EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT VACCINATIONS 

Q:  WHAT IS A VACCINE AND WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE?

A:  Vaccines that are commonly administered to pets contain small amounts of viruses, either killed(inactive) or modified (altered so they do no cause disease).  These vaccines are given to "teach" the pet's immune system to recognize certain diseases and mount an effective response against them. Most vaccines are directed ate viral infections.  Since there are no medications that will kill viruses (antibiotics only kill bacteria),  vaccines are of vital importance to keeping your pet healthy. 


Q:  HOW DO THEY WORK?

A:  The inactive or modified organisms do not cause disease but do act as antigens.  This means they retain properties that stimulate your pet's immune system to produce antibodies.  Antibodiesare produced by the immune system to fight disease by combining with the disease-causing organisms and neutralizing them.

In other words, your pet's immune system responds to the vaccine as if it were the disease-causing organism and produces antibodies against it.  These antibodies remain in the body and  protect your pet if it encounters the active organisms,  thus helping to prevent illness.

Q:  WHY ARE RE-VACCINATIONS NECESSARY?

A:  Antibody levels produced by the initial vaccination diminish with time.  When your pet is re-vaccinated, the immune system is stimulated to "remember" the antigen and manufacture more of the appropriate antibodies.  This secondary immune response is called anamnesis.  (for more detailed information)


Q:  IF MY PET IS VACCINATED CAN I BE ASSURED IT WON'T BECOME ILL?

A:  No.  Unfortunately, vaccines are not guaranteed to prevent disease because too many variables are involved.  The most important factor is the immune system of the individual pet.  Like people, pets have varying abilities to respond to vaccines and fight off infections.  Some animals naturally respond to vaccination better than others.

Very young animals and aging pets appear to have diminished ability to respond to vaccines.  In such cases, it is critical that these pets be re-vaccinated at appropriate intervals.  An animal that is underweight, pregnant, or stressed due to parasites or illness also may respond poorly to vaccines.

If an animal is exposed to a disease shortly before or after vaccination, it may become ill.  This occurs because the vaccine did not have enough time to properly stimulate the immune system. 

Q:  WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD IN VACCINES?

A:  With the development of newer DNA technology, it has been suggested that newer vaccines may provide better more durable protection against different viruses.   

RABIES:

Q:  What is rabies?

A:    Rabies is a disease that is caused by a virus.  It can infect any warm-blooded animal, including people, livestock, dogs and cats.  It causes inflammation of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and is nearly always fatal.

Q:  How is it transmitted?

A: Generally Rabies is transmitted through bite wounds.  A rabid animal carries the rabies virus in its saliva.  Thus, when it bites another animal or person, the virus is deposited in the wound.  Infection can also occur if saliva from an infected animal comes in contact with an open cut or scratch.

CANINE VACCINES:

 

 DISTEMPER:

Canine distemper is a contagious  viral disease of dogs.  It is often fatal.  The distemper virus is shed in the saliva,  mucus, urine and other body fluids of infected dogs.  Generally, dogs become infected by inhaling the virus particle.

The virus initially spreads from the lungs to the lymph  nodes and bone marrow.  It then infects and damages the intestinal tract, the lungs, and the nervous system.  The infection causes immunosuppression.  This means it inhibits the body's defenses against other infectious agents.  These agents cause complications such as pneumonia and intestinal infection. 

PARVOVIRUS:

A very serious viral disease of the gastrointestinal tract causing bloody diarrhea and fluid loss.  The virus is shed in the feces (stools) of infected dogs.  Transmission occurs when dogs ingest the virus.  The virus can be carried to distant areas on the feet of dogs and shoes of people that have walked in contaminated areas.
 
After localizing in the lymph nodes, the virus spreads through the whole body.  Two types of infections are seen.  In very young pups, parvovirus can infect the heart muscle, causing difficulty breathing, weakness, and sudden death.  In puppies and dogs of all ages, parvovirus can cause a fatal intestinal infection.

CORONA VIRUS:*NOT RECOMMENDED*

Canine corona virus is transmitted the same way as parvovirus and develops in the body in a similar manner but cause less serious illness. As a result of changing vaccination guidelines, the Animal HealthCare Center currently does not recommend vaccinating against corona virus..

KENNEL COUGH (BORDETELLA):

Kennel cough (infectious tracheobronchitis) is a highly contagious respiratory disease of dogs.  Most cases are mild, but if untreated some may progress to severe pneumonia.  Several viruses and bacteria, either alone or in combination, are known to cause kennel cough.  Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria, parainfluenza virus and adenovirus are the most important causative agents.

 Kennel cough is transmitted in a similar manner as a cold in humans.  The airborne agents that cause kennel cough spread easily from dog to dog in conditions of close confinement, such as those existing at dog shows or in kennels.  Overcrowding, drafts, poor nutrition, and other stresses tend to lower resistance to the disease. 

LYME DISEASE:

In the United States, lyme disease has become the most common tick-borne bacterial disease affecting both humans and animals.

Lyme disease is spreading at an alarming rate.  In 1982, 11 states reported 497 cases of human lyme disease.  By 1990, more than 30,000 cases had been reported in 47 states.  Experts predict, however, that Lyme disease exposure in the dog may be 6-10 times greater than that reported in humans.

Symptoms of Lyme disease are vague and often unrecognized.  They include: arthritis, sudden onset of pain, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite and depression. 

INFECTIOUS CANINE HEPATITIS:

It is a highly contagious disease of dogs that is potentially fatal.  The virus is shed in the urine and other body fluids of infected animals.  Dogs become infected by ingesting the virus.  The virus spreads from the intestinal tract to the liver, kidneys, lymph nodes, and blood vessels.  The infection can cause abnormal blood clotting activity that results in fatal bleeding. 

FELINE VACCINES:

 FELINE PANLEUKOPENIA (FELINE DISTEMPER)

  A contagious viral disease of cats (similar to the Parvovirus found in dogs).  Body fluids contain the virus and it is spread by direct contact with the infected animal or contaminated areas.  The infection causes fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, dehydration, and death. 

 FELINE INFECTIOUS PERITONITIS (F.I.P., FELINE CORONAVIRUS) *NOT RECOMMENDED*

  A frequently fatal viral disease often seen in very young or very old cats.  The contagious virus is shed in the saliva, urine and feces of infected cats.  In the most dramatic form of Feline Infectious Peritonitis (F.I.P.),  the cat's abdomen swells with fluid, as a result of damage to the blood vessels.  This fluid can also accumulate in the chest causing breathing difficulty.  Other signs include fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, jaundice and death. Once clinical signs of F.I.P. appear,  the disease cannot be effectively treated or cured. 

Unfortunately, recent research suggests that the FIP vaccine provides little or not protection against infection and is currently not recommended by the Animal HealthCare Center.

 FELINE RESPIRATORY DISEAES (Rhinotracheitis and Calicivirus)

Since the widespread use of vaccines, feline respiratory infections have become less severe.  Infections  are still quite common in kittens and in cats congregated in close and/or poorly ventilated areas.  Rhinotracheitis virus and Calicivirus are the major causative agents, while  Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, and Bordetella often play a secondary role in respiratory diseases in cats.

Most infections are mild and transient. However,  opportunistic bacteria often take advantage of the cat's comprimised condition and can cause a very severe secondary pneumonia and even death.  As with most viruses there is no specific medication that kills viruses.  Treatment is directed at preventing the secondary opportunistic bacteria from causing harm. 

FELINE LEUKEMIA

Feline leukimia (FeLV) is a virus that targets the immune system and weakens it making it susceptable to many other infectious diseases.  These diseases include respiratory infections, reproductive problems, anemia, fever, and various forms of cancer.  Like so many viruses, the disease is shed in saliva, urine, and feces.  It is transmitted by biting and social grooming.  Pregnant cats can pass the virus to the unborn kittens in the uterus and to newborns in the milk.  Contaminated food dishes and litter pans can also be a source of infection to healthy cats. 

 FELINE IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (FELINE AIDS, F.I.V)

The Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (F.I.V.) is a member of the virus subfamily, lentivirus.  Several other lentiviruses have been identified and found to cause immunodefiency diseases in other species (ie.horses, cows, goats, sheep and humans [H.I.V.]). Currently, there is NO vaccine avaliable to prevent F.I.V.

The disease is primarily transmitted from the bite of one cat to another.  As with most lentiviruses, three stages of disease have been identified. The initial (acute) stage often goes undetected but can  cause fever, lymph node enlargement, and mild inactivity.  This stage is usually transient.  The second stage is the nonsymptomatic (latent) stage.  In this stage the virus does not cause apparent illness. This latent stage can last from months to years.  The third and final stage is the terminal (clinical) stage.  Clinical signs include ulcers in the mouth, diarrhea, weight loss and chronic infections (due to a comprimised immune system).

One important characteristic of each lentivirus is it's inability to cross infect other species.  This means humans cannot transmit  H.I.V. infection to cats nor can cats transmit F.I.V. infections to people. 

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