Dog Supplies Advice » Vaccination

Will the vet be able to tell if it has already been vaccinated, and will it harm the dog to be vaccinated again?

Dog Supplies Advice — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 09:43:18 +0000

I have just taken in a stray dog which, of course, I want to have vaccinated against all possible diseases. Will the vet be able to tell if it has already been vaccinated, and will it harm the dog to be vaccinated again?

First of all, a vet would not be able to tell from examining the dog whether or not it has been vaccinated against the usual infectious diseases; unless of course it is showing obvious signs of one of them which would strongly suggest that it has not been recently vaccinated.

It is possible to measure the level of antibody in the blood against a particular organism, although this will not tell you whether it is the result of vaccination or natural infection; not that this matters because the immunity would be the same. However, this type of test is not done routinely and would therefore be expensive and difficult to arrange, particularly since it would need to be done separately for each disease. More importantly, it would be unnecessary to go to this trouble and expense since routine vaccination would be cheaper and would not be harmful even if it was not required.

How long will vaccination protect my dog? Will its immunity ever need to be boosted by re-vaccination?

Dog Supplies Advice — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:41:51 +0000

How long will vaccination protect my dog? Will its immunity ever need to be boosted by re-vaccination?

Unless the dog comes into natural contact with the infectious organisms responsible for the various diseases described, the level of antibodies in its blood will gradually decline. Whether or not this has happened, however, cannot readily be ascertained. Therefore, in order to boost the level of antibodies and keep them at an effective level to combat the infections, it is advisable for repeat vaccinations to be performed.

The plasma cells which produce antibodies can ‘remember’ a particular bacterium or virus, and if that organism reappears in the body they can rapidly produce large amounts of the specific antibody against it. For maximum protection it is recommended that vaccination is repeated annually as a general rule, though the persistence of immunity does vary with the disease. Immunity conferred by killed vaccines wanes more rapidly than from live; for this reason leptospiral vaccines are always given annually. Bordetella and parvovirus vaccines are repeated at intervals of between six months and a year. Rabies vaccination is repeated annually with killed vaccines, but with Jive vaccines, following re-vaccination at the end of the first year, it is necessary only every third year thereafter.

The immunity provided by modern canine distemper and canine adenovirus live vaccines lasts for many years (perhaps even lifelong in the case of the latter), though because a few dogs have a much more rapid fall in antibody levels than is usual, many manufacturers play safe by advising annual re-vaccination with their products. Certainly over seven years old some dogs have a decreased ability to produce antibody and therefore after this age annual re-vaccination is a prudent precaution.

Vaccinations should be up to date before dogs are placed in situations where there is a high risk of exposure to infection, e.g. before going into kennels or to a dog show. If they are not up to date immunity should be boosted three or four weeks beforehand, though with the intranasal Bordetella vaccine a minimum of only five days is required.

Because great advances are currently being made in vaccine production, and the recommendations for the use of different products vary, this is a topic that should always be discussed with your veterinarian.

Does vaccination ever cause the disease?

Dog Supplies Advice — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:39:23 +0000

Does vaccination ever cause the disease?

With modern vaccines this is extremely unlikely to occur and could only happen with live vaccines in which the viruses were not as weakened as was believed. Rare cases in which a dog develops the disease shortly after administration of a vaccine are almost always due to the animal having already been in the incubation stage of the disease (i.e. after infection but before signs appear) when vaccination was performed.
Occasionally a dog will show an allergic reaction to a vaccine, which requires treatment with adrenaline.

Does vaccination always work?

Dog Supplies Advice — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:38:19 +0000

Does vaccination always work?

No, regrettably it does not. There is no vaccine which is capable of fully protecting 100 % of the animals inoculated with it. One important reason is that there is always a small proportion of animals whose immune systems do not respond in the normal manner to vaccines, or for that matter to natural infections. As a result, these individuals will not develop good immunity. This, however, is a fault of the animal’s body and not of the vaccine. Unfortunately, unless their antibody levels are measured, which is difficult to arrange, such animals cannot be distinguished.

The vaccine itself must be administered within its stated expiry date and have been stored and administered in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. Vaccines are stored under refrigeration, though not frozen, because they are inactivated more rapidly at higher temperatures. The entire dose must be given and not divided between dogs, and a clean syringe and needle must be used, uncontaminated by any disinfectant or antiseptic in which it may have been stored and which will inactivate the vaccine. Veterinary surgeons will invariably pay close attention to these important points; breeders and kennel owners have not always done so, with disastrous consequences.

Puppies should not be vaccinated if they still have maternal antibodies, as already discussed, otherwise the antibodies will neutralize the vaccines. Also vaccination should not take place if there is evidence of a disease already present (high body temperature, etc.). This is because the antibody-producing cells may already be fully occupied reacting to the disease and will not respond effectively to the vaccine. This is the reason for a dog receiving a clinical examination immediately prior to vaccination. However, as has already been mentioned, on rare occasions a dog may, at the time of examination, be incubating the disease against which it is being vaccinated so that although there are no clinical signs to indicate the fact, infection has already occurred. Clinical signs usually appear shortly afterwards.

Simply giving a vaccine does not always mean that the animal cannot become infected, but that it has increased protection against the disease. In some cases an infection can be so overwhelming as to swamp the animal’s immunity. Certain drugs given internally will suppress a dog’s immune responses (immuno-suppressive drugs) and in general vaccines should not be given during or for one month after treatment with them. Such drugs include corticosteroids, used to treat inflammatory conditions, and anti-cancer drugs, such as cyclophosphamide and azothiapnne.

In situations where the immune response is likely to be impaired, because of concurrent disease or drug administration, vaccination should be delayed. However, temporary protection can be given in the form of an injection of hyperimmune serum.

By way of reassurance, a survey of over 15,000 dogs vaccinated against distemper, in an area where it was common, showed that less than 1/2 % contracted the disease.

If puppies are orphaned and don’t get any natural protection from their mother’s first milk, can they be vaccinated at birth?

Dog Supplies Advice — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:37:34 +0000

If puppies are orphaned and don’t get any natural protection from their mother’s first milk, can they be vaccinated at birth?

If the puppies haven’t received any substantial amount of maternal antibodies, because they never suckled after birth (for example in cases where the mother dies giving birth), then it would seem logical to vaccinate them as soon as possible. However, the value of vaccination depends upon the ability of the puppy’s immune mechanisms to be able to respond to the vaccine, and in the first two weeks of life the production of antibodies following the administration of a vaccine is usually poor. This is because the body temperature of puppies during that period is often less than the 100.5-102.5 OF (38-39°C) required to ensure the development of effective immunity. Indeed, giving a live vaccine during that time might even be harmful. Since there are hyperimmune sera available to give instant protection against distemper, ICH and leptospirosis, it is preferable at that age to give a dose of serum followed four weeks later by vaccination. Where vaccination is given at such an early age it is best to repeat it three or four weeks later.

You mentioned giving puppies a dose of measles vaccine? Surely dogs don’t get measles, do they?

Dog Supplies Advice — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:36:45 +0000

You mentioned giving puppies a dose of measles vaccine? Surely dogs don’t get measles, do they?

No, dogs don’t get measles, but the viruses that cause canine distemper and measles in humans are very closely related. If a dog is given an injection of measles vaccine it will develop immunity to canine distemper – an example of ‘heterotypic vaccination’. The immunity is not as complete as that conferred by a live distemper vaccine, but the administration of measles vaccine to puppies has one special benefit. The advantage is that in general measles vaccine will not be neutralized to any appreciable extent by any maternal antibody to distemper which may still be present in the puppy. Consequently a dose of measles vaccine can be given to puppies which are at particular risk from distemper (e.g. in breeding and boarding kennels, or petshops) at an early age (five or six weeks onwards), with the almost total certainty of providing immunity. The usual distemper vaccine should then be given between twelve and fourteen weeks old to provide longer-lasting protection.

This procedure overcomes the so-called ‘immunity gap’ which can arise if a puppy vaccinated at eight weeks old with distemper vaccine still has maternal antibody (so that the vaccine is neutralized) but the antibody disappears before the second distemper injection is given at twelve weeks; during the period without antibody and before effective vaccination the puppy is very vulnerable to infection. Recently it has been claimed that a combination of measles vaccine and distemper vaccine given at six weeks old will give even more certain protection.

Measles vaccination must be considered only as a temporary measure to provide protection until effective distemper vaccination can be given; it does not prevent infection with distemper virus but protects against development of the disease. There is no advantage in giving measles vaccine to older dogs, indeed its use should be avoided, especially in breeding bitches. This is to avoid the danger that a pregnant bitch might still have high levels of measles antibody which will be passed to her offspring and interfere with their measles vaccination. Measles vaccines intended for human use should not be used in dogs, and vice versa.

I want to provide my dog with the best possible protection. What diseases should it be vaccinated against?

Dog Supplies Advice — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:34:02 +0000

I want to provide my dog with the best possible protection. What diseases should it be vaccinated against?

At present there are commercial vaccines specifically produced against eight important diseases of dogs. These are canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis (ICH), canine parvovirus infection, rabies, leptospirosis (due to both of the common serotypes) and the three most important causes of kennel cough (or canine respiratory disease), namely the canine adenoviruses, canine parainfluenza virus and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Although this appears a formidable list two points should be borne in mind.

1. It is common for vaccines against different diseases to be combined in one injection. For example vaccines against distemper, ICH and leptospirosis are frequently given simultaneously. (However, there is a limit to the number of vaccines that should be given at the same time because if too many are administered the antibody-producing cells may be overloaded and fail to respond fully to all the vaccines.)

2. The virus CAV-l which is the cause of infectious canine hepatitis has been used to prepare both killed vaccines and live vaccines, either of which can be used to protect against this disease. (Killed, otherwise known as dead, or inactivated, vaccines contain materials from dead organisms to stimulate the production of immunity, whereas live vaccines contain living organisms for the same purpose. The live organisms will have been specially treated to weaken them so that they will not produce disease.) Live vaccines produce much greater immunity, i.e. which lasts for a much longer period of time. Unfortunately, whereas the killed CAV -1 vaccines are free from side-effects a small proportion of dogs which receive the live CAV -1 vaccines develop corneal oedema (’blueeye’) and some may develop mild kidney damage resulting in shedding of virus into the environment, which is undesirable.

In recent years live vaccines against ICH have been prepared using the related virus CAV-2 (because the two viruses are very similar CAV-2 vaccines also protect against ICH). A live CA V -2 vaccine has been recommended in preference to either type of CAV-l vaccine because it combines long, solid immunity against ICH with the absence of ocular and renal side-effects. In addition, it provides optimal protection against kennel cough caused by both adenoviruses (there is no guarantee that dogs vaccinated with CA V -1 vaccines are protected against respiratory disease caused by CAV-l). Recently, however, the whole debate has been re-opened by evidence that certain live CA V -1 vaccines do not result in ‘blue-eye’ or virus shedding, and that a particular live CA V -2 vaccine may cause virus shedding plus microscopic lung damage.

Vaccines used against the bacterial disease leptospirosis are always killed, and those against distemper and parainfluenza virus infection are invariably live, but (as with the adenoviruses) both killed and live vaccines are available against rabies, kennel cough due to Bordetella and parvovirus infection. One injection of a live vaccine is sufficient to stimulate adequate antibody production, but with a dead vaccine two injections are normally required, about two or three weeks apart, to achieve reasonably effective levels of antibody. If pregnant bitches are vaccinated to boost their immunity, only killed vaccine should be used to avoid the possibility of live virus damaging the developing foetuses.

In most countries where rabies is known to be present it is clearly wise to have your dog protected against this disease, even though it may not be compulsory. Different types of rabies vaccines are available and some countries specify which one may be used. As has been mentioned, in some countries where rabies does not (at present) occur routine rabies vaccination is prohibited.

It is also possible, though not generally thought necessary, to immunize dogs against tetanus (lockjaw) using a tetanus toxoid (i.e. the toxin from the tetanus organisms chemically treated to render it non-poisonous). This acts in the same way as a killed vaccine.

Can I have my dog vaccinated against rabies?

Dog Supplies Advice — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:33:09 +0000

Can I have my dog vaccinated against rabies?

In some countries, or parts of some countries where rabies is prevalent, canine vaccination against rabies is required by law. This is the case in all but seven states of the USA (the regulations for the vaccination of dogs and cats in the USA vary from state to state, and within a state between counties and even towns), and in north-eastern France if you wish to exercise your dog without a lead or to exhibit the dog. In most countries, such as Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark, vaccination is voluntary. In some countries, such as Sweden and Britain, rabies vaccination is prohibited.

In Britain, rabies vaccination is only permitted for animals which are genuinely being exported to countries that require rabies vaccination to have been performed in advance, and for animals in quarantine kennels and catteries, largely to avoid the risk of infection being transferred between quarantined animals.

The reason for not allowing general vaccination in Britain is that the public would probably tend to rely upon vaccination for protection (even though this can never be 100 % protection), and therefore would be less likely to comply with the quarantine regulations and would delay in reporting clinical cases. For a voluntary vaccination policy to be effective, a minimum of 70 % of the susceptible animals need to be vaccinated. Experience in European countries with a voluntary vaccination policy shows that usually only around 30 % of animals are vaccinated. Finally, vaccination may also interfere with the confirmation of the diagnosis of rabies by producing changes in the brain which have a similar appearance to those occurring in cases of natural infection.

If my dog has been vaccinated against rabies abroad, will it have to go into quarantine?

Dog Supplies Advice — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:32:10 +0000

If my dog has been vaccinated against rabies abroad, will it have to go into quarantine?

This depends upon the countries between which you intend to transfer your dog. As a general rule, countries where rabies is already well-established in the wildlife do not require dogs to be quarantined, e.g. the continental USA and India. On the other hand, countries which are rabies free may insist upon a period of quarantine for dogs entering the country, e.g. Australia, Great Britain and Hawaii (despite being a state of the USA). This requirement for compulsory quarantine may be waived if the dog comes directly from another rabies-free country without being off loaded or otherwise coming into contact with other possibly infected animals en route (e.g. from Great Britain to Hawaii, or New Zealand to Australia).

However, Great Britain always requires six months’ quarantine for dogs, regardless of the country of origin. Dogs entering Australia have to undergo sixty days’ quarantine if they arrive on a ship and ninety if transported by air, though if the crates used for transport have had their seals broken this period is automatically extended to nine months. (In fact, Australia and New Zealand will in general only import animals from each other and from Great Britain and Ireland. Animals from other countries have to undergo six months’ quarantine in Britain or Ireland and then a further six months’ residence there before they can be exported to Australia or New Zealand.) Dogs entering Hawaii from the rest of the United States, whether vaccinated or not, have to undergo a minimum 120 days’ quarantine.

Quarantine may appear a harsh measure, but those countries which are fortunate enough not to have reservoirs of rabies in their wild animals wish to avoid this happening, and many believe that a period of quarantine is the most effective method of prevention. The vaccination of dogs and cats against rabies will, in general, prevent them from acquiring the disease and thus from being a source of infection for man. However, with a disease which has such a long incubation as rabies there is always the risk that a vaccinated animal may in fact be incubating rabies at the time of vaccination, Once admitted to a country, such an animal could readily transfer it to the wildlife, such as foxes, which in Europe are believed to be the main reservoir of infection. Therefore, although a vaccination policy is the best one for countries infected by rabies, it is regarded as inferior to a quarantine policy for countries where rabies is not established.

Once there is a reservoir of rabies in the wild animals of a country, these constitute an important source of infection for man and for any unvaccinated domestic animals. Undoubtedly this alters many people’s attitude towards wildlife conservation, and indeed avoidance of wild animals is recommended in infected countries. The periodic eradication of wildlife from various areas (by trapping, shooting, poisoning and gassing) may be required in an infected country to stop the spread of rabies. Inevitably rabies also causes a great deal of pain and suffering amongst the wild species themselves.

Why should a dog showing signs of rabies be destroyed?

Dog Supplies Advice — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:30:03 +0000

Why should a dog showing signs of rabies be destroyed?

In essence, once clinical signs of rabies are present in a dog, or in man, no treatment is effective and the disease is always fatal. (There are two recorded cases of humans recovering, one having received the extremely rare and expensive anti-viral drug interferon, though in both there was some doubt about the diagnosis, and there is also clear evidence that two experimentally infected Beagles recovered. Nevertheless, such cases must be regarded as extremely rare.)

Because rabid dogs cannot be cured, and represent such a source of danger to the human population, in most countries their destruction is necessary as soon as possible. However, in countries such as Britain, where the disease is not established, they may instead be isolated until they die naturally. But if a dog showing typical signs has bitten someone, it is important that its brain be examined as soon as can be arranged to enable the diagnosis to be confirmed, and thereby establish whether or not the bitten individual should undergo a course of rabies vaccination. Any suspected rabies case should not be handled but confined in an enclosed area from which it cannot escape and the public health authorities or police informed.

Because of the inherent dangers, those engaged in jobs where they are likely to encounter rabid animals, e.g. in quarantine kennels, are routinely vaccinated.

In some countries, such as the United States, what happens to a dog that has recently been bitten by another animal known to be rabid depends largely upon whether the dog has been previously vaccinated or not. In those instances, treatment with antiserum or vaccine can be given but the World Health Organization strongly recommends that all unvaccinated animals should be put to sleep immediately because of the risk they represent. If the owner is unwilling to allow this, the unvaccinated animal, whether treated or not, must be isolated and observed for the onset of rabies signs for at least six months. Vaccinated dogs, however, are usually re-vaccinated and isolated for at least sixty, and preferably ninety days.

Dog Supplies Advice » Vaccination

Will the vet be able to tell if it has already been vaccinated, and will it harm the dog to be vaccinated again?

I have just taken in a stray dog which, of course, I want to have vaccinated against all possible diseases. Will the vet be able to tell if it has already been vaccinated, and will it harm the dog to be vaccinated again?

Related Posts

How long will vaccination protect my dog? Will its immunity ever need to be boosted by re-vaccination?

How long will vaccination protect my dog? Will its immunity ever need to be boosted by re-vaccination?

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Does vaccination ever cause the disease?

Does vaccination ever cause the disease?

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Does vaccination always work?

Does vaccination always work?

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If puppies are orphaned and don’t get any natural protection from their mother’s first milk, can they be vaccinated at birth?

If puppies are orphaned and don’t get any natural protection from their mother’s first milk, can they be vaccinated at birth?

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You mentioned giving puppies a dose of measles vaccine? Surely dogs don’t get measles, do they?

You mentioned giving puppies a dose of measles vaccine? Surely dogs don’t get measles, do they?

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I want to provide my dog with the best possible protection. What diseases should it be vaccinated against?

I want to provide my dog with the best possible protection. What diseases should it be vaccinated against?

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Can I have my dog vaccinated against rabies?

Can I have my dog vaccinated against rabies?

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If my dog has been vaccinated against rabies abroad, will it have to go into quarantine?

If my dog has been vaccinated against rabies abroad, will it have to go into quarantine?

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Why should a dog showing signs of rabies be destroyed?

Why should a dog showing signs of rabies be destroyed?

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