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NEW STUDY:
VACCINATION-INDUCED ALLERGIC REACTIONS
IN DACHSHUNDS!

By DCA Health Committee

The DCA Health Committee just received the letter (shown below in quotes) from Dr. George Moore at Purdue University. We strongly encourage you to participate in this study, since Dachshunds tend to be more prone to allergic reactions to vaccinations than other breeds.

** IMPORTANT NOTE ON DCA HWTF SUBSIDY: With advance approval, The DCA Health & Welfare Trust Fund will reimburse up to $25.00 per shipment of samples for this study. (The pre-approval is required because we expect that the study's required number of samples will be met early.) For approval, please contact Lisa Warren at elysiumdox@aol.com, or 610-285-6425. Please put "Dachshund Allergy Study" in the subject line of e-mails. Once approved, submit proof of costs (copies acceptable) to: Ruth Robins, Financial Administrator, DCA Health & Welfare Trust Fund, 4314 Westport Terrace, Louisville, KY 40207-0714.

“I am very pleased to announce that AKC Canine Health Foundation, with your club’s support, has funded a 2-year study to investigate the causes for vaccination-induced allergic reactions in dogs.

Allergic reactions are the most common adverse event associated with vaccination in dogs. Recent research has demonstrated that small dogs in general, and Dachshunds in particular, are at higher risk for these reactions. Although the specific cause of allergic reactions in dogs remains unknown, vaccine components residual from the manufacturing process have been incriminated. Our study will compare the serum antibody concentrations in Dachshunds demonstrating allergic reactions versus antibody concentrations in other Dachshunds that don’t have reactions, seeking to identify the vaccine components that stimulate allergic reactions.

Our desire is to receive serum samples from at least 25 Dachshunds with allergic reactions after vaccination and 25 Dachshunds (their littermates, if possible) that did not experience reactions after vaccination. We are asking owners to have their veterinarian draw blood (3-5 ml) from each dog within 1 month of vaccination/reaction, and we will coordinate with the veterinarian to mail us the serum from the blood. We will analyze the samples for increases in antibodies against vaccine components that might have caused the allergic reaction. Owners may choose to receive the results of the tests for their dog(s) or may remain anonymous.

I would greatly appreciate your widest dissemination of this study to your club members. Information regarding the study and client consent forms is posted on our website at (http://www.vet.purdue.edu/k9vaxrxn/), and this information is also attached. If you or your club members should have any questions, please contact me at 765-496-3393 or gemoore@purdue.edu. Thanks for your support!”

Sincerely, George E. Moore, DVM, MS, PhD, Dipl ACVIM (SA Int Med), ACVPM (Epi)

Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology

Purdue University, School of Veterinary Medicine

Dept. of Comparative Pathobiology

725 Harrison Street

West Lafayette, IN 47907-2027

Phone: 765-496-3393 (Fax: 765-494-9830)