In the pursuit of excellence there can be compromise.
Britfeld is a trademark of Svetlana Sally Johnston © 2001 - 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
This page is dedicated to the response/s from Fort Dodge to Dot Sweeney's correspondence as posted on Dog4Sale.com
Vaccine Incorrectly Blamed For Coccidiosis Disease
Dear all,
Recently on this website a dog breeder posted an email discussing a litter of pups that was sick following vaccination with Protech® Duramune® C4 Vaccine. This email has alarmed many people fearing that the vaccine is dangerous. As the manufacturer of the vaccine, Fort Dodge feels it is important to address some of the issues raised in the email and put people's fears to rest.
According to our records supplied by the attending veterinarian, the pups were vaccinated at 6 weeks of age and developed diarrhoea over the following days. The veterinarian contacted Fort Dodge early in the course of the disease, enquiring about any possible involvement of the vaccine. No definitive diagnosis had been made at that time. Subsequently, diagnostic tests performed at the veterinary clinic and repeated at a commercial diagnostic laboratory, have confirmed that the puppies were suffering from coccidiosis. This fact is omitted from the original email. The surviving pups are reported to be responding well to treatment for this disease.
Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by a single celled protozoan organism named Isospora. It causes enteritis, with diarrhoea as the main clinical sign. Vaccines cannot transmit this disease, nor do they have any association with it.
The author of the email had not spoken to anyone from Fort Dodge regarding this case when the email was written. Therefore, any comments in the email allegedly made by Fort Dodge regarding this vaccine did not come from Fort Dodge.
The vaccine under discussion is not a new vaccine. It was launched approximately two years ago and it has not changed formulation since then. Fort Dodge has sold around 1 million doses of this vaccine in that time. It continues to be one of the most popular canine vaccines used by Australian veterinarians.
The email mentions that a number of other litters have allegedly had problems following vaccination with this vaccine. However, no details are given. As Fort Dodge does not know the details of these other cases we cannot comment on them. However, we can say that if an adverse reaction to a vaccine (or any other product) is suspected, it should be investigated by a veterinarian so that all possibilities are explored, the involvement of all contributing factors is examined and a proper diagnosis made where possible. Each case must be judged on its own merits. To assume all these cases were caused by the vaccine is to jump to conclusions. Anyone who breeds dogs or has owned a pup understands that pups, especially around the age at which they are vaccinated, can become ill from any number of reasons.
If people suspect that their dog may have had an adverse reaction to any veterinary product such as a vaccine, the best advice is to take the dog back to the veterinarian for assessment and treatment if necessary. The veterinarian can contact the company that makes the product to obtain information on possible adverse reactions, and to report the case. Manufacturers are obliged to record details of these reports, and submit them to an independent body, the National Registration Authority for Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (NRA) that monitors adverse experiences. Reports can also be made directly to the NRA by anyone. It is systems and authorities such as this that enable problems with veterinary products to be detected and acted upon. The rate of reporting of adverse experiences to this product is low, and it has not changed recently. Reports of litters developing problems as described in the email are extremely rare. The NRA has not contacted Fort Dodge to discuss concerns about the safety of this product.
In conclusion, Fort Dodge does not have any reason to believe that this vaccine has a safety problem, or that it is associated with the range of diseases listed in the email. Veterinarians who use this product every day continue to use this vaccine as they have for the last two years, with complete confidence in the product. We hope this email addresses any concerns that may have been raised recently.
Sincerely,
Anthony Preshaw BVSc (Hons) PhD
Technical Services Manager
Veterinary Ethical Division
Fort Dodge Australia
PO Box 6024
Baulkham Hills B/C NSW 2153
Tel: +61 2 9899 0403
Fax: +61 2 9899 2151
E-mail: preshaa@fortdodge.com.au
® Registered Trademark Fort Dodge