Vital Animal News: December 28, 2025
Eye roll time: Vets on raw food and immunity / Breeders crazed re: puppy vax / Purebreds: vets' dirty little secret / Colleague in right place & time / You as the EO expert and more.
Holiday Humor, Veterinarian Sourced
Breeders + Vaccines: Watch Out!
Purebreds: Cash Cows for Vets?
Meet The Organic Dairy Vet
Free EO Webinar
Along the Natural Path
Ho Ho Ho! The Vet Said That?
When a professional comes at you with something ridiculous, you can do an inner eye roll on the spot, but even better, share it for a good laugh.
This example came from Sherry:
A vet I used (she was new to me) asked me what type of food I give my dog and I told her dehydrated raw and she told me raw food makes dogs aggressive. LOL. Never went back.
Oh, my.
And of course Sherry never went back. If that’s how a vet thinks, there’s plenty of room for other errors of judgement, and you’d not want your animal to be at risk from such an individual.
I’ve heard this a time or two, but with thousands (millions?) of dogs and cats getting fed raw food by now, wouldn’t we expect an Aggressive Pet Apocalypse?
Sadies and Puffs around every corner, waiting to pounce, tear, and slash passersby?
Pedestrians donning armor, or at least leather chaps and motorcycle jackets?
Or pet owners in fear when, after finishing his glorious bowl of raw victuals, Max might think Mom’s fingers would make a fine finish to his repast?
Now, it Could Be Worse…
Here’s a true story, variations of which I’ve heard a few times.
Vets during an exam, barely able to contain their enthusiasm, remarking on how glowing and perfectly healthy Sheba looks.
Q: “How did you bring this about? She’s the very picture of vital health!”
A: “Well, Doctor, we feed raw food. It’s made a huge difference, notable within a week and it just kept getting better the longer we offer raw and tossed all our kibble.”
At that point, the good doctor and his tech got a bit green around the gills and, I wish I was making this up: donned rubber gloves.
In a similar case, when ever a proud owner brought her glowing raw fed dog for a vet visit, the gloves were joined by surgical gowns and masks. For the exam, not any surgery plans!
Germophobia? Would you pay a vet for services if this disconnect was part of the visits?
Amazing health is right there in front of him, yet the dog was somehow dangerous to touch!?
Did he really never read All Creatures Great and Small with the “knacker man” who’d set his deboning knife down from the dead, diseased animal in front of him to grab his sandwich? Any never seemed to get sick…
Shake my head…
Vaccine Craziness
Another vet recently told a pet owner that because her dog had gone through parvo (and survived, thankyouverymuch!), he’d now need to have annual parvo vaccinations. Presumably for life!
Record scratch!!!
Was this vet asleep throughout the lectures on how the immune system works?
Far too many seem to have been, or somehow they only came away with:
“Vaccines Good. Saved World. Must Use More.”
In their defense (partial at best), as vet students, we never heard a word spoken about vaccines causing harm. I only vaguely recall hearing something about never vaccinating a pregnant animal (and look how far we’ve come from that in recent years…looking at you, Dr. Covidiot)
But surely we learned about natural immunity, which is where this vet was clearly clueless.
Basic understanding: after mounting a natural immune response to an infectious disease, the odds of you ever getting that one again is close to nil.
Vaccine Researcher Speaks
Let’s hear from a well known veterinary immunologist, Dr. Ronald Schultz who spent decades studying vaccines for industry and taught U. of Wisconsin vet students for years before he died.
In a main stream veterinary text book called Current Veterinary Therapy, he wrote, long, long ago:
Immunity to viruses persists for years if not the life of the animal.”
(There’s more to that quote in my Vaccinations: Efficacy post, where he shoots down annual vaccinations.)
Natural Exposure vs Vaccines
It’s also known that vaccinal immunity offers nothing even close to the strength or duration of a natural exposure immunity. So this lucky pup, having survived parvo, is at zero risk of ever contracting that disease for the rest of his life.
For a brilliant example of controlled natural exposure, see my inexpensive Smart Vaccine Alternatives Short Course, where I lay out a well tested protocol that my colleague Rosemary Manziano, DVM developed decades back.
Key word: Controlled.
Her puppy patients got wildly high parvo (and later even distemper) titers but never got sick in the least.
In my short course, I’ve added homeopathic nosodes and transfer factors to Dr. M’s protocol to enhance immune responses even further and completely eliminate any chance of illness during the exposure period.
Bottom line, when folly comes your way from a professional, you can take it as a clue to exit stage left, but please do share it. It helps others chuckle, get more clarity, and can prevent unfunny harm.
Speaking of Laughing at Folly
If you haven’t yet subscribed to my friend and brilliant humorist, Jenna McCarthy, here’s a post to get you started. Jenna well knows how to skewer foolishness and make us laugh at the same time.
Here she’s authored a piece for the Independent Medical Alliance:
And here’s her personal Substack, well worth your subscription.
Breeder Insanity: Vax Edition
Vets are the only not ones living with deep germ fears and misunderstandings.
Another missive came my way, this all the way from Scotland, where Natalie wanted the breeder to avoid vaccinating her pup.
Like many breeders, this jab deed would be too early, at 7 weeks old, while Mom’s colostral antibodies would simply inactivate it, so it would be all risk, zero benefit.
I did an entire podcast episode for breeders, begging them to stop this insanity, but it still persists. If you weren’t aware of this too early vaccination practice, give a listen to that episode.
I counseled Natalie that shedding could happen but it needn’t be a worry, as any modified live virus entering via the nose or mouth would still have her pup’s immune system alerted by the usual pathways.
Compared to injecting those same viruses, which bypasses all the gateways Nature has established (mucus membranes, tonsils, local lymph nodes, etc.), inhaling or swallowing a shedded virus would be unlikely to make her pup sick.
In addition, a nosode could help stem that possibility even further, but time was too short, as the breeder was about to vaccinate the next day.
And then things went off the rails.
Though the breeder initially agreed to give Natalie’s pup a pass and vaccinate the rest of the litter, she suddenly changed her mind.
Why? Hold on to your hat…
My Vaccine Only Works if You Get it Also!
…after I emailed you it all went sideways and the breeder contacted me to say that they were going ahead with vaccinating ALL the puppies. They said that they didn’t agree with what I said and that it was a risk to not vaccinate all the pups together i.e. my unvaccinated pup would be a risk to the other pups !!! I mean 🤯🤯🤯!!
And, if that was mind blowing enough…
…when I asked please not to vaccinate my pup they then accused me of being mentally unwell and that I should seek professional help!!
No Soup Sale for You!
Natalie gathered her wits and left this insanity to find another pup, and in short order, had her dream come true:
Bottom line, as a consumer of puppies, kittens, or medical care for two-legged or four-legged family members, remember to only support those aware folks who understand your needs and agree to work within your limits.
Breeders too commonly think they are doing pups a favor, vaccinating too early.
And far too many in my profession and their cousins in human medicine push vaccination beyond all reasonable limits.
Why?
It’s hugely profitable, takes about two minutes to do, and appears to be important, especially when it’s done by a person in a uniform.
But, as Natalie learned, you can say NO and move on to those with more sense.
And that’s how thinking people affect the market, improving the livelihoods of those they wisely choose to do business with.
Purebreds: Profit Centers or Time Bombs?
A conventional vet colleague published in one of the vet journals about purebred pets. She called it…
‘…our profession’s dirty little secret.’ We love our purebreds for lots of reasons, but if we are honest, we know it is because they make our profession what it is today—lucrative, for sure, but also challenging and exciting. Nothing satisfies my inner nerd like a Norwegian Forest cat from the Ukraine with all his IBD, cardiomyopathy, and LPLs.”
I see a different “dirty little secret” for my profession that has to do with actually curing disease (including ‘IBD, cardiomyopathy and LPLs’) but we can look into this conventional veterinarian’s secret as well.
(I had to look up LPLs. Oh my: lymphoplasmacytic lesions, yet another form of chronic disease, surely unknown in the wild feline cousins, and therefore: man made) .
I’ve never thought pure bred animals held anything over the mutts of the world.
It’s in Your Genes
When we studied genetics in biology classes, one piece of it really made an impression, a thing called “hybrid vigor.”
It was typically taught with corn as the example, but plants, animals, bacteria and fungi, we all have genes, so it’s widely applicable.
Hybrid vigor was defined as the beneficial mixing of genes from different “strains” (in the corn version) which resulted in a more vigorous, healthy, presumably even more nutritious plant.
That can go awry, of course. Just witness what happened to American wheat during the Green Revolution days in the 70’s.
“We can feed the world! We’ll breed shorter wheat that’s more productive and easier to harvest with our machines!”
And then, the gluten changed, bringing inflammation with every mouthful.
Oops.
Small Gene Pools: Recipe for the Unfit
You likely learned something related to the opposite of hybrid vigor when you were taught that siblings or even cousins shouldn’t get married. Remember that?
It’s part of the same problem we see in purebreds.
Instead of mixing two disparate sets of genes and expecting hybrid vigor, when relatives breed, they greatly increase the odds that their offspring will have lower immunity and overall fitness, not to mention congenital defects.
As in our microbiomes, genetic diversity wins the game.
Diversity gets less and less over time when purebreds are the goal, unless the breeder is very cautious and watching the genetics of who gets to breed with whom.
And I used to cringe when a rare, unheard of breed landed in my patient population. Like the above Ukrainian Forest Cat, which I’d never heard of.
Why?
Tiny gene pools. No chance of hybrid vigor but a high chance of inbreeding problems.
Popular Breeds: Caution
When a breed gets popular, like the French Bulldog is now, the odds of sloppy breeding increase exponentially.
Any popular breed is seen as a profit center by the reckless money-grubbers, so genetic considerations take a back seat to profits all too often.
I remember a Frenchie patient who, after racing around a corner, would fall and flail on the floor, unable to regain his footing like a normal dog would.
That symptom drove me a bit crazy.
Was it a seizure? Over excitement? Some other neuro issue?
Came to find out, it’s a common breed defect, related to vertebrae and spinal issues, and maybe partly due to their brachycephalic conformation, unable to get air and so panic sets in.
My first “owned” dog that my family bought when I was 11 or 12 was Loopy, the Basset Hound.
At some point in that breed’s changes over the decades, some decided that their crooked forelimbs looked cute.
And wow, was he ever cute, but poor guy, after he passed middle age, his final years were plagued by arthritis.
So, I’d suggest not playing into this particular “dirty little secret” when you have a chance to buy a new furred family member.
I’m sure I was an “oops baby,” coming along years after my siblings, but you can hunt for oopsies in breeding and get some pretty hearty stock. Half Lab, half Heeler? Go for it, if you like the traits of each breed.
Unfortunately, most mutts will be in the pound (and wildly over vaccinated, neutered too early, etc.) but maybe a neighbor or a poster will lead you to a hybrid vigorous alternative.
And then, start that lucky one down The Natural Path.
Meet the Organic Vet
When I was in dairy practice in the 80’s, the year before I took The Big Leap that eventually landed me in my homeopathic practice, I was starting to wonder about more natural therapies. The US and China had opened some doors in the 70’s, with acupuncture making the news, including Time magazine.
Interesting… and there was nothing in those needles, unlike the antibiotics in mine.
I came back to Wisconsin from a huge conventional vet meeting in Las Vegas where, off in a small room, a vet gave a lecture on acupuncture. For dairy cows!
I brought my notes home and immediately started trying this out on my dairy cow patients, injecting acupuncture points with vitamin B12 (aka “aqua puncture”). I’m not sure I did much good, but by the time I’d fallen in love with homeopathy, I was far from dairy country, settling in Austin, Texas.
Imagine my ears perking up when I heard there was a homeopathic/naturopathic dairy vet in Pennsylvania years later!
Allow me to introduce a man I’ve only met online, who has a great founder’s story and even shares his protocol for sick cows: Dr. Hue Karreman:
Become an Animal EO Expert
If you’ve ever considered serving the pet community in a healing capacity, there’s an upcoming free webinar that may interest you.
My friend and colleague Dr. Janet Roark, The Essential Oil Vet, will present “How to Become an Animal EO Expert” on Monday, December 19th at 5PM Central Time.
I’d never have guessed aromatherapy could be curative until I interviewed Dr. Roark on my podcast.
My mind opened to that possibility after she shared some of her amazing doctoring experiences with me.
So, grab yourself a seat and be prepared to explore a healing modality straight from Mom Nature herself:
And yes: it’s free, so you’ve nothing to lose by joining Dr. Roark live. I’m sure there’s going to time for questions, as well.
Along the Natural Path
I’ve never been so glad to cross the winter solstice as I was last week. Here in No. India, the rising sun has largely disappeared into the smog that blanketed our village, with some days not even coming out at mid-day.
With humidity in the 90+% range and morning temps in the 50’s, it’s prime weather for SAD (seasonally affected disorder) times.
Bike rides have been severely shortened and restricted to our own streets, as traffic outside the ashram gates is not to be trusted. I once saw a multi car bumper to bumper smashup on the main road of Vrindavan, as many drivers out drove their field of visibility until they came to a sudden unplanned stop.
While I don’t miss Wisconsin winters, they at least had bright sunny days, perfect for cross country skiing where, even if it was only in the 20’s, you could work up enough heat to take off your mittens and push up your sleeves.
But today and yesterday, the morning temps dropped into the 40’s, and the fog part of the smog abated (the smoke continues, as fires warm the villagers all around us):
So, this morning, I ventured out for the first time in two weeks, and came across this guy, trying to scrounge a little breakfast:
This photo speaks to rural India. The infrastructure is still pretty primitive, so no trash removal nor landfills means you’ll come across spots like this that have been tacitly agreed upon to be dumps.
Of course, that means they are often quite visible and decidedly a blight on Nature’s beauty.
Further, bulls are not slaughtered nor turned into steers, at least in UP, where I call home. So, they wander.
No one owns them, maybe some pity them and offer some feed here and there, but they are largely on their own.
Swallowing plastic while grazing on trash? It must happen, and being indigestible, it must wreak havoc internally and could even cause some deaths, I’d guess.
But, India is a very “make do” country, and so the animals follow suit. As I’ve pointed out in the past, somehow these wandering bulls are often stout, well fleshed, and appear strong and healthy! Go figure.
The winter wheat “makes do” for quite some time as well, seeded by hand on plowed fields when the rainy season is long gone. The soil appears dry, yet the seeds infallibly sprout…
Ditto for one of the cash crops of winter, mustard, grown for its rich oil:
It’s got to be the soils’ high clay content that’s holding moisture enough for these crops to grow and thrive.
I hope you’re thriving, where ever you are on our amazing blue globe, and your animals along with you.
With the holidays nearly behind us, we can hope for a brighter year ahead.
If you want to leave 2025 with a bit of humor, Dave Barry has you covered:
And I’ll see you next year!
Will Falconer, DVM
Happy New Year coming up Dr. F. May it be filled with blessings and continued health!
Thank you for all you do. You are truly a godsend to all of us.
Happy new year Will.
I thought you might find this interesting:
https://unbekoming.substack.com/p/the-parvo-papers-how-two-flawed-studies