Vaccines
Why Vaccinate?
Dogs and cats are immunized against some of the major viral and bacterial conditions that exist. The vaccination recommendations vary from patient to patient based on health status, lifestyle and perceived risk, but these changes are made through consultation with the veterinarian.
Standard protocols have been developed so that we can best serve our patients and protect their health.
Initial Puppy and Kitten Series
Why do we give a series of vaccines in puppies and kittens?
Each puppy and kitten will receive antibodies from their mother. These antibodies will protect them from most of the diseases that we are vaccinating for. Unfortunately, the maternal antibodies will also interfere with the puppy or kitten’s ability to mount its own immune response to the vaccine. The maternal antibodies will dissipate from the system at different rates in each puppy or kitten depending on how much they received initially and a variety of other factors. As this occurs, the ability of the vaccine to provide protection grows. There is, however, a window of vulnerability that is created.
By doing the vaccines every few weeks, this window is narrowed and the puppy or kitten is able to mount their own protective immune response.
When to start?
We usually recommend that puppies start early – between 6-8 weeks. Many puppies will begin to have their maternal antibody levels drop low by this time so it is a good idea to begin vaccination. This is especially true for parvovirus.
With kittens the normal starting time is 9 weeks of age, but if they come sooner we can easily start at any time. There is a vaccination protocol sheet developed to help determine which vaccines should be given and when – posted on the refrigerator.
When do we finish?
Because of the variability of time to maternal antibody loss and the need to have at least two boosters following this drop, it is important that the final vaccination be given to animals no younger than 16 weeks of age. Some animals deemed to be at high risk may even be boostered at 20 or even 24 weeks.
Standard Kitten Schedule
- 9 Weeks:First CVR-C (leukemia)
- A feline leukemia test is also a good idea
- Note: this is merely the standard based on the vaccine label. We should still encourage owners with kittens to come in at six or seven weeks to do initial examinations. Some will have mites, parasites or there may be a need to do vaccines.
16 Weeks: Final kitten boosters and rabies vaccination
Standard Puppy Vaccines
6-8 Weeks: Distemper (measles) and parvovirus combination10 Weeks: Distemper, coronavirus and parvovirus combination
13 Weeks: Distemper, coronavirus and parvovirus combination
16 Weeks: Distemper and parvovirus combination + rabies vaccination
The initial distemper vaccination is often done with a human measles type virus. This is a virus in the same family and often helps to break through the maternal antibody interference better. It is not given to dogs older than 10 weeks of age.
What are we vaccinating for?
PuppiesParvovirus (One of the Ps in DHLPP or DA2PL):
- Intestinal virus
- Transmitted from dog to dog in feces
- Life-threatening disease characterized by vomiting, diarrhea and rapid dehydration an decrease in circulating white blood cells
- Usually treatable only with aggressive fluid therapy and supportive care
- This is a virus that effects many systems of the dog including nervous system and respiratory system
- If contracted this disease is very often fatal regardless of treatment
- It is passed from dog to dog usually in tears, sneezes, feces
- This is the virus that causes infectious canine hepatitis
- It is a life threatening liver infection and is often fatal to dogs
- This is a bacteria that invades the urinary tract of dogs
- It can cause damage to kidneys
- It is also a zoonotic disease, which means that it can be transmitted to humans
- There are many different types of this bacteria and the vaccines do not protect against all types, but they will provide some protection against this disease
- One component of the canine upper respiratory complex
- Signs include fever, nasal discharge, reddened tonsils and a harsh nonproductive cough
- It is a contributor to the condition known as Infectious Tracheobronchitis (a.k.a. kennel cough)
- This is a viral disease of the intestinal tract of puppies
- Adult dogs rarely, if ever, are affected by this disease
- It causes symptoms similar to parvovirus, but is rarely fatal
Kittens:
Calici Virus (the C in CVR-C)
- Respiratory and oral disease of cats
- Can cause sever ulceration of the tongue
- Can be life threatening because they will not want to eat
- Passed from cat to cat
- This virus is a member of the herpes virus family
- This is the major virus involved in feline upper respiratory tract infection
- It is a virus that lives in the nerve endings and so will be a chronic recurring problem if they contract the disease
- Also known as feline distemper
- This is a fatal disease that will suppress the bone marrow of cats preventing them from making red and white blood cells
- It is passed from cat to cat usually in tears, saliva and urine
- Agent is Chlamydia psittaci
- This is an upper respiratory pathogen in birds, cats and people
- Infection is usually limited to the eyes
- But this is a condition that can be transmitted to people
- Retrovirus disease (related to the human AIDS virus, however, CANNOT be transmitted to people)
- Causes suppression of the immune system
- Predisposes to lymphoma
- Suppression of the bone marrow
Puppies and Kittens:
Rabies Vaccination:
- Protects animals from exposure to rabies
What is PureVax and how is it different?
PureVax is a non-adjuvented and recombinant vaccination for cats. It is designed to reduce the risk of injection site sarcomas by reducing the reactivity of the vaccine itself. Also, it provides for protection against all of the standard disease (Leukemia not included) with only a single injection. With current, available information, it is believed that this is the best recommendation for our patients to prevent the injection site sarcoma problem.Feline Leukemia Recommendation
The vaccine for feline leukemia itself has been implicated in the cause of what are known as injection site sarcomas. This is a cancer that develops at the site where the vaccine was given. It is still poorly understood, but because of this risk it is recommended that only cats that are at risk of exposure be vaccinated.Because this is a retrovirus, it lives for only a very short time outside of the body. It can, therefore, only be transmitted by intimate contact – e.g. bite wounds. It can not be picked up from the environment, brought home on clothes or any other normal daily activities.
Who should not be vaccinated with ProVax?
- Indoor-only cats
- Cats that just go into the yard with the owners
- Cats that may escape once in a great while
Who should be?
- Cats who are permitted to roam free without supervision
- Cats who are escape artists
- Cattery cats
Other Vaccines:
Bordatella Bronchiseptica- Major component in canine infectious tracheobronchitis (aka kennel cough)
- Helps protect against upper respiratory disease
- The problem is that there are a group of agents that can lead to this disease and there are not vaccinations for all of them
- Recommended for dogs that are around groups of other dogs: shows, classes, boarding, grooming, doggy daycare.
- Disease carried by ticks (the deer tick Ixodes damini and in some cases Ixodes pacificas)
- The disease is not carried by ticks that are here in Nebraska
- Some question of how effective the vaccine is
- The disease is easy to treat and less severe in dogs when compared to people
- Not recommended unless travelling to endemic areas
- Not routinely done
- Question of exposure and how effective the vaccine is
- Not routinely done
Disease in Vaccinated Animals
Why might a vaccinated animal become sick?- Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed: This is by far the most common reason. For one reason or another the patient’s immune system either failed to respond to the vaccine or failed to mount a sufficient response when challenged by the disease. Things like stress, other diseases going on, certain viruses, etc. will diminish the immune systems ability to respond to disease, leaving the dog or cat vulnerable to the disease.
- Overwhelming exposure: sometimes there is so much virus or bacterial exposure that even vaccinated animals are overcome. This occurs commonly with parvovirus. Animals can be exposed to a great deal of virus when in contact with the yard of a dog that had parvo.
- Vaccine failure: No vaccine is 100% effective. We minimize this by using the best vaccines available, handling them appropriately (refrigeration, etc.), and making sure that they are administered correctly. Not everyone is as careful or knowledgeable (e.g. over-the-counter vaccines).
