Vaccinations
Vaccinations are critical to your pet's overall health and are usually administered during an annual exam. Vaccinations will be individualized per household depending on the pet's risk of contracting specific diseases. Vaccinations serve to protect our pets from the common infectious diseases and are necessary for boarding and grooming salons. Ask us what vaccinations we would recommend for your pet! For example: for cats we are now using non-adjuvanted vaccinations. (Some vaccines contain adjuvants which are used to "activate" the vaccine.) Such adjuvants have recently been found to increase the likelihood of cancer in our cats.
The advantage of using non-adjuvanted vaccines are for not placing "foreign substances" into our cats which can potentially serve as a nidus for neoplasia. We are pleased to offer these newer generation vaccines to our feline patients!
Additionally, we are seeing an increased incidence of tick-borne diseases in recent years in our area, particularly Lyme. If your pet goes outside or you live in or near the woods, then you need to consider protecting your pet with a Lyme vaccination series.
What determines which vaccines my pet should receive?
To determine whether a pet should be vaccinated against a particular disease, our practice will assess their exposure risk, including:
Age: A specific vaccination protocol is necessary to help puppies and kittens build resistance to disease while the immunity passed from their mothers wears off. After the initial vaccine series, booster vaccines are required for adult pets to maintain immunity.
Geography: Exposure risk to some diseases is higher in some geographic areas; for example, Lyme disease is most prevalent in heavily wooded areas, such as the Northeast, (has currently migrated to the South).
Lifestyle: Cats who live solely indoors with no contact with other cats have little risk of exposure to feline leukemia and may not need this vaccination. But if your cat goes outside, spends time at a boarding facility, or has contact with outside cats brought into your home, he has a higher exposure risk and should be vaccinated.
What are the risks of vaccinating my pet?
The most likely vaccination complications include tissue swelling around the injection site; mild signs of illness such as fever, lethargy, and soreness; and allergic reactions to the vaccine that can range from mild to life-threatening. The likelihood of a dangerous reaction is low, whereas the likelihood of your pet developing a life-threatening disease if he is not vaccinated is much higher.
Which core vaccines should my dog receive?
Canine distemper: Affects the respiratory and nervous systems, and often is fatal
Infectious hepatitis: Caused by adenovirus type-1, hepatitis can lead to acute or chronic liver inflammation
Parvovirus: Causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration as well as life-threatening sepsis in unprotected puppies
Rabies: Causes progressive neurological problems and death, is transmitted when an infected animal bites, and can be transmitted to humans
Lyme disease: Transmitted by the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and prevalent in wooded areas
Leptospirosis: Caused by bacteria shed in the urine of infected wild animals; pets and humans become infected by exposure to contaminated outdoor water sources and can develop kidney and liver failure
Bordetella bronchiseptica: Causes kennel cough, a respiratory infection common in shelter dogs
Parainfluenza virus: Causes respiratory infection in dogs; a single vaccine combining parainfluenza and Bordetella can protect against kennel cough
Canine influenza virus: Recently shown to cause respiratory infection; vaccination is recommended for dogs exposed to other dogs outside the home
Western diamondback rattlesnakes: Recommended for dogs who live in or visit areas inhabited by rattlesnakes
Which core vaccines should my cat receive?
Feline herpesvirus-1/feline viral rhinotracheitis: Causes infectious respiratory disease and lifelong infection that leads to recurrent flare-ups
Calicivirus: Also causes respiratory disease, often characterized by oral and nasal ulcers (not as common)
Panleukopenia: Causes life-threatening blood cell deficiencies, vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration, as well as brain damage to kittens infected in utero
Rabies: Considered a noncore vaccine, but required by law in many states for both dogs and cats
Additional vaccines that cats may need based on their lifestyle include:
Feline leukemia: Can cause lifelong infection that leads to a weakened immune system and chronic illness
Chlamydophila felis: Causes feline respiratory infection often characterized by severe conjunctivitis
Bordetella bronchiseptica: Another cause of bacterial respiratory infection in cats
Feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV): Contracted when a cat is bitten during a cat fight, FIV causes immunosuppression and chronic illness
Which vaccines are required during a treatment visit?
North Carolina Rabies Regulations
Dogs and Cats receive a rabies booster vaccine 1 year after the first vaccine and every 3 years thereafter, if the vaccine is licensed for 3-year use.