A question I hear often from clients
is one about how frequently should they vaccinate their
pets. This is an issue which has been getting some publicity
lately and one to which there is no real right
answer. Vaccines have provided us with great protection
from specific infectious diseases. In the past, it was felt that
dogs and cats had greater exposure to these infectious diseases; so
to protect them we vaccinated them annually. We have determined
that many of our vaccinations are providing immunity for much
longer than one year when strategically administered. Determining
the length of immunity is a complex issue, one of which there is
not a final answer. Based on current
research and recommendations from the American Veterinary Medical
Association, the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task
Force that is supported by the AVMA, the American Animal
Hospital Association, The American Association of Feline
Practitioners and the Veterinary Cancer Society, the following
protocols are what we are currently recommending. As a
veterinarian, I want my patients to stay as healthy as possible. I
do not want to see infectious disease increase. However, I also
want to reduce the negative effects of
over-vaccination.
Not all vaccines are created equal. There are many manufacturers,
types of vaccines and preparation form. Why not continue to
vaccinate yearly? It is not the cost, as most vaccines are
relatively inexpensive. It is because at least some vaccinations
have been implicated in various risks. To summarize, some pets
react very strongly to vaccines. Some will spike fevers and/or have
a reaction similar to humans who are allergic to bee stings.
Additionally, a specific and uncommon cancer called “fibrosarcoma”
is associated with the sites where vaccines have been administered.
Most of these vaccine site cancers have been found in cats. Again, these
vaccine site cancers are rare to uncommon in cats, and even rarer
in dogs.
Before I talk about my vaccination schedules and reasons behind
them, I do want to point out that, vaccines due or not, we still
need to examine your pet every year. Animals
age at least 6-7 years for every year that we age and, without
annual exams, there may be problems that would get missed and not
treated in time. Here's a link that will take you to a
discussion on why annual (and sometimes more often) exams are so
important. Please take the time to read that page as
well!
Dogs
Core vaccines for dogs include Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza
and ParvoVirus (DHPP) for dogs. We currently use Schering's
Galaxy DA2PPv vaccine. We recommend puppies have this
vaccine at approximately 7-8 weeks old, then every 3 to 4
weeks until 4 months old for most breeds. I currently repeat this vaccine
yearly until the dog is 2 ½ - 3 years old, then I readminister it
every 2-3 years thereafter.
Leptospirosis is a component that we used to include in the core
vaccines. However, we found that many of the vaccine reactions we
saw in dogs were from the Lepto component. With that knowledge,
many veterinarians discontinued using this vaccine. While cases of
Leptospirosis are uncommon, the disease is again beginning to
emerge. Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease. There are several
types of this bacterium. People and dogs can both become infected
with these bacteria if they are exposed to the urine of certain
small furry animals such as rodents and raccoons that are infected
with the bacteria. The disease can cause kidney and/or
liver failure. A specific vaccine is required to protect
against each type. We are again offering vaccination against
Leptospirosis, but do not require it. We will not use it until a
pup is at least 12 weeks old. We provide a Leptospirosis Information handout
to owners to help
determine whether we will use that vaccine or not in their
pup. We use Pfizer's
'4-way' lepto vaccine.
Per current recommendations, I
do not vaccinate against Corona virus. According to the literature,
in dogs this virus primarily affects pups less than 6 weeks old,
and is not a significant disease in otherwise healthy puppies or
dogs.
We do not carry or use
the Giardia Vaccine. The vaccine tends to increase the
carrier state of infection, putting your family at greater
risk. Giardia is a treatable
infection.
We do not recommend
vaccination against Lymes disease although I do carry it and will
administer it at a client's request. The vaccine against it
is related to a higher degree of post-vaccinal diseases (sometimes
worse than the disease itself) and the disease is treatable with
proper antibiotics. Currently, we test every year
for Lyme disease when we check for heartworm disease - we use
a combination test that tests for both.
We do recommend vaccination for
Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough/Infectious
TracheoBronchitis) twice yearly, as the immunity for this common
and troublesome disease is short lived (less than one year). If not
done every 6 months, then this vaccine should be given 2 weeks
prior to boarding, grooming, training, or any other situation where
your dog will come into contact with other dogs. There is
information that the strain of Bordetella in our current vaccines
is not covering all the strains of Kennel Cough. That maybe so, but
in my clinical experience, I have found that vaccinating 2 times
yearly is effective for most pets to prevent the disease. We
normally use Schering-Plough's Intratrac 2 intranasal vaccine (a
liquid squirted into the nose, not injected). For dogs that
are not cooperative, we use a more traditional method of
vaccine.
Rabies vaccine for dogs and cats will be administered based on our
state law requirements. The initial rabies vaccine given as a puppy
or kitten will be repeated 1 year later, and thereafter every
3 years. Given that
rabies is a zoonotic disease (a disease shared by both man and
animals), I require all patients be kept current with rabies
vaccine administered in compliance with Virginia State
regulations. We use Fort Dodge
Rabvac 3 rabies vaccine.
Cats
Core vaccinations for cats include Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis,
Calici Virus, and Panleukopenia Virus (FVRCP). We recommend this
vaccine 2 - 3 times in the initial kitten series for all
kittens. We also
recommend Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) vaccine 2 times in the
initial kitten series, even to the indoor cats. I give rabies vaccine once to
kittens. We
recommend repeating the FVRCP, FELV and Rabies vaccine one year
after the kitten vaccines were completed. Thereafter, I rotate through
these 3 vaccines, effectively administering each once every three
years with the cat receiving one each year. For cats that are indoor only,
the FELV vaccine may be discontinued. We use
Schering-Plough's Eclipse and Fevaxyn FeLV.
We currently do not carry the vaccine against Feline
Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). If the vaccine proves to be
effective at preventing the disease to my satisfaction, and proves
to be safe to use, we will offer it.
Once this vaccine is used, your cat will test positive for the
disease. If you have your cat vaccinated with this, please be
sure it is microchipped.
We do not carry or recommend the Feline Infectious Peritonitis
Virus Vaccine. Although it has been marketed for about 12-13
years, I am not convinced it prevents the disease and may
precipitate the disease.
Vaccination
should be considered a serious medical decision. Although we may
make it look like a simple ‘shot’ there are many variables that we
have to consider. Pets
should only be vaccinated when they appear healthy upon physical
exam. Giving vaccines
to sick or infected pets may not help the pet, and may put the pet
at risk for other problems. Since vaccines are meant to
stimulate the immune system, giving the pet too many vaccines at
one time can cause problems. We take careful consideration in
selecting the manufacturers and components of our vaccines. As well, we ensure proper
transportation, storage and handling of vaccination products. You
should allow your pet to only be vaccinated by trained veterinary
staff with vaccines that have been chosen for their known
effectiveness. You
should only allow vaccines to be given to your pet if you are
satisfied the vaccine product has been properly handled and
refrigerated from manufacturer to
administration.
