Feline Vaccinations Include:
- FVRCCP➙The FVRCCP vaccine is an extremely effective way to protect your kitty against 4 highly contagious and life-threatening feline diseases, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus, Feline Chlamydiosis, and Feline Panleukopenia.
Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FHV-1) Feline viral rhinotracheitis is believed to be responsible for up to 80-90% of all infectious upper respiratory diseases in our feline friends. This disease can affect your cat's nose and windpipe as well as causing problems during pregnancy. Symptoms include fever, sneezing, inflamed eyes and nose, and discharge from nose and eyes. In kittens, senior cats, and immune-compromised cats, symptoms may persist and worsen, leading to depression, loss of appetite, severe weight loss, and sores inside of your cat's mouth. Bacterial infections often occur in cats that are already ill. Even after the symptoms have cleared up, the virus remains in your cat's body and can flare up repeatedly over your kitty's lifetime.
Feline Calicivirus (FCV) This virus is a major cause of upper respiratory infections and oral disease in cats. Symptoms include nasal congestion, sneezing, eye inflammation, and clear or yellow discharge from the infected cat's nose or eyes. Some cats will also develop painful ulcers on their tongue, palate, lips or nose. Often cats infected with feline calicivirus suffer from loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, squinting and lethargy. It's important to note that there are a number of different strains of FCV, some produce fluid buildup in the lungs (pneumonia), and still others lead to symptoms such as fever, joint pain and lameness.
Feline Chlamydiosis Chlamydiosis refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection, caused by the Chlamydia psittaci bacterium. Cats that have developed this will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection, such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing. With treatment, the prognosis is positive. While it is more common in kittens, this condition is present in all ages and breeds. Cats that are kept in with other animals like a kennel, are at an increased risk of infection. Added to the risk is the ease with which this bacteria travels. Transmission can take place even without direct contact with an infected animal, as the molecules from a cough or sneeze can travel across a room, a human caretaker can carry the bacteria and spread it by touch, or the cat may come into contact with a contaminated object, such as in a bedding or feeding area.
Feline Panleukopenia (FPL) Feline Panleukopenia is an extremely common and serious virus in cats that causes damage to bone marrow, lymph nodes and the cells lining your cat's intestines. Symptoms include depression, loss of appetite, high fever, lethargy, vomiting, severe diarrhea, nasal discharge, and dehydration. Cats infected with FPL frequently develop secondary infections as well, due to the weakness of their immune systems. Although this disease can attack cats of any age it is often fatal in kittens. There are currently no medications available to kill the virus, so treating cats with feline panleukopenia involves symptoms such as dehydration and shock through intravenous fluid therapy and intensive nursing care
- Feline Rabies➙ Rabies is a viral disease that is nearly always fatal in affected animals, including cats. The good news is that you can prevent rabies in your cat with a simple vaccine. It’s always a good idea to ensure your cats are current on their vaccinations. Rabies acts by attacking the central nervous system, spreading through the nervous system until it reaches the brain. Infected animals experience paralysis that inevitably involves the respiratory system and leads to death.
During the first 2-4 days of infection, your cat may have a fever, less energy than usual, and decreased appetite. Symptoms tend to progress quickly to weakness or paralysis of the legs, seizures, difficulty breathing, hypersalivation (too much saliva) due to difficulty swallowing, and abnormal behavior. Changes in behavior can range from extreme aggression to extreme depression or coma. Classical rabies has two forms, paralytic and furious. Cats may show signs of either or both. If the furious phase develops, cats can become aggressive and occasionally delusional. They may seem to hallucinate and attack their surroundings with no trigger. The paralytic phase may also occur, in which patients start to develop paralysis of various muscular systems, and often lose the ability to swallow. This leads to hypersalivation and foaming at the mouth—which some people consider to be a classical sign of rabies virus infection. Eventually, coma and death occur after paralysis or prolonged seizure activity.
- Leukemia (FeLV)➙ The leukemia virus attacks the cat’s blood cells by invading tissue that makes up the blood cells, including bone marrow and lymph tissue. Blood cells (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets) play an important role in keeping the body supplied with oxygen and nutrients. These cells help fight infections and eliminate waste products. White blood cells are especially important in helping the immune system, and special types of white blood cells are called to action when a cat is fighting an illness.
FeLV in cats is spread through saliva. It is spread most commonly from those exposed to one another for longer periods of time through mutual grooming, mating, or shared food/water/litter boxes. It may also be spread by bite wounds and from a mother to her kittens through the placenta. A cat at any age can be infected with feline leukemia virus through exposure. Allowing an unvaccinated cat to be unsupervised while outdoors may expose it to infected cats. Bringing a new cat into the home that has not tested negative for the feline leukemia virus may also spread the disease. Fortunately, the virus is not very hardy in the environment and can only survive on surfaces for a couple of hours. When a cat is infected with feline leukemia virus, its white blood cells have been compromised and are no longer able to help fight off infections. Various skin, respiratory, and urinary infections can develop without a healthy immune system in place. The affected cat is unable to fight off these infections, leading to a shorter life span. The virus also causes mutations leading to cancer, including lymphoma and lymphosarcoma.
Canine Vaccinations Include:
- DA2PP➙ The DA2PP vaccine is extremely effective way to protect your pup against 4 highly contagious and life-threatening canine diseases, Distemper virus, Adenovirus, parvovirus and Parainfluenza.
Distemper is spread through the air, by direct contact with an infected animal or by indirect contact through shared bedding or dishes. This serious disease targets the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of a dog. Infected dogs may suffer from a high fever, cough, vomiting, diarrhea, and watery discharge from the nose and eyes. Progressive stages of disease may include pneumonia, seizures, and paralysis. Distemper can quickly become fatal. For dogs that do survive, the disease can cause permanent brain damage. Newborn puppies and unvaccinated dogs of any age have the highest risk of infection.
Adenovirus (CAV-2) is one of the diseases commonly associated with kennel cough. The virus spreads directly from dog to dog through coughing and sneezing. Infected dogs typically experience a dry, hacking cough along with a fever and nasal discharge. It can cause tracheal bronchitis, and is a part of the canine infectious respiratory disease complex.
Parvovirus is a serious and often fatal disease. Although dogs of all ages are susceptible, puppies that aren’t yet fully vaccinated have the highest risk of infection. Canine parvovirus is highly contagious and causes damage to the GI tract, resulting in vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and rapid fluid and protein loss. Treatment often requires hospitalization and intensive care. The virus is highly resistant to many common disinfectants and can remain in the environment (including soil) for up to one year.
Parainfluenza, like CAV-2, canine parainfluenza is another virus associated with kennel cough. It is also transmitted in the air and can spread rapidly, especially in areas where large numbers of dogs are kept together. Coughing, fever, and nasal discharge are the major symptoms associated with infection.
- Canine Rabies➙ Rabies is a viral disease that is fatal to almost all dogs who catch it. Fortunately, pet parents can help to prevent their dogs from becoming infected with the rabies virus with a canine rabies vaccine. The rabies virus attacks the central nervous system (CNS), spreading through the nerves from the infection site to the brain. Infected animals experience paralysis that inevitably involves the respiratory system, and leads to death.
The initial symptoms of rabies may come on gradually and be hard to detect. These symptoms include fever, as well as decreases in energy and appetite. After 2-4 days, rabies symptoms tend to progress quickly to include weakness or paralysis of the legs, seizures, difficulty breathing, hypersalivation due to difficulty swallowing, and abnormal behavior. Changes in behavior can range from extreme aggression to depression or coma. Classical rabies has two forms, furious and paralytic. Affected dogs may show signs of either or both forms. If the furious phase develops, dogs can become aggressive and occasionally delusional. They may seem to hallucinate and attack their surroundings with no trigger. The paralytic phase involves dogs starting to develop paralysis of various muscular systems. They often lose the ability to swallow, which leads to hypersalivation and foaming at the mouth—which some people consider to be a classic sign of rabies virus infection. Eventually, coma and death occur after paralysis or prolonged seizure activity.
- Bordetella (Kennel Cough)➙Bordetella bronchoseptica is the bacteria most commonly associated with the respiratory disease known as “kennel cough." Like the human flu vaccine, the bordetella vaccination does not prevent your dog from getting sick, it just decreases the severity and length of symptoms and lessens the likelihood that your dog will feel sick.
Kennel cough gets its name because it is easily transmitted in the air and therefore any indoor space dogs share, such as a kennel. Day care, dog parks and other places dogs group together also increase your dogs’ risk of kennel cough. Dog breeds with short faces like, Bulldogs and Pugs, are at higher risks of developing kennel cough that becomes severe due to the shape of their nose and throat. As more animals travel with their families, any indoor space has the potential to facilitate transmission of kennel cough.
- Leptospirosis➙ Leptospirosis is a bacteria that spreads in water containing infected urine from wildlife including coyotes, squirrels, raccoons and rats.
- Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi)➙Lyme disease is transmitted by the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick. Many dogs affected with Lyme disease are taken to a veterinarian because they seem to be experiencing generalized pain and have stopped eating. Often, these pets have high fevers. Dogs may also begin limping. This painful lameness often appears suddenly and may shift from one leg to another and if left untreated, may eventually disappear, only to recur weeks or months later.
Non-specific signs which may indicate that Lyme disease is affecting the kidneys include vomiting, lethargy, anorexia (lack of appetite), and weight loss. The kidney form of the disease is less common but often fatal. Most dogs infected with the Lyme disease organism take two to five months before they show symptoms. By this time, the disease may be widespread throughout the body.
While modern tick preventatives are very effective, they do not confer one hundred percent protection, especially since most of us are guilty of occasionally being late in giving the next dose. If your dog has frequent exposure to wooded areas, whether at your property line, or on walks or hikes, your lifestyle suggests vaccinating. The first time your dog is vaccinated against Lyme disease, the vaccine is given as a two-injection series one month apart. After that, your dog will be boostered annually. Your dog should still receive tick protection regularly, as there are many other diseases carried by ticks.
Vaccine Reactions
Vaccine reactions may happen with your pet. Make sure after your pet is vaccinated, you are able to keep an eye on them to make sure no swelling, hives, and redness occurs, on face, or body.
Below you will see one of our patents who unfortunately suffered a vaccine reaction- pay attention to your pet for the same symptoms.
Call us immediately if you notice your pet is having a vaccine reaction at 905-692-9393
