Protecting your best friend
One of the most important things you can do to give your dog a long and healthy life is to ensure that he or she is vaccinated against common canine diseases. Your dog's mother gave her puppy immunity from disease for the first few weeks of existence by providing disease-fighting antibodies in her milk. After that period, we recommend the Grandview Animal Hospital Vaccination Protocol.

Our canine vaccination protocol at Grandview Animal Hospital may be different than you are accustomed to. The traditional approach to "yearly shots" or annual vaccine visits are a thing of the past. It is very well accepted in the veterinary community that the vaccines available for DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza) provide immunity for much longer than 12 months. This is just a guideline! Every dog is different and we will work with you to determine what vaccines are appropriate for your dog's lifestyle. We also have access to quick and easy titer testing to see if your dog needs vaccination or has protective levels of immunity. See below for some FAQ's regarding vaccinations and your dog. If you have any other questions just ask!

How do vaccines work?
Vaccines contain small quantities of altered or "killed" viruses, bacteria or other disease-causing organisms. When administered, they stimulate your dog's immune system to produce disease-fighting cells and proteins - or antibodies - to protect against disease.

When should my dog be vaccinated?
The immunity that a puppy has at birth begins to diminish sometime between 6 and 12 weeks. It is then usually time to begin the initial vaccinations, which will be repeated once a month until the puppy is about 3 to 4 months old. Thereafter, your dog will require repeat vaccination at regular intervals for the rest of his or her life. Above all, follow the vaccination schedule recommended by your veterinarian - if there is too long an interval between the first vaccination and the booster, your dog may have to undergo the series all over again.

Which vaccinations should my dog receive?
Most veterinarians believe that your pet should be protected against those diseases which are most common, highly contagious and which cause serious illness. Such diseases could include Canine Distemper, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Canine Parvovirus, Canine Tracheobronchitis and Rabies. Other vaccinations may be recommended, based on your veterinarian's evaluation of the risks posed by such factors as your dog's particular heredity, environment and lifestyle.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ's)

Q: Why do the LEPTOSPIROSIS and BORDETELLA vaccines still need to be given every year?

A: The DHPP componets of the vaccination are developed from viruses. These provide quick, long-lasting immunity to diseases such as distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. Many studies demonstrate that 3 year intervals for the DHPP vaccine are safe and effective for the vast majority of dogs. Leptospirosis and Bordetella vaccines are bacterins developed from bacteria. These vaccines are not as effective as those developed from viruses and need to be boostered at 12 month intervals to provided continued immunity.

Q: Why are small and large dogs given the same dose of vaccine?

A: The same dose of vaccine is administered to all dogs, regardless of age, breed or size. The vaccine acts on "memory" cells, triggering them to "remember" an immune response after exposure to a bacteria or virus. Each dog, regardless of age, breed or size has the same processes happening after vaccination. It is a dose sufficient to trigger an adequate response in the immune system. It may be the opinion of individual breeders to recommend a "half-dose" for toy-breeds but there is no evidence that this is a logical practice. The danger of inadequate protection to parvovirus or distemper is a far greater concern than an uncommon vaccine reaction. Dosing recommendations are made after years of administration and challenge testing by the vaccine manufacturers.

Q: What is a vaccine "reaction"?

A: Animals may experience a true anaphylactic reaction post-vaccination. This is similar to a person developing respiratory arrest following a bee sting. What we commonly see in our patients (maybe 1/500 or less) is the development of hives and/or facial swelling. This is treated with an antihistamine injection. If this happens, those animals are usually treated with an antihistamine before, and possibly after, subsequent vaccination. Occasionally the immune system will trigger an auto-immune reaction post vaccination. This may result in a life threatening anemia or destruction of platelets. This is usually treatable and those animals would not be candidates for future vaccination.

Q: What alternatives exist to vaccination?

A: We have changed our recommendations to parallel well accepted guidelines developed by AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association). An alternative to the DHPP vaccination is monitoring titers. A titer is the level of protection detected in your pet's serum. A blood sample is submitted to our outside laboratory and if an inadequate immune response is measured then we would recommend vaccination. The reason pets are not routinely screened for protective titers is cost. This test for DHPP is approximately $75.00. The interval between vaccination for rabies is determined by various state or local municipalities and for serious public health reasons should not be extended past manufacturer recommendation.

A: It is logical that some dogs may be at increased risk for contracting CANINE influenza and may benefit from vaccination; however, to our knowledge this disease is not being diagnosed via virus isolation in our area.

It is important to note that dogs infected with kennel cough are often otherwise healthy dogs with a harsh cough.  Dogs infected with canine influenza are usually sick dogs with a softer cough.

FACTS ABOUT CANINE INFLUENZA:

1. First identified in racing greyhounds in January 2004.
2. First identified in pet population in Spring 2005.
3. Virtually 100% of exposed dogs will become infected.
4. Approximately 80% of infected dogs will show signs of disease.
5. Approximately 20% of infected dogs will not show clinical signs and can become asymptomatic sources of infection for other dogs.
6. Fatal in fewer than 8% of cases.
7. Infected dogs can spread the virus for 7-10 days after onset of clinical signs.
8. Signs include purulent nasal discharge (thick mucus), cough and a low to high grade fever.

At this time we ARE NOT recommending that dogs are vaccinated against canine influenza. 

Some veterinarians in the immediate area are encouraging their clients to get ALL dogs vaccinated regardless of the risk assessment.