Vaccination Information
Many pet owners diligently vaccinate their pets every year without so much as the basic knowledge of what a vaccine is, and which types are given. Pet owners trust that their veterinarian is giving what is best for their pet. While vaccination is extremely important to a pet’s health, owners should be well educated as to what their pets are receiving, in order to avoid the risks of overexposure to vaccines.
WHAT IS A VACCINE?
Vaccines are agents that provide immunity against contagious diseases. Immunity can be defined as defense mechanisms by which an animal is able to resist disease and it’s harmful consequences. There are 2 types of vaccines:
- Modified-live: This is a vaccine that contains an altered form of the actual virus being vaccinated against, so that the virus is not harmful upon administration. This type of vaccine is intended to stimulate an immune response to the virus and build a memory or resistance to it. The next time the pet comes in contact with the virus in the environment, the pet will have immunity and be protected against it.
- Killed: This is a vaccine that contains an inactive form of the virus. Essentially, this provides the pet with immunity against the virus, without stimulating an immune response. The length of the immunity of a killed vaccine is shorter than that of a modified-live, but can be safer, especially in juvenile, elderly or health-compromised pets.
VACCINATION PROTOCOLS
Puppies
8 weeks DA2P-CPV (distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus)
12 weeks DA2P-CPV (booster)
16 weeks DA2P-CPV (2nd booster)
16 weeks RV (rabies)
Kittens
8 weeks FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, chlamydia, panleukopenia)
12 weeks FVRCP (booster) + FeLv (feline leukemia)
16 weeks FVRCP (2nd booster) + FeLv (booster) + RV (rabies)
Check with your veterinarian regarding their vaccination protocols for following years. Some vaccines can be given yearly, every 2 years, or every 3 years. For dogs, there are also vaccinations for Kennel cough (Bordatella) and Lyme disease. You can discuss with your veterinarian whether your new puppy needs these vaccines to start or if they can be given as needed.
WHAT DISEASES SHOULD YOUR PET BE VACCINATED AGAINST?
When deciding which vaccines are right for your pet, veterinary professionals should take a few things into consideration and not just give the same set of vaccines to each patient. There are positive and negative effects to vaccinations. The positive effect obviously being protection against contagious diseases. The negative effects can range from a mild allergic reaction to vaccine-induced skin cancer and arthritis in cats. Pet owners can limit the risk of these negative effects by reducing overexposure to vaccines. Deciding which vaccines to administer can be done based on the following information:
- What diseases are prevalent in the area the pet reside? Some dogs for example, reside in geographical areas where Lyme disease-carrying ticks are present. If there is a high number of incidences of Lyme disease reported for that area, then the dog should be vaccinated against it. If the number of Lyme disease incidences is very low to none, the dog does not require the vaccine.
- What is the pet’s lifestyle? A cat that is strictly indoors is less likely to come in contact with certain diseases, that can be passed on from another cat due to a scratch or bite wound. These diseases can include Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. An indoor cat does not need to be vaccinated for these diseases, whereas an outdoor cat is at a higher risk to contract them from another cat, and should be vaccinated against them.
- What is the age and health condition of the pet? All puppies and kittens should receive their vaccinations starting at 8 weeks of age. It is necessary to follow-up with a booster vaccine at 12 and 16 weeks. Then, these vaccines should be repeated in 1 years time. A 10 year old dog or cat however probably has enough immunity to last it the rest of its lifetime and at this stage in life, vaccination should be considered carefully. As well, any immune-compromised or ill pets should not receive vaccines as this can stress their body and do more harm than good.
DISEASES -DOGS
Canine Distemper
System affected: Central nervous system, respiratory, eyes, and gastrointestinal.
Signs: Fever, depression, anorexia, eye/nose discharge, ataxia (stumbling around), convulsions, diarrhea, occasionally vomiting.
Route of transmission: The virus is most abundant in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through the aerosol exposure, as well as most body tissues and secretions.
Parvovirus
System affected: Gastrointestinal
Signs: Diarrhea, vomiting, anorexia, extreme lethargy.
Route of transmission: The virus is commonly contracted via the ingestion of contaminated feces. The virus is highly contagious and survives in extreme conditions in the environment even after infected feces is removed.
Adenovirus (Canine Infectious Hepatitis)
Systems affected: Liver, kidneys and eyes.
Signs: The virus often mimmicks a poisoning as there is a sudden onset of vomiting, diarrhea (+/- blood), abdominal pain and extreme lethargy. Death ensues rapidly upon onset of signs.
Route of transmission: The virus may be contracted via nasal and oral secretions, as well as urine or feces.
Parainfluenza
System affected: Respiratory.
Signs: Dry hacking cough, retching. A secondary bacterial infection often occurs which produces nasal and eye discharge and sometimes pneumonia.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through aerosol exposure.
Lyme
System affected: Musculoskeletal.
Signs: Fever, anorexia, lethargy, sudden stiffness or lameness of joints, pain.
Route of transmission: Lyme is an organism spread by ticks. The pet contracts the disease after being bitten by a tick.
Bordatella
System affected: Respiratory.
Signs: Dry hacking cough, retching. A secondary bacterial infection often occurs which produces nasal and eye discharge and sometimes pneumonia.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through aerosol exposure.
DISEASES -CATS
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis
System affected: Respiratory.
Signs: Sneezing, discharge from eyes and nose, anorexia, lethargy. A secondary bacterial infection often occurs which sometimes leads to pneumonia.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through aerosol exposure.
Calicivirus
Systems affected: Respiratory, ocular.
Signs: Sneezing, discharge from the eyes, ulcers in the mouth. A secondary bacterial infection often occurs which sometimes leads to pneumonia.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through aerosol exposure.
Chlamydia
Systems affected: Respiratory, ocular.
Signs: Chronic eye infections are the most common sign and the infection may occur in only one eye. Pneumonia may also occur as the virus spreads through the respiratory system causing secondary bacterial infections.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in respiratory secretions and can be transmitted through aerosol exposure.
Panleukopenia
System affected: Gastrointestinal.
Signs: Sudden onset of vomting, diarrhea, anorexia, depression.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in the urine, feces and most body secretions of infected animals. An infected mother can pass it on to a fetus while in utero.
Feline Leukemia
System affected: Immune.
Signs: Feline leukemia produces non-specific signs and symptoms. Affected animals have a wide variety of signs and are usually chronically ill with no explanation. Commonly affected cats will seem lethargic, have a fever and your veterinarian will recommend bloodwork to properly diagnose the disease. Signs of the disease may take months, even years to develop.
Route of transmission: The virus is present in most body secretions and is most concentrated in the saliva of infected animals. Fleas may carry and pass on the virus. Cats commonly contract the disease via bite wounds.
Other contagious diseases of cats include:
Feline Infectious Peritonitis
There is currently no vaccine available against FIP. Signs of the disease include gradual weight loss, decreased appetite, increase in abdominal size and a peristent fever. The route of transmission of FIP is not specified however it is safe to assume all body secretions of an infected cat contain the virus.
Feline Immuno-Deficiency Virus
A vaccine was recently developed against FIV. The efficiency after 3 dose however was only between 0-80% therefore FIV is rarely vaccinated for. Like feline leukemia, FIV affects the immune system and produces non-specific signs and symptoms. Affected animals have a wide variety of signs and are usually chronically ill with no explanation. Commonly affected cats will seem lethargic, have a fever and your veterinarian will recommend bloodwork to properly diagnose the disease. Signs of the disease may take months, even years to develop.
Rabies
Rabies is a virus that can be contracted by dogs, cats, wildlife (skunks, raccoons, bats, coyotes, etc.) and humans. If you have been bitten by an animal that is suspected to have rabies, seek medical attention immediately. The disease can be fatal.
System affected: Nervous.
Signs: Disorientation, change in attitude (often aggression), excessive salivation, seizures and paralysis.
Route of transmission: Rabies is commonly transmitted via bite wounds as the virus is most prevalent in the saliva. The virus may be contracted through other body secretions as well.
DOES YOUR PET NEED TO BE VACCINATED EVERY YEAR?
Aside from the initial puppy/kitten vaccinations, it is important, especially in the juvenile and adult (not senior) stages of life to keep up with yearly vaccines. A senior dog or cat may have enough immunity from prior vaccinations to last the rest of their lifetime. Some vaccines are designed to be given every 2 or even 3 years, for example certain rabies vaccines. This can be discussed with your veterinarian as to avoid unnecessary vaccinations.
Recently, a testing method called a titer test, was developed for pets to determine if the pet still has immunity. The advantagse to this test are the avoidance of re-vaccinating a pet that does not need it therefore decreasing the chance of a vaccine reaction or complication. The disadvantage however is the cost of the titer test. A titer test for a single vaccine agent can cost $200.
Pet owner can still make an educated decision on whether to vaccinate every year without the titer testing, based on the information provided to them through individual research and discussing options with their veterinarian. New veterinarians are being taught alternative vaccine protocols and are receptive to the fact that pets may not require vaccines every year. A pet owner should always ask their veterinarian what their pet is being vaccinated for and if this is conducive to the pet’s lifestyle and environment.
