VACCINATING YOUR PET-NEW 3 YR PROGRAM
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Do I Really Need to Vaccinate My Pet & How Often?

The answer is Yes for Some and Maybe Not for Others

VISIT DR LOOPS SITE  

 

Vaccinations, vaccinations, vaccinations.  Dog and cat owners have been told by veterinarians and pet health care providers for years that annual vaccinations for Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Feline Leukemia and on and on...are required yearly.  Annual  vaccinations, also called annual boosters, have certainly played a major role in disease prevention in dogs and cats.  Nevertheless, the question recently on the minds of dog and cat owners has been... Do these vaccines have to be given every year?  And a second and equally important questions is... are we vaccinating dogs and cats too much?  Are we actually causing harm by over-vaccinating our pets?  Vaccinations are not harmless....we are actually injecting diseases into our pets that lowers their immunity and sometimes brings on harmful effects such as cancers.  Just imagine we vaccinate our children once in a lifetime of 80+ yrs and we vaccinate our companion animals as much as 20 times in the life span of 14+.yrs..Is this all really necessary?  Or has it become commonplace to vaccinate annually based on the monetary system of our medical system?.......Read on.......

Other vaccinations vary  in their benefits and risks.It is extremely important to vaccinate puppies and kittens successfully for several diseases. This is the time that they are most likely to contract many of the diseases which we vaccinate for. Early protection can prevent the heartbreak of dealing with parvovirus in a puppy or feline leukemia in a kitten. Please contact your vet and work with him or her to establish and follow a good vaccination schedule for your pediatric pet! A series of vaccinations is given in the hopes of protecting all puppies and kittens as early as possible but continuing to vaccinate until all patients are protected.

FOR DOGS THE FOLLOWING VACCINATIONS MAY BE NEEDED DEPENDING ON YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES. They're often combined into a single injection containing several components. Since several combinations are marketed, it is possible to tailor the vaccination schedule for puppies and adult dogs to match their needs.  YOUR VET SHOULD ADVISE YOU ON THE CORRECT VACCINES FOR YOUR PET. THEN AS AN INFORMED OWNER YOU CAN DECIDE WHICH VACCINE TO ADMINISTER.  As you can see from the chart below vaccinations are protective up to 3 years in some vaccines and often longer ...with the exception of the Rabies and Bordetella in Adult Dogs.  Annual visits to your vet should be for an annual check up to prevent disease ...not a visit to inject unnecessary vaccines.

2006 AAHA Veterinary Guidelines
Canine Parvovirus
(CPV-@) (MLV)
 Administer at 6-8 wks of age, then every 3-4 wks until 12-14 weeks of age PARVOVIRUS

Two doses, 3-4 weeks apart.  One dose is considered protective and acceptable

 After a booster at 1 yr (unless mfg. label recommends otherwise) revaccination once every 3 yrs or more is considered protective Core:  Although annual boosters are recommended by some vaccine mfg. studies have shown protection against challenge (DOI)up to 7 yrs posst vaccination with MLVvaccine products with CPV-2 all provide excellent protection against field isolates.
Canine Parvovirus 
CPV-2 (killed)
 Not recommended killed parvovirus products have been shown to be susceptible to maternal antibody interference in puppies as old as 16-18 wks .  Multiple doses (2-5) may be required even if puppies oldaer than 12 wks
Canine Distemper
Virus (CDV) (MLV)
 Administer at 6-8 wks of age, then every 3-4 wks until 12-14 wks of age DISTEMPER

Two doses , 3-4 weeks apart.  One dose is considered protective and acceptable.

 After a booster at 1 yr (unless mfg recommends)revaccination once every 3 yrs or more is considered protective. Core:  Although annual boosters are recommended by some mfg , adult dogs, challenged 7 yrs following vacinnation were protected
Canine Distemper
Virus (rCDV)
 Administer at 6-8 wks of age, the 3-4 wks apart until 12-14 wks of age DISTEMPER

Two doses-3-4 wks apart

 After a booster at 1 yr revaccination every 3 yrs is protective A suitable alternative to the MLV-CDV vaccine Recent studies have shown compared with MLV_CDV vaccines the recomvinant CDV is more likely to immunize puppies in the face of passively acquired maternal antibody
Distemper-
Measles Virus 
(D-MV)(MLV)
 One dose only between 4-12 wks MEASLES

Never indicated in animals older than 12 wks

 Never indicated in animals older than 12 wks Noncore:  Intended to provide temporary protection in 
puppies because the measles vaccine is effective at providing immunity against CDV even in the presence of passively acquired maternal antibody
Canine Adenovirus-1(Cav-1) (MLV) and killed Not recommended : Significant risk of "hepatitis blue-eye reactions is associated with CAV-1 vaccines.  CAV-2 vaccines very effectively cross-protect against CAV-1 and are much safer.
Canine Adenovirus-2(CAV-2) (MLV parenteral) Administer at 6-8 wks of age, then every 3-4 wks until 12-14 wks ADENOVIRUS

Two doses 3-4 wks apart.  One dose is considered protective

 After a booster at 1 yr revaccination once every 3 yrs or more is considered protective. Core:  Demonstrated cross-protection against canine hepatitis caused by CAV-1 as well as CAV-2 one of the agents 
known to be associated with infectious tracheobronchitis. Adult dogs challenged 7 yrs following vaccination were protected
Canine Adenovirus-2 (CAV-2) killed or topical Not recommended.  CAV-2 (MLVparenteral) vaccines 
produce a more effective immune response than CAV-2 killed vaccines do.
Rabies 1-year killed Administer one dose as early as 3 months of age RABIES-1YR

Administer a single dose

 Annually, State and local laws apply.  The 1-yr rabies vaccine may be used as booster vaccine when dogs are required by statute to be vaccinated annually. State, and local statutes govern the frequency of vacciness for products labeled as 1 yr vaccines.  The 1 yr rabies vaccine is sometimes administered as the initial dose followed by a 1 year later by administration of the 3 yr rabies vaccine.  State statute governs.  1 yr vaccine should not be considered to cause fewer adverse reactions than a 3 yr rabies products. Route of administration is not optional.
Rabies-3 yr killed Administer one dose as early as 3 months of age where authorized by law a 3 yr vaccine may be substituted as alternative to the 1 yr vaccine for intial and subsequent doses RABIES-3YR

Administer a single dose.  Where authorized by local and state statures a 3 yrrabies vaccine may be substituted  as an alternative to the 1 yr vaccine for intial and subsequent doses.

 The second rabies vaccination is recommended 1 year following the adminsitration fo the initial dose regardless of the animals age at the time the first dose was given .  Booster vaccines should be given every 3 yrs. State and local laws may apply State and local laws govern statutes the frequency of giving the 3 yrs rabies vaccine.  The 1 yr vaccine is sometimes given as the initial dose follwoed 1 yr later by the 3 yr rabies vaccine.
Parainfluenza Virus (CPIV) (MLV parenteral) Administer at 6-8 wks of age then every 3-4 wks until 12-14 wks of age One dose is adequate. After a booster at 1 yr revaccination once every 3 years is protective. DOI by challenge has been shown to be at least 1 yr for topical intranasal vaccine.
Bordetella  bronchiseptica)killed bacterin-parental) Administer one dose at 6-8 wks and one dose at 1-12 wks of age KENNEL COUGH

Two doses 2-4 weeks apart.

 Annually or more often in very high -risk animals not protected by annual booster. There is no known advantage to giving parenteral and intrranasal B vaccines simultaneously.  Vaccine should be given at least 1 wk prior to exposure.
Bordetella bronchiseptica(live arirulent bacteria) + Parainfluenza ?Virus (MLV) topical intranasal application Administer a single dose as early as 3 wks of age for best results a second dose should be given 2-4 wks after the first KENNEL COUGH

A single dose is recommended

 Annually.  or more often in very high -risk animals not protected by annual boosters Transient 3-10 coughing, sneezing, or nasal discharge may occur in small percentage of vaccinates.  If animal has not been vaccinated within the previous 6 months a booster is recommended 1 week prior to known exposure.
Bordetella bronchiseptica(cell wall antigen extract)parenteral Administer one dose at 8 wks of age and one dose at 12 weeks of age KENNEL COUGH

Two doses 4 weeks apart

 Annually or up to every 6 months in high risk environments DOI is apprx.  9-12 months There is no known advantage to giving parenteral and internasal simultaneously.  
Bomelia (Lyme) killed whole bacteria Intital dose may be given at 9-12 wks of age with a 2nd dose 2-4 wks later LYME DISEASE FROM TICKS

Two doses 2-4 wks apart

 Annually Revaccinate prior to start of tick season as determined by region Recommended only for use in dogs that known high risk of exposure living in an area where tick exposure is high.  Minimum challenge is 1 yr in studies
Canine Doronavirus (CCV) (killed and MLV) Not recommended--Prevalence of clinical cases of confirmed CCV disease does not justify vaccination.  Clinical disease rarely occurs and when seen is typically mild and self-limiting.  Experience has shown no additional increase in infectious erteritis amoung adults or puppies subsequent to discontinuing CCV vaccines   Neither the MLV vaccine nor the killed CCV vaccine have been shown to protect dogs against challenge when these tow viruses are used
Leptospira interrogans(combined with serovars canicola and icterohaemorrhaglae killed bacteria) Administer one dose at 12 wks and one dose at 14-16 wks for optimal response.  Do not give to dogs younger than 12 weeks. Two doses 2-4 wks apart. Annual boosters are not routinely recommended for all dogs.  Vaccinations should be restricted to use in areas where a reasonable risk of exposure is established.  Vets are advised of anecdotal reports of acute anaphylaxis in toy breeds following adminstration of leptospirosis vaccines.  Routine vaccination of toy breeds should only be considered in dogs with known high risks.  Dogs at high risk should be vaccinated at 12and 16wks of age.and then at intervals of 6-9 months until the risk is reduced. Disease prevalence is likely to vary for each serovar.  Vaccine recommendations are therefore difficult to make die to lack of information on prevalence of specific serovar infections in fogs in various geographic regions.  Anecdotal reports from vets and breeders suggest that incidence of post vaccination reactions (acute anaphylaxis) in puppies (<12 wks of age ) and small breed dogs is high.  Reactions are most severe in young puppies.  Therefore, routine use of the vaccine should be delayed until dogs are 12 wks of age.  Minimum DOI based on challenge studies has been shown to be approx 1 year for serovars.
Giardia Not recommended the vaccine may prevent cyst shedding but does not prevent infection.  There is insufficient date to warrant routine use of this vaccine.
Crotalus atrox Toxid used to protect dogs against venom of snake bite and should be used only in areas associated with rattlesnakes
Porphyromonas
peridontal disease
 intended ONLY  as an act to prevent peridontal disease in dogs

Kathy McIntosh, pres. KDR (exerts from Dr. Loops,DVM)