vaccins

WHY DO BABY ANIMALS NEED A SERIES OF SHOTS AND HOW MANY DO THEY NEED?

When a baby kitten or puppy is born, its immune system is not yet mature; the baby is wide open for infection. Fortunately, nature has a system of protection. The mother produces a special milk in the first few days after giving birth. This milk is called "colostrum" and is rich in all the antibodies that the mother has to offer. As the babies drink this milk, they will be taking in their mother's immunity. After the first couple of days, regular milk is produced and the baby's intestines undergo what is called "closure," which means they are no longer able to take externally produced antibodies into their systems. These first two days are critical to determining what kind of immunity the baby will receive until its own system can take over.

How long this maternal antibody lasts in a given puppy or kitten is totally individual. It can depend on the birth order of the babies, how well they nursed, and a number of other factors. Maternal antibodies against different diseases wear off after different times. We DO know that by 14-20 weeks of age, maternal antibodies are gone and the baby must be able continue on its own immune system.

While maternal immunity is present in the puppy’s system, any vaccines given will be inactivated. Vaccines will not be able to "take" until maternal antibody has sufficiently dropped. Puppies and kittens receive a series of vaccines ending at a time when we know the baby's own immune system should be able to respond. We could simply wait until the baby is old enough to definitely respond as we do with the rabies vaccination but this could leave a large window of vulnerability if the maternal antibody wanes early. To give babies the best chance of responding to vaccination, we vaccinate intermittently (usually every 2-4 weeks) during this period, in hope of gaining some early protection.

When a vaccine against a specific disease is started for the first time, even in adult animal, it is best to give at least two vaccinations. This is because the second vaccination will produce a much greater (logarithmically greater) response if it is following a vaccine given 2-4 weeks prior.

IF A VACCINE LASTS A PERSON HIS OR HER WHOLE LIFE, WHY DO I HAVE TO VACCINATE MY PET ANNUALLY?

In the U.S., vaccines are licensed based on the minimum duration they can be expected to last. It is expensive to test vaccines across an expanse of years so this is not generally done. If a vaccine is licensed by the USDA for annual use, this means it has been tested and found to be protective to at least 80% of the vaccinated animals a year after they have been vaccinated. Some vaccines are licensed for use every three years and have been tested similarly. Do these vaccines last a lifetime? We cannot say that they do without testing and this kind of testing has yet to be performed.

It is also important to realize that some diseases lend themselves to prevention through vaccination while others do not. For a vaccine to generate solid long lasting immunity, the infection must be fairly generalized to the entire body (like feline distemper or canine parvovirus) rather than localized to one organ system (like kennel cough or feline upper respiratory viruses). Vaccination for localized infections tends to require more frequent boosting whereas there is potential for vaccination for systemic disease to last for many years.

WHAT DO I DO IF MY PET SKIPS A YEAR OF VACCINATION?

It depends on the vaccine and the hospital. Hospitals are likely to have different recommendations as vaccination policy tends to be individualized to the practice and its geographic location. At some hospitals, recommendations for adult animals who skip an annual vaccine include:

• Feline Distemper (FVRCP) - Vaccinate normally. It is not necessary to restart the initial series.
• Feline Leukemia (FeLV) - If an adult cat has skipped an annual booster, it is not necessary to restart the initial series and vaccination can simply pick up where it left off.
• Rabies - A three year vaccine can be given anytime after the initial one year vaccine. This means that if a year is skipped, the next rabies vaccine given will still be a three year vaccine. One year vaccines can be boosted at any time and will be good for one year from the time they are given.
• Canine distemper, canine parvovirus- Vaccinate normally. You do not need to restart the initial series as though the pet is starting over from the beginning.
• Canine Influenza - The series should be restarted if longer than 18 months have past since the last dose.
• Canine Leptospirosis - If longer than 18 months have passed since the last dose, the series should probably be restarted.

WHAT VACCINES SHOULD I GET IF MY PET IS INDOORS ALMOST CMOPLETELY?

Both the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association have published guidelines for vaccination. Vaccinations are divided into “core” vaccines which every pet should have, and “non-core” vaccines which a pet should have depending on their exposure risk.

For cats, core vaccines are the basic distemper shot: feline distemper (panleukopenia), feline herpes and feline calicivirus. Rabies vaccination is core. Many people are surprised that rabies is often considered a core vaccine and is considered important even for indoor-only cats but when one considers the consequences of rabies exposure (which can certainly happen indoors) and the legal consequences of owning a biting animal (what happens to the animal generally is dependent on its vaccine status), it is not hard to see why this vaccine is important. The feline advisory board does not consider feline leukemia virus vaccination to be core but they strongly encourage every kitten to be vaccinated against this infection with a re-assessment of risk factors when the kitten is grown. This is because young kittens frequently live indoors only but this often changes when the kitten matures regardless of the original intentions of the owner.

(Photocredit: MorgueFile.com)

For dogs, core vaccines are the basic distemper shot (DHPP) and the rabies vaccine. Since dogs do go outside for walks, for grooming, to the vet’s office etc. we recommend vaccine against Parvo Virus.

CAN VACCINES HURT MY PET?

Some muscle soreness, lethargy and mild fever persisting for a day or two are considered common (normal) reactions to stimulation of the immune system. Occasionally a firm swelling temporarily develops at a vaccine site (especially with killed vaccines). Vaccine reactions beyond this are unusual but possible. Allergic reactions characterized usually by facial swelling and hives are a strong sign that special care should be taken in administering vaccinations. Vomiting can be a sign of impending shock and should be taken seriously after vaccination. Since allergic reactions potentially can become worse with each episode, it is important to take heed of these signs as severe reactions can result in shock or even death.

.