Fortunately for your pet, vaccines are available to help prevent many diseases. Vaccines help protect pets against common viruses and bacteria that cause disease.

Prevention is one of the ways to assure the best quality of life for your pet, and it usually costs less than treatment. Vaccinating your pet is the best and least costly way to help prevent disease. Without a vaccination program, many animals may come down with a serious or even fatal disease.

How Do Vaccines Work?

Vaccination helps prevent infection and/or reduce symptoms of disease. Vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been altered so they don't cause disease. When your pet is vaccinated, its immune system produces antibodies that work against the viruses or bacteria that cause the disease. Later, if your pet is exposed to that disease, these antibodies quickly destroy the disease-causing agent.

The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines after a pet is vaccinated. That's why a regular booster vaccination along with a health check-up is always recommended.

Why do Young Animals Require a Number of Shots?

A nursing puppy or kitten receives antibodies from its mother's milk (called maternal antibodies) that protect it from disease during the first weeks of its life. Unfortunately, these antibodies can also keep a vaccine from being effective.

Maternal antibodies gradually decrease during the first few months of life. That's why puppies & kittens are given a series of 3 or 4 doses spread out over several weeks. That way, if maternal antibodies interfere with early vaccination, later doses will still stimulate the puppy or kitten to produce its own antibodies to the disease.

Which Vaccines are Required?

Some factors to consider before beginning a vaccination program are:

• Age. Most vaccines have limited effectiveness until 6 weeks of age, because maternal antibodies neutralize vaccine.

• Overall health. Poorly nourished or sick animals or those on some medications may not respond well to vaccination. That's why a physical exam is required.

• Risk of exposure. Vaccination against some diseases may not be necessary if the risk of getting them is low.



Feline Vaccinations

Preventing...

Feline Leukemia
Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) can suppress a cat's immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections, such as pneumonia. FeLV can also cause cancer in some cats.

A few cats recover from a brief FeLV infection and rid themselves of the virus. But if permanent infection occurs, death almost always results. Any cat that is in continuing poor health or that often becomes sick may have feline leukemia. Your veterinarian can do a simple blood test to find out if your cat is infected with FeLV.

Feline leukemia vaccination is an important part of cat preventive health programs. Two initial doses are recommended three weeks apart, followed by annual boosters.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis

Feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) is caused by a virus and cats that show signs of infection almost always die. A cat with FIP may have an enlarged abdomen, caused by fluid buildup. Others have a more general infection that may result in fever, weight loss, and possibly eye lesions.

The first FIP vaccine was introduced in 1991. Instead of a shot, the veterinarian places drops of the vaccine in the cat's nose. This builds immunity at the site of infection, where the FIP virus initially multiplies.

Two does are given three to four weeks apart to cats 16 weeks of age or older, followed by yearly boosters.

Feline Panleukopenia

Feline panleukopenia (FPL), sometimes called feline distemper, is more commonly seen in younger cats, but can affect cats of any age. It's difficult to prevent exposure, so all cats should be vaccinated.

The FPL virus can affect many parts of a cat's body, causing fever, appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, tremors, incoordination and death. Estimates ranges from a 50% to 90+% death rate in clinical cases of feline panleukopenia.

FPL vaccines are given to kittens and annual boosters are recommended. Kittens less than 12 weeks old are given boosters several weeks apart until they are more than 12 weeks of age.

Feline Respiratory Disease

Respiratory disease is easily passed from one cat to another by direct contact or droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing. Kittens can die from the disease, especially if they get pneumonia. Cats with respiratory disease may have watery or sticky discharge from the nose and eyes, nose and mouth sores, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite.

Most respiratory diseases are caused by one of two viruses - feline rhinotracheitis virus or feline calicivirus. Rhinotracheitis tends to be more severe and can cause abortions in pregnant cats.

Vaccines against these two viruses are available. Veterinarians can use either an injectable vaccine or one given as droplets in the cat's nose.

Another cause of respiratory disease is an organism called Chlamydia psittaci. Although once called pneumonitis, the disease primarily causes inflammation of the eyes and nose. This disease can also be controlled by vaccination.

Rabies

All warm-blooded animals (dogs, cats, livestock, wildlife) can become infected with rabies virus. Because rabies is also a threat to humans, many states require vaccination of dogs and cats.

It is especially important to vaccinate cats against rabies, because rabies is more common in cats than in any other domestic animal. Rabies virus attacks the brain and central nervous system.

The disease develops over 10 days to several months. Infected animals may withdraw and avoid contact with people and animals. Others become unnaturally aggressive and may attack. Death always occurs once a rabies-infected animal shows signs of disease.

In North America, most rabies exists in wildlife, especially raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Rabies is spread by bites or saliva of infected animals. Therefore, an unvaccinated pet involved in a fight with a wild animal or with wounds from an unknown animal is suspect for rabies. When rabies is suspected, animals must be quarantined and observed. This may lead to euthanasia to obtain a definite diagnosis by laboratory testing for public health reasons.

If humans are infected, they can be treated in early stages of the disease. Treatment however is unpleasant and costly.

Cats & dogs should be vaccinated for rabies at 12 weeks or older, boosted 1 year later and then every three years.

Canine Vaccines

Distemper
Once very widespread and often fatal, distemper can still develop in unprotected dogs. Signs include diarrhea, vomiting, pneumonia, fever, seizures, skin lesions, lethargy and discharge from the eyes and nose.

Infectious Hepatitis
Signs include fever, diarrhea and severe liver, kidney and eye damage.

Infectious Tracheobronchitis (Bordetella) Commonly called "kennel cough" or "canine cough", this highly contagious respiratory disease is not limited to boarded or kenneled dogs. Dogs who visit the groomer or training classes are susceptible, too. This bacteria can infect puppies and adults either alone or in combination with a variety of viruses and bacteria. Signs include a dry, hacking cough or coughing spasms followed by retching or gagging, fever or lethargy.

Parainfluenza
Another cause of canine cough, parainfluenza is a viral respiratory infectious agent that can infect puppies and adult dogs. It can be severe in puppies or debilitated dogs, especially when combined with Bordetella. Signs of parainfluenza infection include fever, nasal discharge, reddened tonsils and a harsh, nonproductive cough.

Parvovirus
This highly contagious disease often results in death, especially in puppies. Parvovirus infects the dog's intestinal lining, lymph tissue and bone marrow. The result is severe diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration and often a decrease in circulating white blood cells.

Coronavirus
Coronavirus infection is the second leading viral cause of intestinal disease and is highly contagious. It may cause inapparent signs or mild diarrhea and vomiting in adult dogs but, when combined with other intestinal infections in puppies, can contribute to severe vomiting and diarrhea, dehydration and possibly death.

Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria transmitted through tick bites, especially the deer tick. Lyme disease is the most common tick-born disease among dogs and people in the United States. Signs include sudden lameness, swollen joints, depression and reluctance to move.