Vaccinations: More Than Just a Good Idea

How many of you know what your dog and cat is being vaccinated against when you take them to the vet for their shots? Do all the abbreviations on that reminder notice just look like a can of alphabet soup exploded? Vaccinations are important to insure the health of our pets, but they are a little mysterious. Let’s go through some of the common diseases cats and dogs are immunized against.

Both dogs and cats in Tulsa, Broken Arrow and surrounding area are required by law to be vaccinated for rabies. This is the case not only because rabies is a fatal disease, but because humans can contract it also. Our pets form a buffer between us and the wildlife reservoirs of the disease.

Dogs are also given a combination shot, often called a five-in-one, a six-in-one or some other number-in-one. The first component of these vaccines is distemper, a highly contagious disease. Dogs with distemper usually start off with a respiratory infection, but can go on to have gastrointestinal signs and seizures. Many dogs die from distemper, and some survivors have permanent damage to their nervous systems and teeth. Hepatitis is the next disease, a viral infection which resembles the human equivalent; people do not catch the dog version. Parainfluenza is a respiratory virus. Parvovirus is a rather ugly disease, a highly contagious bug that causes vomiting, bloody diarrhea and often death. Some dogs are vaccinated for leptospirosis, which causes kidney disease. Bordetella, commonly called the kennel cough vaccine, is usually given as a drop in the nose to prevent this common respiratory infection. Some dogs may also need to be vaccinated against Lyme disease, the same tick-borne disease that people get. In our area, this is an occasional cause of lameness and malaise in dogs.

Cats also have a combination shot. This vaccine is usually given as an injection, although it is sometimes administered as a nose drop. The first component, panleukopenia, is sometimes called feline distemper. This name is misleading, as it is nothing like canine distemper. It is in fact the parvovirus of cats, causing vomiting and diarrhea. The other components of the combination vaccine in cats are respiratory infections. These are rhinotracheitis, calicivirus and chlamydia. Cats are often vaccinated for feline leukemia, a sneaky virus that cats may carry around for some time. In most cases, these carrier cats will eventually die slowly, often becoming severely anemic, losing vast amounts of weight and developing cancers.

After a series of initial immunizations, most of these vaccines are administered yearly to maintain immunity. Protecting your pets from these illnesses will help to keep them healthy into old age. And remember, with rabies, it’s more than just a good idea- it’s the law!

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