All about Vaccines
Many serious diseases that affect dogs and cats can be prevented by vaccination.
With over 50 million dogs and 20 million cats in the United States alone, your pet is bound to come in contact with an infectious disease at some time. Even if you always keep your pet indoors, your dog or cat can be exposed to viruses carried in the air, in dust or on clothing. Vaccination is inexpensive protection against costly treatment. More importantly, if your pet is not properly protected against these deadly diseases, it could cost you their lives.
That said, pet owners and the veterinary profession still ask whether or not annual booster vaccines are really necessary. The catch term the veterinary profession uses is “annual vaccine assessments,” which means when your pet is due for an annual heath exam, your veterinarian will assess your pet’s risk and the benefits of certain vaccines.
Gaging Your Pet’s Risk
Deciding which vaccinations your pet receives should be based on your pet’s lifestyle, age and health status. In general, there is a higher risk associated with not vaccinating if the disease is very contagious, the disease has a high fatality rate or the disease is less likely to be cured.
- Active Lifestyles: If your pet frequents parks, the woods, day care or groomers and is exposed to other pets and critters, the risk of disease increases without vaccination.
- Newborns: Babies are at a greater risk for diseases because they have not yet had the chance to fully develop their immunity.
- Older and aging pets: As pets age, they have a declining immunity and a diminished ability to respond to vaccines.
- Certain breeds and genetic lines: Some breeds are more susceptible to certain viruses, perhaps due to an incomplete immune response to the vaccines.
- Sick pets: particularly those taking anti-cancer drugs or immunosuppressive medication, are at higher risk to disease.
Alternative to Annual Vaccines
In some situations pet guardians prefer to have their pet vaccinated only when necessary. It is possible to test the level of immunity against any of the preventable diseases to determine whether boosters are really necessary. Through a blood panel, we measure the amount of antibodies (or titer) present in your pet. If there are sufficient antibodies, many pet owners opt not to re-vaccinate that year.
Please be aware that titers are more expensive than annual boosters. Also, the data that has been collected to assure that the pet is protected at a specific level may not truly represent your pet’s individual biology. For example, not all breeds, ages, health status, and lifestyles were adequately represented in the testing.
At this time the veterinary profession is doing their best to solve these concerns and give us complete confidence that these antibody levels are protective to our pets. Personally, I am comfortable with pets that have low risk lifestyles and “acceptable” titers levels. I find titers to be particularly helpful for patients that have had an adverse reaction to a vaccine.
Vaccination Risks
Some pet owners are concerned that vaccines will make their pet sick. Though the majority of pets vaccinated show no side effects at all, it is important to monitor your pet after he or she is vaccinated. It is not unusual to detect some lethargy for a brief period after being vaccinated. This typically lasts 24 hours. Sometimes a thickening or a lump and discomfort may occur at the vaccine site.
If this persists for more than a week you should notify the veterinarian. A few pets will develop a more severe reaction in the form of hypersensitivity (allergy). These will usually occur within minutes but may be delayed for a few hours. The pet may have difficulty breathing, salivate, vomit, and have diarrhea. If this should occur, consult with your veterinarian immediately.
Finally, the dreaded thought that the vaccine causes cancer. There is a lot of information about this topic. Are sarcomas (tumors) vaccine induced? Initially, the veterinary profession believed it was one vaccine verses another. Now, the veterinary community believes that the pet is genetically predisposed to this type of tumor and the “injection” site induces or turns on this cancer gene. Regardless of the cause, the incidence of tumors is much lower than the risks of these preventable diseases.
Through vigilance and high standards, the veterinary vaccines used today are the safest and most protective ever. Ultimately, your veterinarian will guide you through this decision-making process to ensure that your pet receives the best care and protection to keep them happy and healthy.
To Three or Not to Three
What’s best for your pet, a rabies vaccine made to last for a year or an inoculation that is made to cover your pet for three years? Though generally speaking it is recommended to give your pet a three-year rabies inoculation verses three annual rabies vaccines over three years, this is not the best alternative for all pets. The three-year vaccine stimulates the immune system more violently when compared to the annual vaccine.
Three-Year Cycle
Studies by the internationally recognized American Animal Hospital Association show that duration of immunity provided by vaccines against major pathogens is at least three years. Thus, the AAHA has revised guidelines, advocating for an extended interval between adult revaccination. Under typical conditions, protective revaccination intervals for the major viral diseases of normal adult dogs could safely be extended to three years.
The veterinary community has been slowly adopting a three-year vaccination protocol, under which each year, your pet will receive an annual physical examination, necessary laboratory testing for degenerative diseases, and only one vaccine. The following year, the animal would receive a different vaccine. This cycling of vaccines would ensure that your pet receives each vaccine every three years, but would receive some immunization each year.
Though this stimulation is not bad for your pet, if he or she is more prone or “sensitive” to the rabies shot it may be safer to give the annual vaccine rather than the three-year. Recent information shows that the annual rabies vaccine is less likely to cause undesirable reactions. My recommendation is to use a one-year rabies vaccine on pets who are more susceptible to an allergic reaction. Be sure to discuss your pet’s individual vaccination needs with your veterinarian.
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- One of the Top Three Reasons People Give Up their Pets is Allergies
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