending vaccines that the diseases aren't prominent.

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