Western Arizona Humane Society
Victoria Cowper,
Community Relations Manager

This is a regular column, presented every two weeks to provide information about pet and animal care, including the legal responsibilities of pet ownership. We invite you to send your questions to answer in upcoming issues.
Please send your questions and comments to the Today's News Herald or directly to me a W.A.H.S. 855-5083 or wahs@ctaz.com




QUESTIONS ABOUT VACCINES - WHICH ONES AND HOW OFTEN?

How do I know which vaccines my pet needs?
There are two general groups of vaccines to consider: core group vaccines and noncore vaccines. Core group vaccines protect against diseases that are more serious or potentially fatal. These diseases are more easily transmitted than noncore diseases. Core group vaccines are those generally recommended for all pets. For cats, these include panleukopenia, calicivirus and herpesvirus, as well as rabies. For dogs, included are distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus and rabies. Noncore group vaccines are those reserved for patients at specific risk for infection due to exposure or lifestyle. For cats, these include feline leukemia virus, feline infectious peritonitis, and feline pneumonitis. For dogs, these include Bordetela (kennel cough), Lyme disease, leptospirosis, and giardia.
Is vaccinating my pet a risk to his or her health?
Vaccination against disease is a medical procedure, and like all medical procedures, carries some inherent risk. As in any medical procedure or decision, the advantages must be balanced against the risks. Veterinarians recommend that no needless risks should be taken and that the best way to accomplish that is to reduce the number and frequency of administration of unnecessary vaccines.
As is the case with any medical decision, you and your veterinarian should make vaccination decisions after considering your pet's age, lifestyle, and potential exposure to infectious diseases.
What possible risks are associated with vaccination?
Again, severe reactions are uncommon, but any needless risk is unacceptable. In general, vaccine reactions and side effects (such as local pain and swelling) are self-limiting. Allergic reactions are less common, but if untreated can be fatal. In a small number of animals, vaccines can stimulate the immune system against his or her own tissues, resulting in diseases that affect the blood, the skin, the joints, or the nervous system. Again, such reactions are infrequent. Reducing risk by reducing the number of unnecessary vaccines given to cats is the safest option.

How often should my pet be vaccinated?
It depends. There is some controversy over the length of time a vaccine is protective. Some vaccines may produce life-long protections. There is a history of yearly vaccinations boosters, and some veterinarians do not feel it is prudent to change that recommendation just yet. There is growing support for extended duration of protection and a growing number of veterinarians are vaccinating less frequently and more selectively.
Among those advocating for longer periods of time between vaccinations, the thought is that vaccination for most core diseases should be administered every three years. Noncore disease vaccinations should be administered whenever the risk of the disease is significant enough to override any risk of vaccination. For example, kennel cough vaccine may need to be administered up to every six months in a dog repeatedly being kenneled or exposed at dog shows.
Does this mean I only need to see my veterinarian every three years?
Annual physical examinations are very important whether your pet is vaccinated annually or less frequently. The historic protocol of annual vaccination has long encouraged the more important annual physical examination. Given his or her shorter life span, a pet ages much more rapidly than a human does. In addition, a pet does not always show signs of early disease, nor can he or she easily communicate discomfort to us. Veterinarians can best detect and prevent problems such as heart disease, kidney and liver disease, dental disease, cancer, and parasites by examining a pet annually. In addition, questions about behavior, nutrition, and preventive care should be addressed on at least an annual basis. One of the advantages of decreased vaccine administration is the reduced cost of basic health care. This may make it easier for you to collect baseline or yearly recommended blood tests, provide better nutrition, or provide for non-urgent care for your pet before the need becomes urgent.
Is there some sort of test that can be done to determine if my pet needs vaccination?
In theory, this makes very good sense. Veterinarians could test animals yearly and vaccinate if their protection dropped below a certain level. Although there are tests for antibodies available for some diseases, their reliability is not good. There may be little correlation between the results of these tests and the immunity to disease in an individual pet. In addition, the cost of these tests may greatly outweigh their value. New tests may be developed in the future, so discuss this possibility with your veterinarian.
I have been vaccinating my pets every year for their entire lives and have never had problem. Are you sure I should change my approach?
Not many things are "sure" in medicine. However, there is strong and growing consensus among immunology and infectious disease experts that annual vaccination is neither necessary or advisable. The vast majority, if not all of the North American veterinary schools, are currently recommending reduced frequency of vaccination as well as using the core/noncore concept in recommending specific vaccines. However, vaccination administration should be tailored to meet the needs of each patient, and there may well be specific situations of risk based on local outbreaks or your pet's lifestyle that warrant specific recommendations. If you are more comfortable with annual boosters or with immunizing against a specific disease, please discuss the issue with your veterinarian.

The dedicated staff and volunteers at the Western Arizona Humane Society are available to answer questions, refer you to an expert, or assist you in the selection of a companion animal. For your convenience, we have changed our kennel viewing hours. The new kennel hours at Monday thru Saturday 11:00 am to 4:15 pm and we will be open on Wednesday's till 6:15 pm. The office hours remain 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday thru Saturday and open till 6:30 pm on Wednesday's.