Autovaccination: A study of fifteen cases in dog

Autovaccines are a special category of vaccination which result from obtaining specific antigenic preparations from one or several individuals to whom they will later be administered. In view of increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, the treatment of infectious diseases with autovaccines may be an attractive proposition. Autovaccines were prepared for the treatment of skin diseases caused by different strains of Staphylococcus in dogs (8 males and 7 females), aged between 2 and 10 years, of various breeds. In all the cases the affected dog had previously been treated with antibiotics, without total remission of the problem. The efficacy shown by autovaccination in 12 out of 15 cases (80%) is of major importance, especially since the three remaining cases died from leishmaniasis. The high degree of efficacy revealed is comparable with other assays and in some cases greater than the results of other studies. Proper selection of patients, correct preparation of the autovaccines and the careful administration of them are the three factors which determine the success of autovaccine treatment.