Vaccines | Pet Health | Pet Vaccines

Preventative Care for Your Pet

Vaccines Your Pets Need

Photo Credit: MoezArt

I know you love your fur-baby and would do anything to keep them healthy! One easy thing you can do is vaccinate your pet. By vaccinating your pet you are helping your pet and yourself. The vaccines can extend your pet’s life by preventing disease! This will also help you monetarily and emotionally. This is because you won’t have to pay for extensive treatments or experience your fur-baby getting sick or passing away.

There are many types of vaccinations that are recommended according to your pet’s species, age, breed and environment. Speak to your veterinarian about what vaccinations are advised for your pet and see if your pets are up-to-date on their vaccinations. Please get your pets vaccinated accordingly.

Here is a some insight into pet vaccines, so you can sound well-informed when you speak to your veterinarian next.

FVRCP (4-in-1) Vaccine

• Core — (Core is a general term for the type of vaccine every animal needs, because very high risk of disease exposure.) These are widespread diseases.
• Required as a first time vaccine for kittens every three to four weeks, until sixteen weeks of age and a booster for adult cats every three years.
• Some cats will become carriers. They might not show any symptoms, but they can still infect other cats.
• FVRCP Vaccination may prevent infection.
• Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR) — Is a cat disease caused by feline herpes 1. Its symptoms includes sneezing, nasal discharge, fever, lethargy, and anorexia. It can be transmitted through contact with eye discharge, nasal discharge, saliva, and can even be aerosolized (sprayed or suspended in the air). Cats that are infected become chronic carriers and can reactivate when they are stressed. It is non-zoonotic, which means that humans cannot catch it.
• Feline Calicivirus (C) — Symptoms includes sneezing, nasal discharge, fever, lethargy, anorexia and oral and facial lesions. It can be transmitted through contact with eye discharge, nasal discharge, saliva, and can even be suspended in the air.
• Feline Panleukopenia (P) — This fatal disease is also known as “Feline Distemper”. A feline strain of the canine parvo vaccine. This virus can live in the environment for a year or more. Its symptoms includes vomiting, diarrhea, depression, fever, and anorexia. The cat with this disease loses weight due to not keeping nutrients, since this diseases destroys tissue surrounding the stomach and abdomen.

Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)

• Non-core —(Non-core is a general term for vaccines that are not recommended for every animal. They are only given to animals at risk of exposure to the disease.)
• Must be tested and receive a negative test before vaccinating.
• Don’t vaccinate or test until at least six months old
• It can be transmitted through sharing food and water bowls, grooming each other, or contact with nasal discharge or saliva.
• Its symptoms include anorexia, quick weight loss, depression, recurrent infections, and anemia. It can also lead to lymphoma and anemia.
• The cat does not die from the leukemia. The cat dies because it cannot fight off disease, so they die from another disease.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP)

• Non-core
• Don’t vaccinate or test until at least six months old
• Caused by coronavirus
• Only recommended for cats at high risk exposure
• Comes in two forms; dry form and wet form.
• The dry form symptoms include tumors or masses that can be anywhere, fever, anorexia, pale mucous membranes, or jaundice. Dry form can also be carried without symptoms.
• The wet form usually shows up in the later stages, it starts fluid build up surrounding the heart, in the chest and it destroys abdominal organs through fluid build up.

Canine DA²PP (5-in-1) Vaccine

• Core
• Likely fatal
• Survivors usually end up with permanent brain damage.
• If left untreated, disease is fatal. The white blood cell count will be low, so they will likely get secondary infections. Also, a dog infected with parvo can diarrhea itself to death. There is a 25% chance of survival.
• Canine Distemper Virus (D) — This is a disease that affects many body systems. Its symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, eye and nasal discharge, neurologic signs.
• Canine Adinovirus² (A²)— There are two strains of this vaccine, CAV-1 (hepatitis) & CAV 2 (respiratory). Causes Canine Infectious Hepatitis. Its symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, painful & swollen abdomen. If left untreated, virus may lead to glaucoma and will lead to liver failure and death.
• Canine Parainfluenza (P) — This virus attacks both the lower and upper respiratory tracts. This is a viral cause of “Kennel Cough”. It can be virally and bacterially transmitted, including through saliva, mucous, and suspended in the air. Its symptoms include wet or dry cough and possible eye and nasal discharge. If left untreated, virus will lead to severe pneumonia.
• Canine Parvovirus (P) — Some breeds (like dobermans, Rottweilers, and pittbulls, etc.) are more likely to get infected and might need a fourth booster. It can be transmitted through feces or gastrointestinal tract. Virus can live in the environment for years. Its symptoms include anorexia, vomiting, dehydration, and [bloody] diarrhea.

Rabies

• Core — Even required for “indoor” pets, since it affects all mammalian species.
• ALWAYS fatal once the symptoms start.
• No cure
• Ferrets have their own set of rabies vaccinations.
• It can be transmitted through saliva, most commonly spread through bites of the infected animal.
• Its symptoms include acute infectious encephalitis, changed mentation, aggression, paralysis, drooling, fear and sensitivity to light, self-mutilation, fever, and shakes.
• Animals infected can die in ten days or less.

Canine Influenza (CIV)

• Non-core (This vaccine might become core, because virus is spreading quickly across the country.)
• highly recommended by vets
• Newer virus
• Covers two strains — H3N8 and H3N2
• It can be transmitted through saliva, mucous, coughing, sneezing, and contaminated food and water bowls.
• Its symptoms include coughing, sneezing, eye and nasal discharge, fever, lethargy and wheezing.

Leptospirosis

• Non-core (mainly infects animals in humid and rural areas)
• highly zoonotic
• This virus caused by bacteria, it’s not viral. The bacteria attacks the kidneys and may spread to the liver, it lives and can be transmitted through in water..
• Its symptoms include joint pain, weekend muscles, anorexia, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, and blood in urine.

Coronavirus (CV)

• Non-core
• An intestinal infection, like Parvo, but does not rip out intestinal wall.
• It can be transmitted through infected feces saliva, mucous and contaminated food and water bowls.
• Its symptoms include depression, anorexia, bloody or mucousy diarrhea and fever.

Lyme Disease

• Non-core
• Called “Borrelia burgdorferi”
• This virus caused by bacteria, it’s not viral.
• Affects animals that live in wooded areas.
• It can be transmitted through bites of infected ticks.
• Its symptoms include joint pain, fever, stiffened muscles and lethargy. It may sometimes be confused with arthritis.

Bordetella bronchiseptica (Bb)

• Non-core
• AKA “Kennel Cough”
• Only given to dogs that socialize often.
• Highly contagious and easily spread
• Causes inflammation and irritation of the bronchial passages.
• It can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing, grooming and infected food and water bowls.
• Its symptoms include dry cough (hacking), watery nasal discharge, gagging and wheezing
• If untreated, can lead to pneumonia.