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Friday 29 December 2017

Fat Momma Cruz!



Mary Ann


It appears we are expecting a fairly large litter of puppies! By the size of Cruz, she probably is having around 8 and she still has almost 3 weeks before the whelping! I hope she doesn't have more than is healthy for her. But that's where I come in I guess. She is due in January on the 15th. Please send your thoughts and prayers for an easy delivery and for the health of Mom & pups. Congratulations to all those who have a deposit in! You are the lucky few!

Monday 11 December 2017

Hoping for puppies January 15th

Cruz was bred to Rommel and we are hoping we will be welcoming a precious litter of puppies into this world around January the 15th.  All we can do now is wait and see if we will be blessed.  Keep your fingers crossed everyone!

Saturday 2 December 2017

Seat Covers


I had an idea several years ago. I love my dogs sitting on the couch with me. But they were so hard on the leather with their nails and dirt. One day I was looking at the couch remembering the salesman stating how thick the leather was. You could purchase couches depending on how thick the leather was. With thicker being more expensive. It occurred to me "why don't I just get more leather?"  I went to Tandy's leather shop in Calgary and bought 2 full pieces of tanned hide that were on sale for half price because they had a few imperfections. I could have bought colours that matched the couch if I had gone back from time to time or if I wanted to pay full price but considering the long drive I opted for the lighter colour.  I've had these covers for about 3 years now and they are standing up well to the abuse. I pull them off when company comes and my couches look good underneath.  And it only cost $150. 

Mary Ann


Wednesday 29 November 2017

Zulu Graduates Intermediate Obedience !

My Computer Crashed!

My sincere apologies for those people waiting to hear back from me. Somehow I ZAPPED my computer with static electricity and everything went black!! Not a good feeling! I had to take it in to the Geeks at Best Buy to have them recover everything I had on my computer. So it's been almost 2 weeks since I've replied to anyone so my deepest apologies. Thank goodness I had my back up drive hooked up and up to date when it happened! Otherwise everything would have been gone. A very scary feeling. I just sat down at my desk and reached over to adjust my screen and ZAP! It got me pretty good but I was less worried about the pain as I was when I saw everything go black! But we are now up and running again so I should be able to catch up with the emails. Feel free to send me another email if you'd like. But theoretically they should all be in my inbox now.

Hope everyone is having a great winter thus far. It's been crazy warm here so I'm definitely okay with that!

Mary Ann

Sunday 19 November 2017

This Makes Me Sick! Horrific!!

I was browsing through the dogs for sale section in the GSD World classifieds.  This puppy from Serbia was shown to be the excellent puppy from a previous litter.  They were selling the dam.  It's the most disturbing dog thing I've ever seen! 

 

Mary Ann

 

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Saturday 18 November 2017

Dogs on the ...

Ok. I'm used to having dogs on the couch but this is ridiculous!



Mary Ann




Mary Ann


Sunday 12 November 2017

Beware of Unqualified Trainers

I can't believe the internet ate my post!  It was over 1000 words long and it's just gone.

Summary: don't be fooled by "certified master trainers" who have had 3 month of training.  I have the same credentials as the teachers of the schools they went to, but I have no fancy words to go with my name.  Only 45 years of service to the dog industry and a desire to keep learning.  I've been a Canadian Kennel Club Member in good standing for 30 years and am a Professional Member of the Canadian Association of Professional Pet Dog Trainers.  But no fancy name.  Just Mary Ann

Saturday 4 November 2017

The cost of my puppies

My puppies are expensive.  I don't deny that.  Or apologize for that.  Most often I find the man of the couple hesitating the most.  Just like what happened today.  A very nice couple came to meet the dogs (and me I suppose!)  We spent 2 and a half hours talking all things dogs.  We had a great time reminiscing about dogs previous, told stories about dogs current and what we wanted in future dogs.  A lovely time was had by all!  Near the end of the conversation, the gentleman said to me, "When my wife told me yesterday how much your puppies were I was shocked!  I really wasn't interested in spending that much money.  But now, having met you, and met all these wonderful dogs, I understand completely why you ask the price that you do. I am absolutely comfortable purchasing a dog from you at that price."  I'm paraphrasing.

That sentiment is echoed time after time, after time.  You don't know how great these dogs are until you come and see them for yourself.  And you don't know how much knowledge I have to share after being in the dog industry for almost 50 years!  (In case you're trying to do the math, I started training dogs when I was 11.)  You don't know how passionate I am to make sure you get the exact dog that will fit perfectly with your family.  If it's not the perfect match, I won't sell you a dog.  That's it.  Plain and simple.  I don't want your money.  I want a perfect match.  I need money to care for my dogs.  Those that have been here know I live in an old farm house and drive an old Jeep.  And my visitors were surprised today when I told them my dogs can eat 500 pounds of dog food per MONTH!  And then add in the expense of bringing in new dogs from Europe for tens of thousands of dollars, each, so that my breeding lines remain pure working lines so I can provide you with the best dog I possibly can.  But I've gotten off track here.  I can list a whole bunch more expenses but the point I was trying to make was, my dog's are absolutely worth every single penny and more.  

And the really cool thing about all this is, not only do people agree with me about how great my dogs are once they come and visit, but owners still agree with me years down the road, when their dogs are geriatric and still going strong! 

I'm so proud of my dogs and all they have become and all they have accomplished.  Therapy dogs, SAR dogs, family dogs that have literally saved their families life and even one dog who saved the life of a complete strange by taking on a bear in full charge!  I couldn't be more PROUD!

Friday 3 November 2017

Breeding Cruz Soon

Cruz has finally come into heat.  Last year she was bred Oct. 31 and she is just starting into heat now.  That means she's almost a month later.  Hopefully she will be standing for Rommel in the next 7-14 days.  Keep your fingers crossed everyone!  For those who missed out on getting a deposit on this litter, I hope to be breeding Nova a little later with puppies arriving in late Spring.

 

Sent from Mail for Windows 10

 

Wednesday 1 November 2017

The Puppy Building

Little by little things are getting finished in the puppy building. The love seat and chair were donated by my son and his wife. These photos are taken from the dogs point of view.

The puppies start life in the house. At the age of 4 weeks they need more room to build muscle and coordination so we built them this beautiful place.   At 6 weeks they move to indoor/outdoor facilities to accustom them to the sights and sounds of the great outdoors!






Mary Ann




Mary Ann


Wednesday 25 October 2017

Finally finished the first side!

For those of you who have noticed a distinct lack of emails lately it's because we are putting a major push on getting the new dog fence erected.   

For those who have been here you will have noticed that Merlin's fence was a patchwork quilt of repairs. Something I was always embarrassed about. That yard was built over 30 years ago and has been housing different dogs throughout that time. Some leave the fence alone while others make it their mission in life to destroy it!

So I am EXCEEDINGLY HAPPY to tell you that it has all been replaced with brand new fencing!  Woohoo!!  A safe fence for dogs on both sides. I no longer have to be embarrassed. Slowly but surely we tackle the jobs one by one. There is still other fence I'd like to replace before winter hits but now I need to stop and catch up with my emails. I wish there was two of me!!



Mary Ann


Saturday 7 October 2017

Comparisons of German Shepherds, Then and Now

To anyone interested in German Shepherds, this is a must read website and if her book wasn't sold out I'd tell you to get her book too!  Linda Shaw does an AMAZING job of illustrating what a German Shepherd SHOULD look like compared to what many look like now.  I find it fascinating to see the skeleton overlaid on current Sieger and Siegerins (Conformation Champions) and then overlaid on structurally accurate working line German Shepherds.  I hope you enjoy it too!  Don't be afraid to comment!  Your comment does not show up right away but it will show up within 24 hours so feel free!

Here is her website.  http://www.shawlein.com  ENJOY!

Mary Ann

PS  Thank you to Julie for reminding me!

Thursday 21 September 2017

Lexi Found the Laundry Room Garbage!

A Most Wonderful Reference Letter!

DEBRA R. LAMB

September 1, 2017

 

To Whom It May Concern:

If you are considering bringing a German Shepherd puppy into your home and family, you need look no further than Guardian Angel Shepherds.

My relationship with Guardian Angels and Mary Ann Marcellus began in 2005.  I had grown up with German Shepherds as a child but had never owned a dog as an adult.  I had decided that it was time for me to add a dog to my life and a German Shepherd was the only breed I was interested in.  I looked at several organizations and breeders and after extensive research, I decided upon Guardian Angels.

Getting a puppy from Mary Ann is not an easy process.  Mary Ann truly views each of these puppies as her own and cares deeply that they go to the right 'forever' home.  I filled out a questionnaire and went through an extensive interview process.  Never having owned my own dog before, Mary Ann wanted to make sure I was up for the challenge of owning one of her puppies in terms of my abilities, my attitude, my commitment and the environment.

I remember the litter had both sable and black and tan puppies.  I specified that I wanted a black and tan female puppy.  Although my request for a female was not a problem, Mary Ann informed me that she very carefully assesses the puppies skills/attitude against the prospective adoptive 'parents' and assigns puppies based on the best match better the puppy and the people.  I was a bit disappointed when she called me to say the puppies were ready to go home and that she had designated Miss Light Green to me.  Miss Light Green was a sable Shepherd.  Off I went to see the puppy and of course, each puppy was adorable so off we went home.  Miss Light Green became Shiloh and she very quickly became the love of my life.  She was beautiful (we very seldom went anywhere when people did not comment on how beautiful she was), she was extremely bright, she was the kindest soul and she made my life whole in ways I could not have imagined.

When Shiloh was four years old, I discovered a small mole-like blemish on her nose.  We went to the vet and thankfully, I have a vet who is very thorough.  Although she believed it to just be a skin tag, she did a biopsy.  I was devastated when I got the call that the biopsy was positive for canine melanoma.   One of my first calls was to Mary Ann to tell her what was going go.  I was so extremely grateful for Mary Ann's support and guidance throughout the surgery and post-surgery procedures.

I was blessed that this was caught early enough.  That goes straight to being a responsible pet owner and identifying there was an issue and seeking the guidance of a competent and caring veterinarian who was willing to do the necessary test even though her initial suspicion was that it was nothing serious.

Thankfully, Shiloh and I had nearly 8 more years together.  I celebrated each year of she and I being together and sent regular updates to Mary Ann because I never ever forgot that she was the reason I had been given this most amazing gift.

In December of 2016 I had to make the worst decision I will ever have to make.  Shiloh was the ultimate companion right up until she took her last breath.  She filled my life with laughter, loyalty and love each and every day and her loss rocked my world right to my core.

I was convinced I could never survive that kind of loss again and had made the decision that I would not have another dog.  However, after seven months, I could not stand the lack of energy and companionship that only a dog can provide so I made a call to Mary Ann.  There was no other place I would consider.  I truly believe the timing of my call was a bit of divine intervention as Mary Ann had just decided that she was only going to keep one of the two females she had initially planned to keep for breeding.  After 12 years, I made the trip back to Guardian Angels and met Miss Red.  She stole my heart immediately and Miss Red is now Lexi.  This adorable little bundle of energy is gorgeous, smart and lovable and my home and life are once again full and happy thanks to my second gift from Mary Ann Marcellus.

If you have made the decision to get a German Shepherd and your search has led you to Mary Ann and Guardian Angels, congratulations!  You could not have made a better choice!

Sincerely,

DEBRA R. LAMB

Saturday 2 September 2017

K9 Partnership sent you a video: "Teaching a Puppy Nail Trimming"

K9 Partnership has shared a video with you on YouTube
A training video on nail trimming.
Teaching a Puppy Nail Trimming
First, I apologize for my appearance. Working with 11 dogs, you forget at the end of the day how dirty you get. I thought about redoing the video but it worked out so perfectly. So my apologies.

Trinity, my almost 4 month old puppy is very high energy and she has a mind of her own. She is not one to sit still. Here I teach her how to calm herself and that nail trimming is a good thing. I hope this helps you. Remember, patience is the key! Happy dog training!
©2017 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA

Tuesday 15 August 2017

Banff





Mary Ann




Mary Ann


Puppies did real well at Johnson Lake in Banff National Park but downtown Banff townsite was a little too much for the 3.5 month old puppies. So we used the opportunity to introduce them to the sight, sounds and smells from a place they felt safe. A perfect way to expose them without getting frightened. Crates are not cages! They are dens where they have a safe sanctuary. And this proves it.

Thursday 3 August 2017

Vaccines for Dogs

The more I research, the more I wonder whether to vaccinate my dogs.  The longer I have dogs, the more I'm seeing problems after vaccinating my dogs.  I am lucky in that I have more dogs to compare than the average owner who have 1 or 2 for a little over 10 years.  The negative instances I have seen are on the uprise and I'm on the verge of not even vaccinating my puppies.  In the past 3 months I have had 3 medical issues come up with my dogs within 2-4 weeks after vaccinations.  The first was my own dog Tazer.  10 days after his second set of shots, Tazer couldn't walk because he was in so much pain.  After spending 4 days at the vet, x-rays, steroids, antibiotics and other drugs, it is still unknown what caused his pain and inflammation of his joints.  X-rays have shown nothing out of the ordinary.  He is fine now but I can tell you he won't be going back for any more shots.  And neither will his sister Trinity.  

The next dog that had problems is a puppy by the name of Winston.  Winston was taken to the vet due to obvious but unknown pain.  Again, he showed pain in his joints.  Wilson is from a different litter than Tazer.  Winston was also given the same treatment as Tazer and is now fine as well.  He is living here, free of charge, to help get him back on track.  I have weaned him off his drugs and got him back on a proper food diet.  He will also get caught up on his training as he was not able to be managed properly while he was sick.

The 3rd dog is Achilles.  Achilles lived here for 5 years with no health problems at all.  He had his first set of puppy shots and none since.  That is my protocol for my dogs.  First set of puppy shots and none thereafter.  When Achilles was sold, I told the owners I would have him neutered and his shots updated.  2 weeks after his shots, he started showing blood on his faeces.  On his faeces, not in.  After $1000+ medical tests, they are still unsure of what is causing the problem.  Other than the blood, he seems healthy in all other ways.  He's eating, drinking, has energy, no vomiting, no diarrhea, normal in every other way.  Here was a dog that had absolutely no health problems until 2 weeks after vaccinations.  It is still unknown what is causing the problems and will probably require $1000s more to find out.  I am helping pay for the medical care of Achilles.  I was not asked to, I offered. 

These past 3 instances  have really got me thinking.  Is it coincidence?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Following is one of the research articles I found.  I am not telling anyone to stop vaccinating their dogs.  I am telling you what I have experienced and what I have found in my research.  I want everyone to do their own research and make an informed decision on whether they should vaccinate their dog or not.  Some people are extremely pro, others are extremely against.  I am still on the fence, leaning towards against but still on the fence.

Here is the article:

Science of Vaccine Damage

by Catherine O'Driscoll

A team at Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine conducted several studies (1,2) to determine if vaccines can cause changes in the immune system of dogs that might lead to life-threatening immune-mediated diseases. They obviously conducted this research because concern already existed. It was sponsored by the Haywood Foundation which itself was looking for evidence that such changes in the human immune system might also be vaccine induced. It found the evidence.

The vaccinated, but not the non-vaccinated, dogs in the Purdue studies developed autoantibodies to many of their own biochemicals, including fibronectin, laminin, DNA, albumin, cytochrome C, cardiolipin and collagen.

This means that the vaccinated dogs -- "but not the non-vaccinated dogs"-- were attacking their own fibronectin, which is involved in tissue repair, cell multiplication and growth, and differentiation between tissues and organs in a living organism.

The vaccinated Purdue dogs also developed autoantibodies to laminin, which is involved in many cellular activities including the adhesion, spreading, differentiation, proliferation and movement of cells. Vaccines thus appear to be capable of removing the natural intelligence of cells.

Autoantibodies to cardiolipin are frequently found in patients with the serious disease systemic lupus erythematosus and also in individuals with other autoimmune diseases. The presence of elevated anti-cardiolipin antibodies is significantly associated with clots within the heart or blood vessels, in poor blood clotting, haemorrhage, bleeding into the skin, foetal loss and neurological conditions.

The Purdue studies also found that vaccinated dogs were developing autoantibodies to their own collagen. About one quarter of all the protein in the body is collagen. Collagen provides structure to our bodies, protecting and supporting the softer tissues and connecting them with the skeleton. It is no wonder that Canine Health Concern's 1997 study of 4,000 dogs showed a high number of dogs developing mobility problems shortly after they were vaccinated (noted in my 1997 book, What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines).

Perhaps most worryingly, the Purdue studies found that the vaccinated dogs had developed autoantibodies to their own DNA. Did the alarm bells sound? Did the scientific community call a halt to the vaccination program? No. Instead, they stuck their fingers in the air, saying more research is needed to ascertain whether vaccines can cause genetic damage. Meanwhile, the study dogs were found good homes, but no long-term follow-up has been conducted. At around the same time, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force initiated several studies to find out why 160,000 cats each year in the USA develop terminal cancer at their vaccine injection sites.(3) The fact that cats can get vaccine-induced cancer has been acknowledged by veterinary bodies around the world, and even the British Government acknowledged it through its Working Group charged with the task of looking into canine and feline vaccines(4) following pressure from Canine Health Concern. What do you imagine was the advice of the AVMA Task Force, veterinary bodies and governments? "Carry on vaccinating until
we find out why vaccines are killing cats, and which cats are most likely to die."

In America, in an attempt to mitigate the problem, they're vaccinating cats in the tail or leg so they can amputate when cancer appears. Great advice if it's not your cat amongst the hundreds of thousands on the "oops" list.

But other species are okay - right? Wrong. In August 2003, the Journal of Veterinary Medicine carried an Italian study which showed that dogs also develop vaccine-induced cancers at their injection sites.(5) We already know that vaccine-site cancer is a possible sequel to human vaccines, too, since the Salk polio vaccine was said to carry a monkey retrovirus (from cultivating the vaccine on monkey organs) that produces inheritable cancer. The monkey retrovirus SV40 keeps turning up in human cancer sites.

It is also widely acknowledged that vaccines can cause a fast-acting, usually fatal, disease called autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA). Without treatment, and frequently with treatment, individuals can die in agony within a matter of days. Merck, itself a multinational vaccine manufacturer, states in The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy that autoimmune haemolytic anaemia may be caused by modified live-virus vaccines, as do Tizard's Veterinary Immunology (4th edition) and the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.(6) The British Government's Working Group, despite being staffed by vaccine-industry consultants who say they are independent, also acknowledged this fact. However, no one warns the pet owners before their animals are subjected to an unnecessary booster, and very few owners are told why after their pets die of AIHA.

A Wide Range of Vaccine-induced Diseases

We also found some worrying correlations between vaccine events and the onset of arthritis in our 1997 survey. Our concerns were compounded by research in the human field.

The New England Journal of Medicine, for example, reported that it is possible to isolate the rubella virus from affected joints in children vaccinated against rubella. It also told of the isolation of viruses from the peripheral blood of women with prolonged arthritis following vaccination.(7)

Then, in 2000, CHC's findings were confirmed by research which showed that polyarthritis and other diseases like amyloidosis, which affects organs in dogs, were linked to the combined vaccine given to dogs.(8) There is a huge body of research, despite the paucity of funding from the vaccine industry, to confirm that vaccines can cause a wide range of brain and central nervous system damage. Merck itself states in its Manual that vaccines (i.e., its own products) can cause encephalitis: brain inflammation/damage. In some cases, encephalitis involves lesions in the brain and throughout the central nervous system. Merck states that "examples are the encephalitides following measles, chickenpox, rubella, smallpox vaccination, vaccinia, and many other less well defined viral infections".

When the dog owners who took part in the CHC survey reported that their dogs developed short attention spans, 73.1% of the dogs did so within three months of a vaccine event. The same percentage of dogs was diagnosed with epilepsy within three months of a shot (but usually within days). We also found that 72.5% of dogs that were considered by their owners to be nervous and of a worrying disposition, first exhibited these traits within the three-month post-vaccination period.

I would like to add for the sake of Oliver, my friend who suffered from paralysed rear legs and death shortly after a vaccine shot, that "paresis" is listed in Merck's Manual as a symptom of encephalitis. This is defined as muscular weakness of a neural (brain) origin which involves partial or incomplete paralysis, resulting from lesions at any level of the descending pathway from the brain. Hind limb paralysis is one of the potential consequences. Encephalitis, incidentally, is a disease that can manifest across the scale from mild to severe and can also cause sudden death.

Organ failure must also be suspected when it occurs shortly after a vaccine event. Dr Larry Glickman, who spearheaded the Purdue research into post-vaccination biochemical changes in dogs, wrote in a letter to Cavalier Spaniel breeder Bet Hargreaves:

"Our ongoing studies of dogs show that following routine vaccination, there is a significant rise in the level of antibodies dogs produce against their own tissues. Some of these antibodies have been shown to target the thyroid gland, connective tissue such as that found in the valves of the heart, red blood cells, DNA, etc. I do believe that the heart conditions in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels could be the end result of repeated immunisations by vaccines containing tissue culture contaminants that cause a progressive immune response directed at connective tissue in the heart valves. The clinical manifestations would be more pronounced in dogs that have a genetic predisposition [although] the findings should be generally applicable to all dogs regardless of their breed."


I must mention here that Dr Glickman believes that vaccines are a necessary evil, but that safer vaccines need to be developed.

Meanwhile, please join the queue to place your dog, cat, horse and child on the Russian roulette wheel because a scientist says you should.

Vaccines Stimulate an Inflammatory Response

The word "allergy" is synonymous with "sensitivity" and "inflammation". It should, by rights, also be synonymous with the word "vaccination". This is what vaccines do: they sensitise (render allergic)an individual in the process of forcing them to develop antibodies to fight a disease threat. In other words, as is acknowledged and accepted, as part of the vaccine process the body will respond with inflammation. This may be apparently temporary or it may be longstanding.

Holistic doctors and veterinarians have known this for at least 100 years.
They talk about a wide range of inflammatory or "-itis" diseases which arise shortly after a vaccine event. Vaccines, in fact, plunge many individuals into an allergic state. Again, this is a disorder that ranges from mild all the way through to the suddenly fatal. Anaphylactic shock is the culmination: it's where an individual has a massive allergic reaction to a vaccine and will die within minutes if adrenaline or its equivalent is not administered.

There are some individuals who are genetically not well placed to withstand the vaccine challenge. These are the people (and animals are "people", too) who have inherited faulty B and T cell function. B and T cells are components within the immune system which identify foreign invaders and destroy them, and hold the invader in memory so that they cannot cause future harm. However, where inflammatory responses are concerned, the immune system overreacts and causes unwanted effects such as allergies and other
inflammatory conditions.

Merck warns in its Manual that patients with, or from families with, B and/or T cell immunodeficiencies should not receive live-virus vaccines due to the risk of severe or fatal infection. Elsewhere, it lists features of B and T cell immunodeficiencies as food allergies, inhalant allergies, eczema, dermatitis, neurological deterioration and heart disease. To translate, people with these conditions can die if they receive live-virus vaccines. Their immune systems are simply not competent enough to guarantee a healthy reaction to the viral assault from modified live-virus vaccines.

Modified live-virus (MLV) vaccines replicate in the patient until an immune response is provoked. If a defence isn't stimulated, then the vaccine continues to replicate until it gives the patient the very disease it was intending to prevent.

Alternatively, a deranged immune response will lead to inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, pancreatitis, colitis, encephalitis and any number of autoimmune diseases such as cancer and leukaemia, where the body attacks its own cells.

A new theory, stumbled upon by Open University student Gary Smith, explains what holistic practitioners have been saying for a very long time. Here is what a few of the holistic vets have said in relation to their patients:

Dr Jean Dodds: "Many veterinarians trace the present problems with allergic and immunologic diseases to the introduction of MLV vaccines..." (9)

Christina Chambreau, DVM: "Routine vaccinations are probably the worst thing that we do for our animals. They cause all types of illnesses, but not directly to where we would relate them definitely to be caused by the vaccine." (10)

Martin Goldstein, DVM: "I think that vaccines...are leading killers of dogs and cats in America today."

Dr Charles E. Loops, DVM: "Homoeopathic veterinarians and other holistic practitioners have maintained for some time that vaccinations do more harm than they provide benefits." (12)

Mike Kohn, DVM: "In response to this [vaccine] violation, there have been increased autoimmune diseases (allergies being one component), epilepsy, neoplasia [tumours], as well as behavioural problems in small animals." (13)

A Theory on Inflammation

Gary Smith explains what observant healthcare practitioners have been saying for a very long time, but perhaps they've not understood why their observations led them to say it. His theory, incidentally, is causing a huge stir within the inner scientific sanctum. Some believe that his theory could lead to a cure for many diseases including cancer. For me, it explains why the vaccine process is inherently questionable.

Gary was learning about inflammation as part of his studies when he struck upon a theory so extraordinary that it could have implications for the treatment of almost every inflammatory disease -- including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis and even HIV and AIDS.

Gary's theory questions the received wisdom that when a person gets ill, the inflammation that occurs around the infected area helps it to heal. He claims that, in reality, inflammation prevents the body from recognising a foreign substance and therefore serves as a hiding place for invaders. The inflammation occurs when at-risk cells produce receptors called All (known as angiotensin II type I receptors). He says that while At1 has a balancing receptor, At2, which is supposed to switch off the inflammation, in most diseases this does not happen.

"Cancer has been described as the wound that never heals," he says. "All successful cancers are surrounded by inflammation. Commonly this is thought to be the body's reaction to try to fight the cancer, but this is not the case.

"The inflammation is not the body trying to fight the infection. It is actually the virus or bacteria deliberately causing inflammation in order to hide from the immune system [author's emphasis]." (14)

If Gary is right, then the inflammatory process so commonly stimulated by vaccines is not, as hitherto assumed, a necessarily acceptable sign. Instead, it could be a sign that the viral or bacterial component, or the adjuvant (which, containing foreign protein, is seen as an invader by the immune system), in the vaccine is winning by stealth.

If Gary is correct in believing that the inflammatory response is not protective but a sign that invasion is taking place under cover of darkness, vaccines are certainly not the friends we thought they were. They are undercover assassins working on behalf of the enemy, and vets and medical doctors are unwittingly acting as collaborators. Worse, we animal guardians and parents are actually paying doctors and vets to unwittingly betray our loved ones.

Potentially, vaccines are the stealth bomb of the medical world. They are used to catapult invaders inside the castle walls where they can wreak havoc, with none of us any the wiser. So rather than experiencing frank viral diseases such as the 'flu, measles, mumps and rubella (and, in the case of dogs, parvovirus and distemper), we are allowing the viruses to win anyway - but with cancer, leukaemia and other inflammatory or autoimmune (self-attacking) diseases taking their place.

The Final Insult

All 27 veterinary schools in North America have changed their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats along the following lines; (15) however, vets in practice are reluctant to listen to these changed protocols and official veterinary bodies in the UK and other countries are ignoring the following facts.

Dogs' and cats' immune systems mature fully at six months. If modified live-virus vaccine is giver after six months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet. If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralise the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The litre is no "boosted", nor are more memory cells induced.

Not only are annual boosters unnecessary, but they subject the pet to potential risks such as allergic reactions and immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia.

In plain language, veterinary schools in America, plus the American Veterinary Medical Association, have looked at studies to show how long vaccines last and they have concluded and announced that annual vaccination is unnecessary.(16-19)

Further, they have acknowledged that vaccines are not without harm. Dr Ron Schultz, head of pathobiology at Wisconsin University and a leading light in this field, has been saying this politely to his veterinary colleagues since the 1980s. I've been saying it for the past 12 years. But change is so long in coming and, in the meantime, hundreds of thousands of animals are dying every year - unnecessarily.

The good news is that thousands of animal lovers (but not enough) have heard what we've been saying. Canine Health Concern members around the world use real food as Nature's supreme disease preventative, eschewing processed pet food, and minimise the vaccine risk. Some of us, myself included, have chosen not to vaccinate our pets at all. Our reward is healthy and long-lived dogs.

It has taken but one paragraph to tell you the good and simple news. The gratitude I feel each day, when I embrace my healthy dogs, stretches from the centre of the Earth to the Universe and beyond.

About the Author:

Catherine O'Driscoll runs Canine Health Concern which campaigns and also delivers an educational program, the Foundation in Canine Healthcare. She is author of Shock to the System (2005; see review this issue), the best-selling book What Vets Don't Tell You About Vaccines (1997, 1998), and Who Killed the Darling Buds of May? (1997; reviewed in NEXUS 4/04).
She lives in Scotland with her partner, Rob Ellis, and three Golden Retrievers, named Edward, Daniel and Gwinnie, and she lectures on canine health around the world.

For more information, contact Catherine O'Driscoll at Canine Health Concern, PO Box 7533, Perth PH2 1AD, Scotland, UK, email catherine@carsegray.co.uk , website http://www.canine-health-concern.org.uk.
Shock to the System is available in the UK from CHC, and worldwide from Dogwise at http://www.dogwise.com.

Endnotes
1. "Effects of Vaccination on the Endocrine and Immune Systems of Dogs, Phase II", Purdue University, November 1,1999, at http://www.homestead.com/vonhapsburg/haywardstudyonvaccines.html.

2. See www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/gdhstudy.htm.

3. See http://www.avma.org/vafstf/default.asp.

4. Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) Working Group on Feline and Canine Vaccination, DEFRA, May 2001.

5. JVM Series A 50(6):286-291, August 2003.

6. Duval, D. and Giger,U. (1996). "Vaccine-Associated Immune-Mediated Hemolytic Anemia in the Dog", Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine 10:290-295.

7. New England Journal of Medicine, vol.313,1985.
See also Clin Exp Rheumatol 20(6):767-71, Nov-Dec 2002.

8. Am Coll Vet Intern Med 14:381,2000.

9. Dodds, Jean W.,DVM, "Immune System and Disease Resistance", at http://www.critterchat.net/immune.htm.

10. Wolf Clan magazine, April/May 1995.

11. Goldstein, Martin, The Nature of Animal Healing, Borzoi/Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1999.

12. Wolf Clan magazine, op. cit.

13. ibid.

14. Journal of Inflammation 1:3,2004, at http://www.journal-inflammation.com content/1/1/3.

15. Klingborg, D.J., Hustead, D.R. and Curry-Galvin, E. et al., "AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents' report on cat and dog vaccines", Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 221(10):1401-1407, November 15,2002,
http://www.avma.org/policies/vaccination.htm.

16. ibid.

17. Schultz, R.D., "Current and future canine and feline vaccination programs", Vet Med 93:233-254,1998.

18. Schultz, R.D., Ford, R.B., Olsen, J. and Scott, P., "Titer testing and vaccination: a new look at traditional practices", Vet Med 97:1-13, 2002 (insert).

19. Twark, L. and Dodds, W.J., "Clinical application of serum parvovirus and distemper virus antibody liters for determining revaccination strategies in healthy dogs", J Am Vet Med Assoc 217:1021-1024,2000.