Moore Animal Hospital

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Moore Pet Health Alerts

Vaccines are a short cut to your dog or cat's natural immune response. The vaccine is a tiny, highly modified form of the actual disease designed to trigger an immune response just as though your pet had encountered and defeated the disease.

This leaves your pet with antibodies to recognize and fight the actual disease should s/he encounter it. Newborn puppies and kittens receive a varying amount of immunity from their mother's milk.

This amount varies depending on how much of their mother's milk they are able to drink and on how much immunity their mother has based on her past immunizations. At six weeks of age this amount of immunity received from their mother begins to diminish and the puppy or kitten must build up its own immune system.

This is why it is important to start administering vaccines at eight weeks of age and to continue giving them at regular intervals until 16 weeks of age to gradually build up their own immune system as the immunity received from their mother diminishes.

As an adult dog or cat, it is important to re-vaccinate at recommended intervals to maintain immunity levels. These intervals range from every six months to every three years.

Below are the some of the more common vaccinations for pets.

Vaccines for Cats: FVRCP vaccinates for four different diseases: Feline viral rhinotracheitis is a highly contagious respiratory disease characterized by sneezing, loss of appetite, fever, and eye inflammation. Calicivirus is another serious respiratory infection with similar characteristics to those of rhinotracheitis but often accompanied by ulcers on the tongue. Panleukopenia is more commonly known as feline distemper and is the most widespread feline disease. It is extremely contagious and is characterized by fever, vomiting and diarrhea. It can be deadly especially for kittens. Pneumonitis is caused by an organism known as chlamydia and has symptoms similar to those of rhinotracheitis and calicivirus. Feline Leukemia is a viral disease which can take several forms for which there is no cure and is a fatal disease. FIP is a complex disease caused by the feline infectious peritonitis virus. The most common symptom that leads to diagnosis is accumulation of fluid within the peritoneal cavity. Rabies is present in cats in the same form as it is present in dogs, attacks the brain and central nervous system, and uses the same vaccine for prevention as is used for dogs. FIV is a new vaccine for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. This is a fatal viral disease. Recommended for outside cats.

Vaccines for Dogs: Distemper is a widespread often fatal disease that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, pneumonia, brain damage and death. Adenovirus type-1 and type-2 can cause infectious hepatitis, pneumonia and severe damage to the liver and kidneys which can lead to death.. Parainfluenza is a common respiratory disease that is mild in healthy dogs but severe for puppies or debilitated dogs. Parvovirus is a widespread disease which causes severe dehydration, vomiting and diarrhea and can be deadly especially for puppies. Coronavirus is an airborne virus that causes a viral infection of the gastrointestinal tract resulting in vomiting and diarrhea. Bordetella is more commonly known as kennel cough and is a highly contagious airborne virus that attacks the upper respiratory tract and results in a loud, severe cough. Serious complications such as bronchiopneumonia can occur. This vaccine is in the form of an intranasal spray in order to trigger an immune system response directly in the upper respiratory tract which is the system the virus attacks. Our veterinarians recommend that the Bordetella vaccine be administered every six months. Rabies is the most well known disease and is almost always fatal. The virus attacks the brain and central nervous system and is transmitted to humans primarily through a bite wound from an infected animal. Leptospirosis or "lepto" is a deadly bacterial disease spread by wildlife and domestic animals.  Common lepto carriers include raccoons, skunks, possums, squirrels, rats and sometimes other dogs.  The lepto bacteria is shed in urine.  Dogs become infected when they come into contact with fresh urine of infected animals.  Lepto is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be passed from dogs to people. (All information brought to you from Fort Dodge)