Annual vaccinations

Hi
Having been and still are a cat owner for many years and now suddenly over 18 enjoyable months i am now proudly owned by three cavalier young ladies Poppy 18 months , Daisy 12 months and Rosie 6 months, and as you can see by their ages shortly they will in their aged sequence have to go the vets for their annual booster as on one of our summer holes away the girls have to go into kennels for a week (the one into which they go have a video cam on them so i can take my laptop with me on hol and be able to keep an eye on them )but having no recent experience (apart from once with Pops) with annual boosters could i have advice pls ,ie do i accept what the vet gives in his injection or are there certain things i should refuse. Also did i note in a post that injections are better given somewhere else apart from the back of the neck?. I naturally want to have them covered for the kennels but like us all i want to reduce to a minimum any unnecessary risks to my girls so any advice would be very welcome so thank you in advance.

First I'd see if the kennels will accept three year boosters. Many now do as this is the time interval recommended by most vet schools -- regardless of what vet practices do. Second, your six month old will not likely need the first annual booster for another 9 months. The booster is done 12 months from the final in the puppy series so is usually when the dog is about 14-15 months old.

I'd generally recommend all injections be into the leg because of chance of syringomyelia (syrinxes or brain herniation being present in the neck area or back).

Most boosters have all the basics that are required -- you can;t really leave things out of them and have them be accepted by the kennel. Generally you will need to get kennel cough vaccine done about week before boarding your dogs as well (vax only lasts 6 months so no point in doing it too early but needs to be done at least 5 days before they are boarded).

Vax info: http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=9264

Hi Karlin
And thanks for advice , its so reassuring having expert cavalier help to hand.
Kind Rgds

Brian

Karlin said:

First I'd see if the kennels will accept three year boosters. Many now do as this is the time interval recommended by most vet schools -- regardless of what vet practices do. Second, your six month old will not likely need the first annual booster for another 9 months. The booster is done 12 months from the final in the puppy series so is usually when the dog is about 14-15 months old.

I'd generally recommend all injections be into the leg because of chance of syringomyelia (syrinxes or brain herniation being present in the neck area or back).

Most boosters have all the basics that are required -- you can;t really leave things out of them and have them be accepted by the kennel. Generally you will need to get kennel cough vaccine done about week before boarding your dogs as well (vax only lasts 6 months so no point in doing it too early but needs to be done at least 5 days before they are boarded).

Vax info: http://board.cavaliertalk.com/showthread.php?t=9264

Click to expand...

This is interesting, my vet does yearly boosters but doesn't include everything in the same year, is this three yearly booster the same thing? I prefer the annual visit as it is also the chance for a health check.

Although my vet will vaccinate in the hind leg, he won't microchip there.

Thought the KC vaccine lasted 12 months?

Annual Vaccinatons--Space Them Apart

Brian,

You should definitely do your homework on vaccines before you start immunizing so you can minimize the risk while maximizing the immunological response. By giving individual vaccinations rather than the combination ones and leaving 2-3 weeks in between each injection, you will not only reduce the risk of side effects, but have a better chance of eliciting the immune response you are seeking. Also, the age at which you vaccinate pups is very important. Please read the quote below and look up more information on vaccines from the websites whose links are at the bottom.

On Page 16 of the 2003 AAHA Guidelines under Immunological Factors Determining Vaccine Safety, it states that: "Although increasing the number of components in a vaccine may be more convenient for the practitioner or owner, the likeli-hood for adverse effects may increase. Also, interference can occur among the components. Care must be taken not to administer a product containing too many vaccines simultaneously if adverse events are to be avoided and opti-mal immune responses are sought. "

When considering at what age a puppy should begin receiving its core vaccines, consider the information from the American Animal Hospital Association stating that the maternal antibodies in a puppy younger than 16 weeks may interfer with the immune response. Bear in mind that there are risks associated with vaccinating as well as risks associated with not vaccinating. Making an informed decision is important.

On Page 16 of the of the American Animal Hospital Association's 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, it reports that: When vaccinating an animal, the age of the animal, the animal's immune status, and interference by maternal antibodies in the development of immunity must be considered. Research has demonstrated that the presence of passively acquired maternal antibodies significantly interferes with the immune response to many canine vaccines, including CPV [parvo], CDV [distemper], CAV-2 [hepatitis] and rabies vaccines."

They further state on Page 17 that: "Multiple vaccinations with MLV vaccines are required at various ages only to ensure that one dose of the vaccine reaches the puppy's immune system without interference from passively acquired antibody. Two or more doses of killed vaccines (except rabies) and vectored vaccines are often required to induce an immune response, and both doses should be given at a time when the passively acquired antibody can no longer interfere. Thus, when puppies are first vaccinated at 16 weeks (or more) of age (an age when passively acquired antibodies generally don't cause interference), one does of an MLV vaccine, or two doses of a killed vaccine, are adequate to stimulate an immune response."

The AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines also declare on Page 17 that: "If a pup fails to respond, primarily due to interference by passively acquired maternal antibody, it is necessary to revaccinate at a later time to ensure adequate immunity."

On Page 13 of the 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines, it lists as the most common reason for vaccination failure is "the puppy has a sufficient amount of passively acquired maternal antibody (PAMA) to block the vaccine......" They elaborate by reporting that at the ages of 14 to 16 weeks of age, "PAMA should be at a level that will not block active immunization in most puppies (>95%) when a reliable product is used."

If you or anyone else would like copies of the American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines, the 1992 French challenge study demonstrating that dogs were immune to a rabies challenge 5 years after vaccination, the 2003 Italian study documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines in dogs, as well as Dr. W. Jean Dodds' papers on vaccinal adverse reactions, please e-mail me at [email protected].

Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm

The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf

Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com