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Updates regularly
Anyone who routinely surfs pet related websites or reads pet magazines has likely been exposed to the myriad of vaccine controversies currently surrounding this common medical practice. Vaccinations have been a boon to health care reducing illness and saving countless lives. Until vaccination became routine, infectious disease was a leading cause of death in both the human population as well as the pet/animal population. On the human side, diseases such as smallpox and polio have been well controlled by widespread vaccination, and many lives are saved by the yearly influenza vaccines. For dogs, Distemper and Parvovirus were both major sources of illness throughout the 70's and 80's but have become much less frequent due to widespread use of effective vaccines. Cats, too, have benefited from vaccinations that have decreased the incidence of Feline Leukemia and Panleukopenia. In truth, the effectiveness of vaccines and the benefits of vaccination are not really part of the current vaccine controversy. Vaccination is now, and will continue to be, a major component of any preventative health care program. The real issues in the vaccine controversy are safety and duration of immunity. Are vaccines safe? Do benefits outweigh risks? How often should vaccines be given? Are yearly boosters really necessary? These are the questions that everyone should be asking about vaccinations. Are vaccines safe? Vaccinating pets should be considered a medical procedure and must be treated with respect. Like any medical procedure, both the risks and benefits need to be evaluated. Vaccines are drugs and as such, drug reactions may occur. Allergic reactions, fevers, lethargy, and other adverse reactions occasionally occur following the administration of vaccines. There may also be a link between certain vaccines or vaccine additives and a form of cancer termed fibrosarcoma (this issue is under investigation and has lead to changes in many vaccines currently in use for pets). Vaccine safety may also be influenced by a patients overall health. Vaccination may be risky for individuals with autoimmune disease, cancer and other illnesses affecting their immune systems. Vaccinations may also be dangerous for patients with undiagnosed diseases or organ dysfunction. For this reason, the physical exam is the most important part of pre-vaccination assessments for patients. Clients should look to their veterinarians to help identify risks, improve safety, and maximize the benefits of vaccinations. Those without training should proceed cautiously when attempting to vaccinate their own pets. An equally important way to improve vaccine safety is to choose the appropriate vaccine based on the patients risk of exposure to an illness. If we consider vaccines to be drugs and vaccination a medical procedure, it only makes sense to evaluate each patient individually to determine which vaccines they should really receive. The lifestyle, environment, and health of each pet must all be considered to accurately determine the appropriate vaccines. Clients should be wary of vaccine approaches that simply offer every available vaccine to every patient. There are potentially 10-12 different vaccines available for dogs and cats, but it is unlikely that any patient would need every one. How long do vaccines last and are boosters really important? The other aspect of the vaccine controversy involves something called duration of immunity. For many years, the vaccination schedule was dictated by manufacturers. Most vaccine labels still advise annual revaccination, and no one is certain how long vaccines actually last. In order to accurately test this, large groups of animals must be kept under laboratory conditions for extended periods of time and then exposed to disease causing organisms to determine protection (blood antibody levels are also monitored but this does not always correlate with protection from disease). Because of costs, this time period was generally 1 year. Only recently have studies gone beyond 1 year but frequently involved only small numbers of animals. In addition, of all the different vaccines available, only a small number have undergone any long term testing. Some vaccines are thought to confer protection for a number of years while others such as those called bacterins may only protect for 6 months. To complicate matters further, issues such as the health of the patient at the time of vaccination, the method of administration, and the frequency of exposure to diseases all combine to affect the duration of expected protection from each vaccine component. Risk assessment means evaluating each patient individually to determine the appropriate vaccination schedules. For some pets this may mean a 3-year schedule for certain components such as panleukopenia or distemper, but for others, yearly vaccinations may still be encouraged. Remember, each pet, each vaccine, and each situation must be evaluated on an individual basis by those trained to do so. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to discuss your pets vaccine requirements with his or her health care providers. |
| View the current vaccine recommendations for dogs at: canine vaccination guidelines and cats at: feline vaccination guidelines |
| Cat Carrier hint An easy, safe way to get difficult cats into carriers: Pull a pillowcase over the cat and hold the top closed while you set him/her into the carrier. The cat can easily get out of the pillow case once inside the carrier. |
- Winter Pet Care Tips
As cold weather approaches, we must all take special precautions to help protect our pets. What's that you say? Your pet is
strictly indoors? Surely this can't apply to you! Well, Winter related health risks are not restricted to pets that go outside.
Read on for helpful hints to protect the ones you love.
If your pet spends any time outside, you should always be aware of weather predictions for the day. Please ensure that your
pet has access to warmth and shelter from wind and freezing rain. Just because is was beautiful when you left for work in the
morning doesn't mean we won't have an ice storm that same afternoon. Ice and cold are obvious threats but other dangers
exist. Pets seeking water may only find unfrozen puddles contaminated with antifreeze. Antifreeze causes irreversible and
fatal kidney failure if ingested and it has a sweet taste that often attracts pets and wildlife. Another hazard can come from
products used to prevent icing on sidewalks. De-icing chemicals in these agents stick to the hair of the feet causing local
irritation and may also be ingested during grooming causing upset stomachs. Pets seeking warmth may find shelter in car
engines so be sure to thump on the hood of the car prior to restarting a warm engine. Lastly, remember that the time change
and decreased visibility also create additional hazards for pets that may have access to roads.
Indoor hazards also abound at this time of year. Holiday decorations such as tinsel, ornaments, and garland can cause
intestinal obstructions. Indoor lighting and power cords can pose a shock hazard for those that like to chew. Holiday plants
like mistletoe, holly, and poinsettias can cause illness if eaten. Even the water in the base of Christmas trees may become
toxic from pine sap and chemical additives, and don't forget that pets will often find boxes of chocolate this time of year.
Fireplaces may be another source of danger for pets not just from sparks and heat, but also by allowing access to ash that
may be ingested.
Be aware of potential dangers in and around your pets environment to ensure that we all have an enjoyable holiday season
and a relaxing winter.
| Influenza Update Influenza has been front page news for some time now. Concerns about vaccine availability and H1N1 outbreaks seem to have captured media attention. While these issues have involved human influenza, the veterinary community has not been completely "immune". Canine and Feline Influenza have also become prevalent concerns. Canine influenza, H3N8, first surfaced about 5 years ago and was originally a horse influenza before jumping to dogs. In 2005, canine influenza was identified by experts as a newly emerging pathogen in the dog population. Early cases involved greyhounds housed in kennels, but by April of 2008, the virus was identified in dogs in 25 States. As with other influenza viruses, H3N8 will spread from infected dogs to other dogs before clinical signs are present. This makes control in shelters and kennels difficult. Fortunately, there is a vaccine available. North Dekalb Veterinary Clinic recommends this vaccine for pets in high risk situations (pets going to boarding kennels or spending time at doggie daycare facilities. It is important to note that immunity is not immediate and two boosters approximately 3 weeks apart are required. Clients interested in having their pets vaccinated before holiday boarding should plan ahead. Further details may be obtained by contacting the clinic. At this time, there is no evidence that H3N8 can infect humans. Feline influenza tends to get very little attention. Prior to 2003, feline influenza was largely ignored. An outbreak of avian influenza (H5N1) in Southeast Asia changed that. Hundreds of cats, mostly large cats in zoos, died as a result of exposure to infected birds. Sporadic cases also occurred in Europe. All feline H5N1 cases thus far came from direct exposure to birds. Just recently, a case of H1N1 was reported in a cat in Iowa. The transmission appeared to be directly from Human to Cat. At this time, there is no evidence that cats can transmit the virus to people. A vaccine is not available or considered needed at this time. |