Healthy Pet
Rethinking the Way We Vaccinate Our Pets
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n recent years the way we vaccinate our pets has evolved from a one-size-fits-all vaccine protocol to a much more indi- vidualized approach, taking into consideration each pet’s lifestyle and risk of exposure to various infectious diseases. Most veteri- narians follow the recommenda-
tions of organizations such as the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) when determining which vaccine protocols to recommend for their patients. These groups regularly convene advisory panels comprised of experts in immunology, infectious disease, internal medicine and clinical practice to evaluate scientific research regarding the vari- ous vaccines’ efficacy, duration of immunity, and safety, in order to establish guidelines for veterinarians to follow. Just as there has been increasing scrutiny of the safety of human
vaccines, pet owners have begun to question the benefit of vacci- nating each pet for every conceivable disease. There are legitimate concerns regarding potential vaccine reactions; although these are thankfully quite rare, they can be serious, even life-threatening. The AAHA states that immunization is a medical procedure with defined benefits and risks, and should be approached as individualized choices for each pet, determined by lifestyle, risk of exposure and with input from the pet owner. Some considerations: will a puppy be going to puppy classes, day-care, the dog park, or groomer? Will s/he spend a lot of time hiking in the woods, or travelling to other parts of the country? Will a cat be strictly indoors or allowed outside where s/he may engage in hunting behavior? There are recognized “core” vaccines for both dogs and cats,
which are recommended for all kittens and puppies regardless of lifestyle. These are administered in an initial series with boosters thereafter at prescribed intervals. Generally speaking, this initial series is begun at 6-8 weeks of age and vaccines are boostered at 3-4 weeks until the series is completed at 16- 20 weeks of age. A booster at one year is indicated, and then every three years thereafter. The rationale for the puppy/kitten series is that the young animal is born with maternal antibodies that protect them during the first weeks of life. These antibodies prevent the young animal’s immune system from responding to a vaccine. As these antibodies begin to decline the youngster’s immune system is able to take over and begin mak- ing its own protective antibodies when presented with a vaccine. Vaccines use various technologies which rely on inactivated in-
fectious virus or bacteria, or some portion of these infectious agents, or may utilize recombinant DNA technology. The animal’s immune sys- tem will respond to these vaccines by making antibodies to the disease- causing organism. Core vaccines, or those that are generally regarded as essential for all pets are the Canine Distemper, Canine Parvovirus and Rabies vaccines for dogs and the Feline Panleukopenia (or Feline Distemper), Feline Herpes and Feline Calicivirus and Rabies for cats. These should be boostered through the initial series, then at one year of
10 Natural Nutmeg August 2012
age, and then at three year intervals thereafter. Another option is to ac- tually measure the level of antibodies in the blood (or titer) of individu- al diseases, in order to determine whether a booster is even necessary. Then there are the non-core vaccines - those that are recom- mended only for dogs or cats considered at high risk of exposure to these infections. For dogs, some of these are Bordetella (or Kennel Cough), Leptospirosis , Lyme Disease (or Borelliosis), and Canine Influenza. For cats the non-core vaccine is the Feline Leukemia vaccine, recommended by the AAFP for those cats going outdoors, with exposure to other cats. Currently the AAFP recommends that all kittens receive at least the initial Feline Leukemia series, whether they end up being indoor or outdoor cats. The FIV vaccine (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) vaccine is not currently recommended for cats nor is the FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis) vaccine. In certain settings such as in animal shelters, cats may receive a Bordetella or Chlamydia vaccine, though these are not indicated for cats in a household setting. Veterinarians now evaluate each patient as an individual and
develop a recommended vaccination protocol tailored to that pet. Rabies vaccination is actually required by state law for all dogs and cats; Rabies is a zoonotic disease (transmissible to humans) which is invariably fatal. The vaccine is generally regarded as extremely effective and safe, and there is a real threat of exposure due to the presence of the Rabies virus in wildlife populations, thus Rabies vac- cination is universally recommended. It must be recognized that vaccinating pets for life-threatening illnesses protects not only our individual pets but the pet population as a whole. For instance, periodically we will hear about an out- break of the deadly parvovirus. While vaccination will protect dogs, unvaccinated dogs, particularly puppies, are at risk of contracting this highly contagious virus. Pet owners who may have allowed their dog’s vaccine to lapse, or who may never have completed the initial puppy series of vaccines, may be putting their dog’s life at risk. In addition, the larger the pool of unprotected animals present in the population, the more potential victims, the faster the virus can spread. In this sense, we must consider the health of the population as well as the health of our individual pets. The best way to protect pets is to have them examined by a
veterinarian shortly after bringing them home. Whether you adopt a puppy or kitten or an older rescue pet, his or her lifestyle and current health status can be assessed and an optimal vaccination schedule can be determined.
Dr. Kim Rio is a 1991 graduate of Tufts University School of Veter- inary Medicine. After nearly 20 years in small animal clinical prac- tice in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, she launched her housecall practice, “Mobile Pet Vet”, with certified veterinary technician Ju- lie Barton, in order to bring individualized wellness care to pets in their homes. For an appointment, or for more information call: (203)584-1211 or visit
www.mobile-pet-vet.com. See ad on page 35.
Dr. Kim Rio
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