Vaccinations
Vaccinations are to help protect your pet from a number of potentially serious and even fatal diseases, such as Rabies. Not only that, vaccinations cost considerably less than the treatments available for the diseases pets are normally vaccinated against. Every pet should be vaccinated - even indoor dogs and cats can be exposed.
How do vaccinations work?
Vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been modified so that they will not cause disease. When an animal is vaccinated, it stimulates two parts of the animal's immune system. One is the production of antibodies, the other is the stimulation of cell mediated immunity, which, in combination, mount a response against the bacteria or virus in question. If the dog or cat is later exposed to that disease, the two parts of the immune system will react quickly to destroy the disease-causing agent.
Your pet is born with immunities from their mother's milk however this wanes at 6 to 20 weeks of age. From there a series of vaccines are given, starting at 8 weeks of age and continuing every 3 to 4 weeks until the chance of contracting an infectious disease is very low. A second vaccine will produce a much greater response if it is following a vaccine given 3 to 4 weeks. Annual revaccination (booster shots) recommended the first year after the puppy/kitten shots and then yearly to every three years depending on the vaccine.
Why does my pet need regular booster vaccinations for the same disease?
The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines over time. Your pet needs regular "booster" vaccinations to ensure ongoing immunity from disease.
Do I need to get my pet vaccinated every year?
This is a topic which is currently under investigation within veterinary medicine. Unfortunately, the duration of immunity for each vaccine is not currently known.
While pet owners can have blood tests done on their pets to assess the pet's antibody level, this does not test the level of immunity currently provided by the pet's cell mediated immune system. Until more is known about the duration of immunity, the frequency and type of vaccines administered will vary. Talk to your veterinarian about the risk of viral and bacterial diseases in your area, and the need for one, two or three year vaccines.
When considering what is best for you pet, please remember that pets age faster than people. Pets can't talk, and because "survival of the fittest" meant that only the healthy and strong survived in the wild, animals will try to hide any evidence of illness as long as possible. This means that there may not be any outward signs that your pet is ill until the disease is quite advanced.
That's why, in addition to having regular vaccinations, it is extremely important that your pet has an annual physical examination. By performing a yearly physical examination, your veterinarian can detect early signs of organ dysfunction and illness. With early diagnosis comes early treatment. Early treatment in turn leads to an increased life span and an improved quality of life for your pet.
Which Vaccines are Needed?
The choice of vaccines for an individual pet depends on many factors: degree of exposure of the animal to the disease, diseases common in your area, your home situation. Your veterinarian can help make a choice on which vaccines are appropriate for your pet.
What diseases are vaccines available for?
- Rabies
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Parainfluenza
- Parvo virus
- Leptospirosis
- Corona virus
- Bordetella
Here are some other vaccine options that are available to you:
- canine core vaccine - combination vaccine with protection against canine distemper virus, canine adenovirus, parainfluenza, and canine parvovirus - often abbreviated to DHPP
- non-core - often recommended to vaccinate against leptospirosis and bordetella (Kennel Cough) depending on exposure and risk - these can be assessed with your veterinarian
- Bordetella risk factors: contact with other dogs on walks, at the groomer's, at the vet clinic
- if frequently kenneled, groomed, shown or if highly social, bordetella vaccination may be recommended on a 6-month basis
- the protective effect of vaccinations for bacterial infections (e.g. bordetella and leptospirosis) typically do not persist for more than a year therefore yearly (and occasionally more frequent) booster vaccines advisable
- canine core vaccine - rabies vaccine at 16 weeks
- non-core vaccine - Lyme Disease - due to the low incidence of Lyme disease in our area, we generally do not encourage the use of this vaccine except in special circumstances
