What You Should Know About Vaccination
April 2007
P
ets,
like people, can be protected from some diseases by vaccination.
Although this brochure provides basic information about vaccinations
for your dog or cat, your veterinarian is your best source for advice
regarding individualized care.
Q: What are vaccines?
A: Vaccines
are health products that trigger protective immune responses in pets
and prepare them to fight future infections from disease-causing
agents. Vaccines can lessen the severity of future diseases and certain
vaccines can prevent infection altogether. Today, a variety of vaccines
are available for use by veterinarians.
Q: Is it important to vaccinate?
A: Yes!
Pets should be vaccinated to protect them from many highly contagious
and deadly diseases. Experts agree that widespread use of vaccines
within the last century has prevented death and disease in millions of
animals. Even though some formerly common diseases have now become
uncommon, vaccination is still highly recommended because these serious
disease agents continue to be present in the environment.
Q: Does vaccination ensure protection?
A:
For most pets, vaccination is effective and will prevent future
disease. Occasionally, a vaccinated pet may not develop adequate
immunity and, although rare, it is possible for these pets to become
ill. It is important to remember that although breakdowns in protection
do occur, most successfully vaccinated pets never show signs of
disease, making vaccination an important part of your pet's preventive
health care.
Q: Are there risks?
A:
Although most pets respond well to vaccines, like any medical procedure
vaccination carries some risk. The most common adverse responses are
mild and short-term, including fever, sluggishness, and reduced
appetite. Pets may also experience temporary pain or subtle swelling at
the site of vaccination. Although most adverse responses will resolve
within a day or two, excessive pain, swelling, or listlessness should
be discussed with your veterinarian.
Rarely more serious adverse responses occur. Allergic reactions can occur within minutes or hours of vaccination. Signs of an allergic reaction include repeated vomiting or diarrhea, whole body
itching, swelling of the face or legs, difficulty breathing or collapse. Contact your veterinarian immediately if any of these symptoms are seen. In very rare
instances death could occur from an allergic reaction. There are other uncommon but serious adverse responses, including injection site tumors in cats, which can develop weeks or months after vaccination. Ask you veterinarian about any abnormalities you notice after your pet has been vaccinated.
Remember that while vaccination is not without risk, failure to
vaccinate leaves your pet vulnerable to fatal illnesses that are
preventable.
Q: Why do puppies and kittens require a series of vaccinations?
A:
Very young puppies and kittens are highly susceptible to infectious
diseases. This is especially true as the natural immunity provided in
their mothers' milk gradually wears off. To keep gaps in protection as
narrow as possible and to provide optimal protection against disease
for the first few months of life, a series of vaccinations are
scheduled, usually 3-4 weeks apart. For most puppies and kittens, the
final vaccination in the series is administered at when they are about
4 months of age.
Q: Which vaccines should my pet receive?
A:
Discuss with your veterinarian your pet's lifestyle, access to other
animals, and travel to other geographic locations, since these factors
affect your pet's risk of exposure to disease. Not all pets should be
vaccinated with all vaccines just because these vaccines are available.
"Core" vaccines are recommended for most pets in a particular area.
"Non-core" vaccines are reserved for pets with unique needs. Your
veterinarian will consider your pet's particulars, the diseases at
hand, and the application of available vaccines to customize a vaccine
recommendation for your pet.
Q: How often should my pet be vaccinated?
A:
Your veterinarian will tailor a vaccination schedule to suit your pet's
needs. For many years, a set of annual vaccinations was considered
normal and necessary for dogs and cats. Veterinarians have since
learned more about diseases and pets' immune systems, and there is
increasing evidence that immunity triggered by some vaccines provides
protection beyond one year. The immunity triggered by other vaccines
may fail to protect for a full year. More than one successful
vaccination schedule is possible. Talk with your veterinarian about
what is best for your pet.
A final thought
Many factors are taken into consideration
when establishing a pet's vaccination plan. Your veterinarian will
tailor a program of vaccinations to help your pet maintain a lifetime
of infectious disease protection.
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This information has been prepared as a service by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Article Source: http://www.mydogplace.com/dog-content/dog-health-series/vaccination-of-your-dog-article.html
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