Vaccinations
06/11/04

What vaccines are necessary for your pet?  While this may seem like a relatively simple question, the truth is it can be quite complicated.  Here are a few facts concerning vaccinations.

Only about half of our pet animals in the United States are vaccinated for rabies. It is this half of the population that, from a disease prevention standpoint, “buffer” us humans from the wildlife reservoirs of the disease.  Dogs are typically vaccinated for other diseases that can be transmitted to humans such as leptospirosis, hepatitis and lyme disease.  Again, the percentage of dogs vaccinated for these diseases is important in preventing their occurrence in humans.

There has been some controversy in the veterinary field as to how often certain vaccines are necessary.  This is truly a very complicated subject.  The length of immunity derived from vaccinations depends on many factors including the type of virus being vaccinated for, the immune status of the patient, the number of virus particles in a dose of the vaccine, the type of adjuvant (or immunostimulant) used with the vaccine, the specific “serotype” of the virus used in the vaccine versus the specific serotype the animal is exposed to in the field, etc.  Vaccine manufacturers are beginning to produce vaccines other than rabies that are approved for three years.  One thing we can say is that vaccine protocols for pets will be changing in the future and it is likely that there will be some vaccines required annually and some vaccines less often.  What we can be sure of is that your veterinarian is in the best position to determine what vaccination protocol is best for your pet on an individual basis.

It may be important to remember that our pets age far more rapidly than we do.  An annual exam for your pet is roughly equivalent to seeing your doctor every seven years or so.  Vaccination protocols aside, an annual exam by your veterinarian may be critical to your pets’ health.  Early detection and treatment of disease is the single most important factor in our ability to cure many conditions, notably cancerous diseases and many others.