Vaccination: Shots Your Pet Will Appreciate

Vaccination: Shots Your Pet Will Appreciate

Vaccination will keep your dog or cat free of many common diseases

Since the discovery in the eighteenth century that it was possible to build up immunities against certain diseases in both people and animals by injecting them with tiny amounts of living virus, hundreds of vaccines have been created. By immunizing pets in their early months and bolstering the protection with annual “booster” vaccinations, pet owners can shield their animals from diseases that often are highly contagious to other animals and, in cases such as rabies, pose a serious treat to humans as well. Here, from the American Veterinary Medical Association, is a rundown of the diseases against which your dog or cat should be immunized.

Both cats and dogs

Rabies: A viral disease that can attack the central nervous system of all warm-blooded animals, including humans. It is fatal if not treated, Most states require dog and cant owners to vaccinate their pets against rabies. The disease is transmitted by saliva, which is usually transferred by a bite from an infected animal and is frequently found in wild animals, such as skunks, raccoons, and bats.

There are two types of rabies – “dumb” and “furious”. Both cause a departure from normal behavior. 

Animals with furious rabies will have a period immediately prior to death in which they appear to be “mad”, frothing at the mouth and biting anything that gets in their way. Dumb rabies differs in that there is no “mad” period. Instead. Paralysis, usually of the lower jaw, is the first sign. The paralysis spreads to limbs and vital organs and death quickly follows. Wild animals that are unusually friendly and appear to have no fear of man or domestic animals should be avoided and reported immediately to the police or animal control authorities.

Pusha. Photo by Elena

Rabies is almost totally preventable by vaccination. Dogs and cats should receive an initial rabies vaccination by the age of three to four months. Protection lasts from one to three years. Regular booster vaccinations are required.

Dogs Only

Canine Bordetellosis: Caused by bacteria in the respiratory tracts of many animals, it is the primary cause of kennel cough. Besides the cough, some dogs suffer from a purulent nasal discharge. Transmission usually occurs through contact with other dogs’ nasal secretions. Vaccination is generally administered by nasal spray.

Canine distemper: A highly contagious viral disease, canine distemper is transmitted by direct or indirect contact with the discharges from an infected dog’s eyes and nose. Direct contact is unnecessary because the virus can be carried by air currents and inanimate objects. Early signs are similar to those of a severe cold and often go unrecognized by the pet owner. The respiratory problems may be accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea. A nervous system disorder may also develop.

The death rate from canine distemper is greater than 50 percent in adult dogs and even higher in puppies. Even if the dog survives, distemper can cause permanent damage to a dog’s nervous system, sense of smell, hearing, and sight. Partial or total paralysis is not uncommon.

Canine Leptospirosis: A bacterial disease that harms the kidneys and can result in kidney failure. Vomiting, impaired vision, and convulsions are all tipoffs. Transmission result from contact with the urine of infected animals, or contact with something tainted by the urine of an infected animal.

Canine parainfluenza: A viral infection of the respiratory tract, it is frequently accompanied by other respiratory viruses and is usually spread through contact with the nasal secretions of other dogs.

Canine parvovirus (CPV): A serious problem because the virus withstands extreme temperature change and even exposure to most disinfectants. The source of infection is usually dog feces, which can contaminate cages and shoes and can be carried on the feet and hair of infected animals.

CPV attacks the intestinal tract, white blood cells, and heart muscle. Symptoms include vomiting, severe diarrhea, a loss of appetite, depression, and high fever. Most death occur within 48 to 72 hours after the onset of clinical signs. Infected pups may act depressed or collapse, gasping for breath. 

Death may follow immediately. Pups that survive are likely to have permanently damaged hearts.

Infectious canine hepatitis: Caused by a virus that can infect many issues, the disease usually attacks the liver, causing hepatitis. In some instances a whiteness or cloudiness of the eye may accompany the disease. Another strain of the same virus can cause respiratory tract infections. These viruses are transmitted by contact with objects that have been contaminated with the urine from infected dogs. Infectious canine hepatitis is different from human hepatitis.

Cats only

Feline panleukopenia: Also known as feline distemper, the disease comes from a virus so resistant that it may remain infectious for over a year at room temperature on inanimate objects. Spread through blood, urine, feces, nasal secretions and fleas from infected cats, the virus causes high fever, dehydration, vomiting, and lethargy and destroys a cat’s white blood cells. It is 50 to 70 percent fatal, but immunity can be developed throug vaccination of kittens and annual boosters.

Feline Leukemia virus: A disease of the immune system that is usually fatal, its symptoms include weight loss, lethargy, recurring of chronic sickness, diarrhea, unusual breathing, and yellow coloration around the mouth and the whites of the eyes. Confirmation of the virus requires a blood test. Fortunately, there is a new vaccine that provides protection.

Pushon. Photo by Elena

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Felins clicivirus, and Feline pneumonitis: All three are highly infectious viruses of the respiratory tract, for which vaccinations are available.

Calling the Shots on Your Pet’s Health

The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends the following vaccination:

Dogs: Distemper, infectious canine hepatitis (CAV 1 and CAV 2), parvovirus infection, bordetellosis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis, rabies, coronavirus.

Cats: Panleukopenia, viral rhinotracheitis, caliciviral disease, rabies, feline leukemia.