Required by law in the United States and most foreign countries. There are several places in the world that are rabies free (Hawaii, Austrailia, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Sweden, and The United Kingdom (England, Ireland, Scotland). Most common carriers of rabies virus are skunks, raccoons, foxes, and bats. Cats are the most frequently reported domestic animal diagnosed with rabies, followed by the dog, cow and horse.
When your cat, dog or ferret bites someone by law a veterinarian is required to examine your pet for clinical signs of rabies. If your pet is currently vaccinated the pet is examined at your veterinarian on day 1 and can go home for observation and in 10 days re-examined and report sent to the county/city. If your pet does not have a current rabies vaccination, the pet must be examined and stay at the veterinary hospital for a 10 day observation period. In 10 days, the animal is given a rabies vaccination and report is sent to the county/city. The owners are responsible for the costs of the examinations, vaccination and boarding for the 10 day observation period. (if required)
All vaccinations available in the US provide either 1 year protection or 3 year protection. Animals that are getting there first vaccination cannot get a 3 year vaccination until the anniversary of their first 1 year vaccination. Owners that may be planning an overseas move or move to a rabies free country or Hawaii should consider doing 1 year vaccinations to ensure an adequate titer value from a blood sample sent to Kansas State University's School of Veterianry Medicine. If your pet has had a rabies titer evaluated at KSU (with adequate values) and has continued to be vaccinated annually for rabies would not need to be titer tested again with proof or history of the rabies vaccinations/certificates.
All adult dogs and puppies should be vaccinated. Some facilities such as Day Care, Grooming, Boarding, Training Classes and Dog Friendly Parks have requirements before your pet can go into these facilities/activities. Lets look at the different vaccinations and what they vaccinate for.
Common Puppy Vaccination Protocol:
8 Weeks: Exam, First Distemper DHPPC, First Deworming, Discuss Nutrition, Behavior, Manual Manipulation of the Gums, Ears and Paws Check for Fleas and Ticks and Treat if Necessary
12 Weeks: Exam, Second Distemper DHPPC may add the Lepto or DHLPPC, First Bordetella and Second Deworming, Discuss Microchiping, Spay/Neuter, Nutrition, Behavior Discuss Heartworm Disease and Lymes Disease if owner wants to Vaccinate Considered First of 2 Shots Given
16 Weeks: Exam, 3rd Distemper DHPPCor 2nd Lepto/DHLPPC, 2nd Bordetella, Rabies Vaccination 1 Year, a Fecal Test to Insure ALL Intestinal Worms are Treated, Lymes Vaccination 2nd if Given at 12 Weeks or 1st If Never Given
Common Adult Dog Vaccination Protocol:
Rabies (required by law) 1 Year or 3 Year if previously Vaccinated, Distemper DHPPC or DHLPPC Depending Upon the Exposure to Leptospira, Bordetella (Kennel Cough) Depending Upon Exposure to Boarding, Day Care or Grooming Facilities in some cases it may be required every 6 months, Fecal Test required by all boarding and day care facilities, Heartworm Test required annually to purchase Heartworm Preventatives, Bloodwork is an option usually reccommended once during early life to establish a baseline blood panel to compare to panels taken when dog ages. Sometimes promotional panels which include heartworm test and urinalysis are available at a promotional rate, ask your veteriarian. Urinalysis is a good idea to establish early age values to compare later in life.
Bordetella (Kennel Cough)
Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccination which aids in the control of canine infectious tracheobronchitis (kennel cough) can be administered by an intranasal (liquid administered into the nose) method or a subcutaneous injection. Vaccination will last for 6 to 12 months and that is why some boarding, day care, grooming and training facilities require it every 6 months. Mothers that were vaccinated prior to breeding can protect offspring for the puppies first 4-6 weeks
DHPPC orCanine Distemper-Adenovirus Type 2-Canine Infectious Hepatitis-Parinfluenza-Parovirus-Coronavirus or 5 in 1 vaccination Given to dogs 6 weeks old or older as a subcutaneous injection
DHLPPC or Canine Distemper-Adenovirus Type 2-Canine Infectious Hepatitis-Leptospira Bacterin sp. (Canicola, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Grippotyphosa, and Pomona)-Parinfluenza-Parovirus-Coronavirus or 6 in 1 vaccination Given to dogs 12 weeks old or older as a subcutaneous injection
Borrellia Burgdorferi Bacterin Given to dogs 9 weeks of age or older as a subcutaneous injection Tick-borne bacterial disease causing arthritis, kidney damage and death in both people (Zooinotic) and dogs.
In many communities fecal tests are now required because of the zoonotic potential to people particularly children. The Chicago Park District Dog Friendly Parks, Day Care and Boarding Facilities require a fecal test annually to attend.
Blood sample to test for adult heartworms. Oral and topical preventative will kill the pre adult stages of heartworm. If monthly preventatives are bought from us the manufacturer will guarantee the product and pay for the treatment for heartworm if he/she contracts the condition after having been on the preventative. Dog/Puppies under 6 months of age can be placed on heartworm preventatives without a test, but the manufacturers guarantee would not apply in this case without a negative test.
Why do we do this? Well, the preventative will kill the microfilaria (pre-adult heartworm) and it takes these microfilaria 6 months to reach the adult stage which is what the test detects. So preventatives given before 6 months should kill the microfilaria.
Heartworm positive dogs are examined and radiographed for enlarged hearts and congestion in the lung fields. The most common clinical sign is a coughing dog. Treatment involves an injection (Immidicide) intramuscularly in dorsal muscle in the lumbosacral area by the spine observation overnight at a veterinary hospital and injection again in several weeks to then be placed back on the preventative to kill young heartworms. The reason for the overnight stay is usually to keep dog quiet and observation for stoke like symptoms because adult heartworms will die and breakup in the bloodstream and can cause strokes.
Blood Panel/In-House/Outside Lab
Blood work is the key to establishing a medical history for your pet. When your pet is healthy a baseline panel will establish your pets values at this time in life. Later, when your pets health may change the doctor can better assess the change to establish the prognositic indicators of disease. We suggest that a panel be considered before your pet is 7 years old. Depending on the aging factors such as size and species the frequency of comparison is decided with your veterinarian. You can be discuss this on your annual visits. Urinalysis is another good indicator of disease and chronic illness.
Urinalysis, What Does It Tell Us?
It's important to consider doing a urinalysis even if your pet has no history of urinary problems. WHY: Urine can be an important component in assessing your pets overall health. It tells us important information that can be an early sign of kidney disease, diabetes, bladder stone formation so we look for crystals, the pH and SG specific gravity, bacteria, bilirubin, and other cells in the sediment of your pets urine. How we collect urine is also important but sometimes more difficult to do. Urine should be sterile so no bacteria should be there and if seen this is an abnormal finding. If the urine is gathered as a free catch then if bacteria is seen this is probably from collection. If the urine is gathered via cystocentesis or directly from the bladder then bacteria should not be seen on the analysis.
Cat
Rabies (see above) but cats can have injection site reactions and the rabies vaccine has been implicated to form fibrosarcomas in some cases. Getting a purevax vaccination can greatly reduce or eliminate this reaction. Given as a subcutaneous injection in the right hind leg/thigh.
Felv vaccination can have some injection site reactions and in many cases is only given if the cat is at risk of contracting feline leukemia which is transmitted by saliva between cats. Vaccination is given as a subcutaneous injection in the left hind leg/lower thigh.
Blood sample to test for adult heartworms. Oral and topical preventative will kill the pre adult stages of heartworm. If monthly preventatives are bought from us the manufacturer will guarantee the product and pay for the treatment for heartworm if he/she contracts the condition after having been on the preventative. Kittens under 6 months of age can be placed on heartworm preventatives without a test, but the manufacturers guarantee would not apply in this case without a negative test.
Why do we do this? Well, the preventative will kill the microfilaria (pre-adult heartworm) and it takes these microfilaria 6 months to reach the adult stage which what the test detects. So preventatives given before 6 months should kill the microfilaria (pre-adults).
Heartworm positive cats are examined and radiographed for enlarged hearts and congestion in the lung fields. The most common clinical sign is a coughing cat. Treatment is different for a cat. You place the cat on preventative to keep more adults from growing and the cat is also placed on an anti-inflammatory steriod usually predinsolone to reduce inflammation in the vessels where the worms attach in the lung/heart region. The cat is monitored and retested every 6 months to a year.
Fecal analysis is important because intestinal worms in cats are considered (zooinotic) to people. An annual test will insure that your pet is free of these parasites.
Blood work is the key to establishing a medical history for your pet. That's why when your pet is healthy a baseline panel establishes your pets early history. Later, when your pets health may change the doctor is better able to assess the change to establish the prognositic indicators of disease. We suggest that a panel be considered before your pet is 7 years old. Then depending on the aging factors such as size and species the frequency of comparison is decided with your veterinarian. This can be discussed on your annual visit. Urinalysis is another good indicator of disease and chronic illness so needs to be considered the same as blood work.
Urinalysis
Very important in cats because they are predisposed to urinary problems from stress and the anatomy of the urinary tract in cats vs dogs is a little different too.
It's important to consider doing a urinalysis even if your pet has no history of urinary problems. WHY: Urine can be an important component in assessing your pets overall health. It tells us important information that can be an early sign of kidney disease, diabetes, bladder stone formation so we look for crystals, the pH and SG specific gravity, bacteria, bilirubin, and other cells in the sediment of your pets urine. How we collect urine is also important but sometimes more difficult to do. Urine should be sterile so no bacteria should be there and if seen this is an abnormal finding. If the urine is gathered as a free catch then if bacteria is seen this is probably from collection. If the urine is gathered via cystocentesis or directly from the bladder then bacteria should not be seen on the analysis and bacteria then seen would be abnormal.
FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis)
FIP is a contagious disease in the cat population which is difficult to detect until the cat is sick from the condition. We see it in ferrel and rural cat populations and it is a very important to understand it's clinical signs. Consider finding out more at a number of websites or contact the Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine because their website can be very helpful. www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/
This virus cause a condition similar to human aids, but is not infectious to humans. For more information contact the Feline Health Center at Cornell School of Veterinary Medicine www.vet.cornell.edu/FHC/
