Vaccines — Why you should let strangers poke your pet
Let’s talk about the most persistent medical topic in most pet-owner’s lives: vaccines. The most common questions we get working in a veterinary clinic are: ‘what vaccines does my pet need?’ and ‘how often should they get them?’ In this blog post we will address the different types of vaccines available, how they work, potential side effects, how often they should be boostered, and the diseases they protect against.
Why Vaccinate?
The first time a body encounters a germ or virus, it can take several days to recognize that it’s a threat and mount an appropriate response to the following infection. For some diseases, this delayed response is the difference between a body being able to control a small interruption, and needing to wage war on a rampant infection. Vaccines work by introducing a virus in an either weakened or killed form so the actual risk of contracting the disease is negligible. In doing so, the body is exposed to a form of the virus and can produce memory cells so it can recognize the antigens from the virus in the future. This way, when they encounter the real virus later in life, the body will recognize it immediately and be able to react before it has time to multiply and spread.
The Vaccine for Everybody:
Rabies:
Of all the vaccines, Rabies is the most import core vaccine for both dogs and cats. Rabies is always fatal (except for this one girl in Wisconsin), can be transmitted between species, and is a very painful and scary way to die:
Following a bite from a rabid animal, the disease progresses in stages. In the prodromal phase (first phase), the dog undergoes a marked change in temperament. Quiet dogs become agitated and active pets become nervous or shy. This phase can last 2-3 days.
After this stage, there are two recognized forms of the clinical disease:
Furious Rabies occurs when the rabid dog becomes aggressive, highly excitable, and displays evidence of a depraved appetite, eating and chewing stones, earth, and rubbish (pica). Paralysis eventually sets in and the rabid animal may be unable to eat and drink. Hydrophobia (fear of water) is not a sign of rabies in dogs. This is a feature of human Rabies. The dog finally dies in a violent seizure.
Dumb Rabies is the more common form in dogs. There is progressive paralysis involving the limbs, distortion of the face and a similar difficulty in swallowing. Owners will frequently think the dog has something stuck in the mouth or throat. Care should be taken in examination since Rabies may be transmitted by saliva. Ultimately the dog becomes comatose and dies.
~VCA
Since it is so dangerous, it is required by law to keep your pets up to date on this vaccine. Cats and dogs should receive their first Rabies vaccine between the ages of 12-20 weeks. The first time a rabies vaccine is administered it’s good for one year before it must be boostered. As long as it is boostered before the vaccine expires, it will only need to be boostered every three years after that. However, if it expires before it is boostered, the law says that you need to restart: you’re back to one year again. So keep this one up to date, both for safety reasons, and so you don’t have to poke your pet any more often than necessary. At Precision, we offer this important vaccine for $10.
While the virus looks pretty cool up close, the symptoms do not.
Vaccines for Dogs:
DHPP:
DHPP is the other almost universally recommended core vaccine for dogs. It is commonly referred to by one of its components: ‘Distemper vaccine’, but this vaccine actually protects against 4 different serious and life-threatening viruses dogs can contract:
Distemper Virus — This virus can actually be transmitted through the air, making it especially high-risk since it doesn’t even require direct contact with a carrier to spread. Initially, infected dogs will develop watery to pus-like discharge from their eyes. They then develop fever, nasal discharge, coughing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and vomiting. As the virus attacks the nervous system, infected dogs develop circling behavior, head tilt, muscle twitches, convulsions with jaw chewing movements and salivation (“chewing gum fits”), seizures, and partial or complete paralysis. Distemper is often fatal, and dogs that survive usually have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage. ~AVMA
Hepatitis — Also called Adenovirus, this disease is spread through contact with urine or other infected bodily fluids. It causes swelling of the liver and in severe cases, usually in young puppies, also leads to fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, edema (fluid swelling under the skin) of the head and neck, and possibly jaundice. Such cases are often fatal. ~VCA
Parvovirus — While not aerosol, this virus is remarkably resilient, infectious, and lethal. Parvo lives in the GI tract and essentially sucks all of the fluids out of a dog in the form of vomit and diarrhea. Death usually follows within 48-72 hours. It is resistant to heat, cold, humidity, and drying, and can survive in the environment for long periods of time. Even trace amounts of feces from an infected dog may harbor the virus and infect other dogs that come into the infected environment. It is spread by direct dog-to-dog contact as well as contact with contaminated feces (stool), environments, or people. The virus can also contaminate kennel surfaces, food and water bowls, collars and leashes, and the hands and clothing of people who handle infected dogs. The virus is readily transmitted from place to place on the hair or feet of dogs or via contaminated cages, shoes, or other objects. ~AVMA
Parainfluenza — Slightly less terrifying than the previous three plagues, Canine Parafluenza is a virus that lives along the respiratory tract and is spread through sneezing and coughing. It is one of the common viral causes of canine infectious upper respiratory disease complex, a bundling of symptoms often collectively referred to as “kennel cough” in layman’s terms. Once it has found a dog to live in it causes coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge.
You can vaccinate as early as 6 weeks of age, and should start as close to that as possible to keep your dog protected. Dogs of any age may contract these diseases, but puppies are most susceptible due to the fact that their immune systems are still developing. You must booster this vaccine every 3-4 weeks until the dog is at least 16 weeks old. Once they receive a booster at the age of at least 16 weeks, it will be good for one year. For dogs living in high risk environments (animal shelters, areas where vaccination compliance is low and subsequent disease rates are high), it is a good idea to start vaccinating at 4 weeks of age and booster this vaccine every 2 weeks. Then, as with rabies, it only has to be boostered every 3 years as long as you stay up to date. At Precision, this vaccine is available for $10.
Why does my puppy need boosters?
The boostering process is probably the most misunderstood concept in the vaccine world (which can be a confusing place for newcomers anyways). The name booster is misleading here as well, since each iteration of the vaccine isn’t actually making the resistance stronger or anything like that. The reason puppies need this vaccine boostered has more to do with their own maturation. At birth, puppies and kittens receive maternal antibodies to help protect them from diseases at the beginning of their life, and at some point between 2-5 months these wear off. The problem is that the exact age where these antibodies cease to protect the pup is completely dependent on the individual. Until they wear off, the vaccine isn’t doing much, and after they wear off the pup is at risk for everything. So, the boostering schedule is meant to minimize the amount of time a puppy could possibly go without protection, and the frequency recommended has a lot to do with their exposure levels. This also means that the actual number of boosters is irrelevant, a five month old puppy will be just as protected if they receive the vaccine once as a five month puppy who received a booster every two weeks, it’s just a lot more likely that the puppy that got the boosters stays healthy for the months leading up to that fifth one.
Leptospirosis:
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection, spread by coming into contact with the urine of wild animals who have the disease. This bacteria likes to contaminate the soil as well as stagnant water, such as ponds, lakes, or puddles and can survive in them for weeks or even months. This infection can be transmitted to humans and causes kidney and liver damage progressing to organ failure, meningitis, and even death. The risk of infection is even higher if you live close to a wooded area with a lot of wildlife or if your pet likes to swim in lakes or drink from ponds or puddles. We’ve seen a pretty sizeable uptick in the popularity of this vaccine as people spend more time outdoors with their pets. The earliest a dog can receive the Leptospirosis vaccine is 8-9 weeks old. No matter when a pup receives their first lepto, it should be boostered in 3-4 weeks. Once they have had at least 2 doses, the vaccine is good for one year. After that, this vaccine must be boostered once a year to stay effective. At Precision, this vaccine costs $15.
Bordetella:
This vaccine prevents a bacterial infection that triggers “kennel cough” symptoms. Frequently people will refer to this as the ‘kennel cough vaccine’, although this is somewhat misleading since the symptoms described by this can also be triggered by a number of other, frequently more minor, infections. Bordetella is a highly contagious respiratory disease signified by a dry, honking cough and sometimes nasal discharge. This disease can be spread directly from dog to dog and can also be spread through the air, which is part of what makes it so contagious. Left untreated, this disease can progress to pneumonia, especially in puppies and dogs with compromised immune systems. The Bordetella vaccine is highly recommended for any dog who many come in contact with other dogs. When thinking about this vaccine, consider whether or not you plan to bring your dog to dog parks, pet stores, groomers, vet clinics, obedience classes, puppy play-dates, or even if they may come nose to nose with another dog through your backyard fence. It is pretty common for doggy daycare, groomers, and boarding facilities to require the Bordetella vaccine. There are injectable, intranasal and oral versions of this vaccine. Precision Veterinary carries the oral vaccine, which can be given as soon as 7 weeks old, and should be boostered once a year. At Precision Veterinary, this vaccine costs $15.
Lyme:
This tickborne disease can also be extremely unpleasant or fatal and, if left untreated, can progress to kidney failure and death. Fortunately, pets on flea and tick preventatives run a much lower risk of contracting the disease since its primary transmission vector is tick bites and a tick must remain attached to your pet for 24-48 hours to transmit the bacteria responsible for causing Lyme disease. For a more thorough overview of the 101 reasons you should keep your pet on flea & tick preventatives, check out our article on ticks! This vaccine is administered in 2 doses, 3-4 weeks apart and should be updated annually.
This is quite possibly the only type of dog that will not benefit from regular vaccination.
Vaccines for Cats:
FVRCP:
The FVRCP vaccine protects against a variety of upper respiratory diseases that cats are frequently exposed to as well as Panleukopenia. The acronym stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis Calicivirus & Panleukopenia, which are the three viral diseases it protects against.
Rhinotracheitis — this is a fancy name for the herpes virus that nearly every cat carries. In cats this virus manifests as an upper respiratory infection and leads to sneezing and congestion although it can lead to reproductive issues as well. Left untreated this can develop into conjunctivitis or any number of upper respiratory infections (URIs). In fact, this virus is estimated to be responsible for 80%-90% of all URIs in cats. While this virus is found in the vast majority of cats, the vaccine helps to control the symptoms and reduce flare ups, significantly reducing the probability of complications. ~VCA
Calicivirus — Another fun upper respiratory infection, except this time with large extremely painful tongue ulcers thrown into the mix. Also, while it is currently rare, there is one specific strain of feline calicivirus that causes severe generalized disease. The initial symptoms involve the eyes, nose, and mouth, but the infected cat quickly develops a high fever, severe depression, edema of the legs and/or face, jaundice, and symptoms of multiple organ disease. This strain is highly infectious, and the death rate is reportedly up to 67%. ~VCA
Panleukopenia — this is the big scary one. Commonly referred to as feline parvovirus, the official name of this vaccine literally means ‘widespread white-blood cell deficiency’ which is basically what it does. It kills everything; the virus targets rapidly dividing cells, which tend to be important to vital systems and, with radically diminished white blood cell counts, the kittens become extremely susceptible to other infections. While the clinical signs can be inconsistent, the intestinal tract is often hit pretty hard since it’s comprised of rapidly dividing cells. Vomiting and bloody diarrhea are frequent. The hair coat quickly becomes dull and rough, and the skin loses its elasticity due to dehydration. ~VCA
FVRCP is one of the two core vaccines recommended for all cats, since the diseases it protects against are almost ubiquitous in the environment and can debilitate or even kill unprotected cats fairly rapidly. Cats should start this vaccine as young as 6-8 weeks old and need to have it boostered every 3-4 weeks until they are at least 16 weeks old. Once they have received a booster at the age of 16 weeks or older, it will be good for one year. After that, it only needs to be boostered every 3 years. Similar to puppies, kittens in high risk environments should start this vaccine series even earlier at 4 weeks of age and should receive booster vaccinations every 2 weeks. At Precision, this vaccine is available for $10.
Why does my kitten need boosters?
The boostering process is probably the most misunderstood concept in the vaccine world (which can be a confusing place for newcomers anyways). The name booster is misleading here as well, since each iteration of the vaccine isn’t actually making the resistance stronger or anything like that. The reason kittens need this vaccine boostered has more to do with their own maturation. At birth, puppies and kittens receive maternal antibodies to help protect them from diseases at the beginning of their life, and at some point between 2-4 months these wear off. The problem is that the exact age where these antibodies cease to protect the kitten is completely dependent on the individual. Until they wear off, the vaccine isn’t doing much, and after they wear off the pup is at risk for everything. So, the boostering schedule is meant to minimize the amount of time a kitten could possibly be at risk, and the frequency recommended has a lot to do with their exposure levels. This also means that the actual number of boosters is irrelevant, a five month old kitten will be just as protected if they receive the vaccine once as a five month kitten who received a booster every two weeks, it’s just a lot more likely that the kitten that got the boosters stays healthy for the months leading up to that fifth one.
FeLV:
Feline Leukemia (or FeLV) weakens the immune system, increases susceptibility to other diseases, causes blood disorders and is a common cause of cancer in cats. It is spread through repeated, consistent contact with other infected cats and is therefore recommended for outdoor cats or cats likely to come into contact with other infected cats. Fortunately, it can not survive in the environment for more than a few hours, so direct contact is almost a prerequisite for spreading the disease.
This vaccine is administered in 2 doses, 3-4 weeks apart and should be updated annually. It’s also worth noting that if one of your cats does somehow contract this disease, it’s not a death sentence. While your pet’s immune system will be severely compromised, by limiting exposure to outside contaminants, it’s entirely possible for them to continue to live a relatively normal life for years to come. Don’t turn down or euthanize a cat just because they have FeLV; just vaccinate everybody else and keep them indoors.
What about Vaccine Reactions?
Once in a while, a pet may experience an adverse reaction to a vaccine. Most of these side effects are mild and pretty non-threatening. They can include tenderness at the injection site, lethargy, mild fever, and/or decreased appetite. Usually these don’t require medical treatment and pass on their own within a couple days — typically they’re just a byproduct of the body’s immune response to a foreign antigen. However, a small number of animals can have more severe allergic reactions. If your pet is going to have a life-threatening allergic reaction, it’s probably going to happen almost immediately after receiving the vaccine, within the first hour or so. The symptoms to look out for in this case would be swelling in the face or feet, difficulty breathing, severe vomiting or diarrhea, hives, and/or seizures. Basically the same kinds of things you would expect from any other allergic reaction. If you observe any of these more severe symptoms, it could be signs of a severe allergic reaction and it is very important that you bring your pet back to the clinic where they received the vaccine or to the nearest emergency vet clinic immediately.
Another rare potential side effect of vaccination is the development of a mass at the injection site. This reaction is extremely uncommon, although it is slightly more common to see with cats than dogs. The mass is usually just a granuloma, which is a fancy word for an inflammation that will typically resolve itself within a couple weeks of the vaccine. On extremely rare occasion, however, it may also develop into a sarcoma, in which case it may have to be surgically removed. This is why when we administer vaccines, we try to do it as far down on the limbs as possible so that if this rare reaction occurs and we do have to remove a sarcoma, it is easier to do so.
It is important to remember that while a lot of these potential reactions sound scary, they are extremely uncommon unlike the diseases vaccinating prevents. In general, the benefits of vaccines highly outweigh the risk of any side effect that may occur. If an animal is known to have had vaccine reactions in the past, we can also take preventative measures, such as administering antihistamines ahead of time to suppress some of the allergic response.
By far the most common vaccine reaction is that your pet will become annoyed at us for poking them in the butt.
FAQs:
Question: My cat stays indoors. Does it still need to be vaccinated for Rabies ?
Answer: Yes, even if a cat isn’t supposed to have access to the outdoors, it is always in their best interest to get them vaccinated against Rabies. Cats can slip out of houses and find themselves exposed to a raccoon or feral cat. A bat could get into your house and your pet could catch it and become infected. It only takes one accident, one bite to contract rabies; and it is always fatal.
Question: Will the distemper vaccine make my dog behave better?
Answer: The DHPP vaccine protects against the Distemper virus, but in no way will change the temperament of your dog. If you are having severe behavioral issues with your dog, it would be a good idea to see a professional dog trainer.
Got a question? Ask them in the comments and we’ll add them to this section!
Schedule an appointment to get your pet vaccinated!
Sources:
https://www.aafp.org/home.html
McCurnin’s Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians Eighth Edition