| VACCINE THEORY: The pet and veterinary | | | | way around this is to do sequential vaccines every 3 |
| community has hotly debated the correct vaccination | | | | weeks for a series of 4 vaccines up to age 4 months. |
| protocol for our pet dogs. In the past it was thought | | | | By doing this we are ensuring that the pups who have |
| that any disease that a vaccine available to fight it | | | | lost early immunity are protected at the proper time |
| should be given to our pets. As a backlash to this | | | | and we are also ensuring that the pups with longer |
| rational many articles in the pet community portrayed | | | | lasting immunity are vaccinated long enough for our |
| vaccines as the enemy and a likely cause of disease. | | | | vaccine to work and a boosters to be given. |
| The opinion of the veterinary community and certainly | | | | Summery to why sequential vaccines in pups: Start |
| my opinion is a mixture of these two thoughts. And this | | | | vaccines at 6-8 weeks Vaccinate every 3 wk up to 4 |
| article is intended to provide a rational for safe and | | | | months old This will ensure early protection This will |
| reasonable vaccination of our pet dogs. | | | | ensure the best lasting immunity Provide an additional |
| Okay, so what a vaccine is: So first we must discuss | | | | vaccine booster at 18 months of age. |
| what a vaccine is. There are many types of vaccines | | | | It is important to understand that even though there is |
| available in human and animal medicine but currently | | | | a debate in our community about vaccinating adult |
| many of our dog vaccines are modified live vaccines. | | | | animals that debate should not involve immature |
| This means that the scientist has slightly altered the | | | | animals. The ONLY way of ensuring protection from |
| virus so that it will still stimulate immunity but will not be | | | | deadly disease in puppies is to vaccinate them |
| able to cause disease in the patient, thus creating a | | | | properly up to 1 year of age. At that point we have |
| safer vaccine. Immunity is just the body's natural | | | | given them long lasting memory cells and may |
| defense against infection. What a vaccine isn't: | | | | consider extending the subsequent intervals to every |
| Vaccines do not prevent disease in those animals | | | | 2-3 years depending on the level of exposure and the |
| already exposed to the virus. The vaccine must be | | | | vaccine used. Please vaccinate your puppies. |
| present prior to exposure to provide time to grown | | | | The most common core vaccine: Da2p-cpv:- |
| adequate memory cells to aid in defense of the body. | | | | Distemper virus- Adenovirus type 2- Parainfluenza- |
| So, if you have a puppy that was exposed to parvo | | | | Parvo Virus |
| virus but not yet ill a vaccine will NOT prevent disease. | | | | 1. Canine Distemper Virus: is a disease of dogs only |
| How vaccines work: So many of us haven't always | | | | (although dogs can infect ferrets). The disease causes |
| understood why we need to vaccinate our pets (or | | | | a variety of clinical signs from purulent (pus) nasal |
| children) we are just doing what is recommended by | | | | discharge and eye discharge with coughing to vomiting, |
| the doctor in an attempt to keep our loved one safe. | | | | diarrhea and seizures. Infected pets are often febrile |
| As a veterinarian, I believe that it is important that | | | | (fever >103F) and very depressed/lethargic. The |
| owners understand why we vaccinate so that they | | | | prognosis is very poor. |
| have informed consent and know what they are | | | | 2. Canine adenovirus type 2: is also called canine |
| protecting their pet with and against. | | | | infectious hepatitis and is a very serious disease that |
| By giving a vaccine we are attempting to stimulate the | | | | often isn't seen in our area due to vaccination, but |
| dog's immune system to create memory cells that will | | | | once was very common. There is also a type I |
| be saved in the body to fight the virus if they | | | | vaccine that we don't use because type 2 will protect |
| encounter it in the future. On the initial exposure to a | | | | against both types and type I vaccine causes eye |
| virus (antigen) the immune system will create a few | | | | inflammation commonly called blue eye. |
| short lived memory cells but will not create lasting | | | | 3. Parainfluenza: is a dog disease that is part of the |
| immunity. Therefore, we always provide one booster in | | | | kennel cough complex. The virus works with the |
| 2-3 weeks to give a second boost to the immune | | | | bordetella bacteria to cause a harsh unproductive |
| system and create millions of long lived memory cells | | | | cough. These pets typically have a history of |
| in the body. These cells are constantly circulating in the | | | | exposure to other dogs (often in a kennel situation) |
| body looking for foreign invaders to attack and | | | | and are typically normal except for a cough. They |
| destroy thereby defending the body and providing the | | | | often respond well to treatment and supportive care. |
| pet immunity to the virus. | | | | 4. Canine Parvo Virus: Is a life threatening disease of |
| Why are puppies given several vaccines? Neonate | | | | puppies and potentially of unvaccinated adults. The |
| puppies or those recently born, receive all of their | | | | virus infects the rapidly growing cells of the intestine |
| immunity from their mother through the uterus and the | | | | and causes severe liquid bloody diarrhea, frequent |
| milk. The amount and level of immunity they receive is | | | | vomiting and very depressed/lethargic puppies. Puppies |
| entirely dependent upon the mother's vaccination and | | | | that are not treated will usually die. This disease can be |
| immunity status. Therefore a mother who has been | | | | prevented by vaccination. |
| poorly vaccinated, or even never vaccinated, will give | | | | Corona Virus: This is given twice to puppies 3 weeks |
| poor immunity to her pups and those pups are at a | | | | apart. The virus causes a disease of vomiting and |
| very high risk of contracting and dying from very early | | | | diarrhea in very young puppies. This vaccine is typically |
| infections such as parvo virus. | | | | not given to adult dogs |
| So, the mother's immunity is very important in providing | | | | Bordetella Bacterin: Protection from kennel cough |
| her pups early immunity from disease. The mother's | | | | complex. Is given as nose drops in our hospital and |
| immunity will also block and prevent our vaccine from | | | | only to those dogs at high risk such as boarding dogs, |
| providing vaccinated immunity to the puppy. Also, | | | | those that attend puppy school and those that |
| based on her level of memory cells the mother's | | | | frequent doggie parks should also be vaccinated. |
| immunity may last from a few weeks in the pups to | | | | Rabies Frequency will vary by state. In AZ it is given |
| as long as 4 months. This means that your newly | | | | to puppies and a booster is given in 1 year of age and |
| purchased 8 week old puppy may or may not have | | | | then again every 3 years. The above vaccines are the |
| immunity to infection. Without several costly blood | | | | most common ones in our area but certainly are not |
| tests, the best way of ensuring the puppy is protected | | | | the only dog vaccines. In my next article I'll discuss so |
| is sequential vaccines over time. | | | | of the other vaccines including those made to fight |
| But as we've said the mothers immunity blocks our | | | | bacteria. |
| vaccines so how do we know when her immunity is | | | | - an often deadly upper respiratory and neurologic |
| low enough for our vaccine to work but not so low | | | | virus of dogs. |
| that the pup is entirely unprotected? As we've learned | | | | - a hepatitis virus of dogs |
| puppies early in life are likely to be protected even | | | | - a respiratory infection often involved in kennel cough |
| from an infrequently vaccinated mother, therefore we | | | | complex |
| do not typically need to vaccinate prior to 6 weeks of | | | | - an often fatal gastrointestinal infection of all poorly |
| age. So we know that the best time to begin vaccines | | | | vaccinated dogs. |
| is from 6-8 weeks of age catching those pups that | | | | This is the core combo vaccine that is given to |
| have limited or short term immunity. However some of | | | | puppies every 3 weeks until 4 months of age. It |
| these pups may have long immunity preventing our | | | | protects against the worst diseases that often are life |
| vaccine from working and preventing the puppy from | | | | threatening to puppies. |
| receiving long lasting immunity to disease. The best | | | | |