Vaccinating your pet
By Tanya Crawley BVSc BSc (Hons) MRCVS
We vaccinate our pets in order to prevent them from developing diseases, some of which can be lethal, and many of which we cannot treat. We routinely vaccinate dogs cats and rabbits against diseases specific to them.
When the body encounters a bug, such as a virus or bacterium, the body recognises this bug as foreign, and dangerous, and it tries gets rid of it. It either kills it completely or it packages it up to make it safe – rather like the virus checker that you may have on your PC. The body then remembers the particular bug so that if it were to attack again, the body can get rid of it much quicker second time around. It is the body’s ability to remember bugs that we exploit in order to vaccinate them.
When your pet visits the vet, it is vaccinated against one or a range of different bugs, depending on the species of pet you have. The bugs that we vaccinate against would cause severe disease, if not death, in our pets if they were to come into contact with the real thing.
The vaccine that we inject contains a cocktail of
killed or attenuated bugs. The body then recognises this material as foreign,
and mounts specific immune responses against each of the bugs in the vaccine
cocktail, without causing the animal to feel ill. If and when the animal comes across the real
bug, in normal everyday life, then these immune responses will be mounted very
rapidly and will stop the bugs getting a foothold in the first place.
Most vaccinations require a primary course involving
2 separate injections, 2-5 weeks apart. This confers a good immunity during the
first year of life. Annual booster vaccinations are required to remind the
body, and to maintain the immune response.
Dogs
We routinely vaccinate dogs against a range of diseases including Parvovirus, Distemper, Leptospirosis and Hepatitis. It is as a direct result of vaccinating that these diseases are rarely seen. We do, unfortunately, see outbreaks of disease in areas where animals are largely unvaccinated. The affected dogs become very sick indeed and they require very intensive care in order to maximise their chances of survival. All too often, they die in spite of our very best efforts.
The bugs that cause these illnesses require a certain number of unvaccinated animals in order to spread and survive. Vaccinating your dog not only protects your own pet, but also, to an extent, protects the community around you.
Kennel Cough Vaccine
It is also possible to vaccinate your dog against Bordetella bronchiseptica which is the name of one of the bugs that causes Kennel Cough. This is an intranasal vaccine, squirted up the nose. Kennel Cough disease itself causes a harsh hacking cough that can last for many weeks. Usually the dog remains bright and happy, but is very contagious to other dogs for several weeks.
Most kennels insist that dogs receive this vaccination prior to boarding with them. If your dog does not go to kennels, but meets lots of other dogs, perhaps out walking or at classes, then it would be wise to consider this vaccination. The vaccine is pretty effective but does not completely eradicate the threat of Kennel Cough. Do ask your vet if you require this vaccination as well as the routine injection. Make sure that you leave ample time before boarding your dog. The vaccine takes a few days to become effective, and many kennels will not accept your pet unless the vaccine has been administered at least a few days beforehand.
It is better for your dog to leave a few days between any 2 vaccines so it is very likely that you vet will administer one vaccine one day and then invite you back for any other vaccines usually a week or so later.
Rabies Vaccination
Dogs and cats travelling abroad will need a passport
and, for most countries including all of
Cats
We routinely vaccinate cats against Feline Infectious Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia and Cat Flu. Feline infectious enteritis is caused by a parvovirus, and causes an often fatal, gut infection. Vaccination offers very good protection against this disease. Similarly feline leukaemia virus causes severe illness, usually in younger cats. Unfortunately cats usually die within 3 years of diagnosis of this disease. Vaccination has proved to be very effective in preventing infection in the first place. There are many different types and strains of flu virus. Vaccination protects your cat from prolonged illness but does not completely eradicate the threat of flu. Cat Flu is extremely common and can cause a variety of clinical signs, including, conjunctivitis, snotty nose, mouth ulcers, and, in some cases, can cause limping.
And Rabbits?
We routinely vaccinate rabbits against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). Both of these diseases are very widespread in the environment, and both are usually fatal. Myxomatosis is spread through direct contact and via insects including fleas and lice. It is therefore important not only to vaccinate but to protect your rabbit against insects. VHD can cause severe illness and death within hours. It is spread through direct contact and via contaminated surfaces. Rabbit vaccinations are very successful in protecting bunnies and preventing both of these diseases.
So you can see why it is so important to vaccinate
your pet. Not only will your vet administer the vaccine, but your vet will use
the vaccination appointment as an opportunity to thoroughly examine your pet,
and to discuss any concerns that you may have regarding your pet’s health and
well-being.
If you wish to discuss any of the above points with
Tanya