Vaccinations dogs and cats
Vaccinations dogs and cats
The purpose of vaccination is to prevent serious illnesses, which are usually fatal.
By administering the pathogen (usually a virus or bacteria) in a weakened form, the body will make antibodies against it and it is protected against the disease in question for a certain period of time.
An immunization always contains several subgroups of a pathogen and usually contains several pathogens at the same time. Therefore it is a very strong and unnatural stimulation of the immune system. As a result, animals can have a significant relapse if they are in the process of healing from another disease (for example an allergy). Allergic or toxic reactions can also occur as a result of the excipients contained in the vaccine.
However, vaccinating is often necessary because protection against certain diseases is necessary or because it is mandatory in a number of situations. For example if you want to take the dog or cat with you on holiday abroad.
Vaccinations dog
Vaccinations protect against various viral and bacterial diseases such as Parvo, distemper and Weil’s disease.
By repeatedly vaccinating a young dog in the first months of life, a basic immunity against these disorders is created. By repeating the vaccinations, usually annually, you keep the immune system “up to date”.
However, the time span in which antibodies remain sufficiently present in an animal’s blood differs per animal and per vaccination given. For example, nowadays there are vaccines that only need to be given once every 3 years. Giving the big cocktail every year is no longer necessary and not desirable.
VacciCheck Titer test
We offer the possibility to determine by means of a blood test for the dog what his / her immune status is in relation to the substances to be vaccinated. This allows us to look very specifically at what should and what should not be vaccinated at that time. This test determines whether the animal still has sufficient antibodies in the blood against distemper, parvo and adenovirus. Read more about the VacciCheck titration .
Recently, the WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group also included the Vaccicheck in their guidelines for vaccinating dogs. More information can be found on the website of WSAVA .
Vaccinations cat
The most standard vaccination for cats in the Netherlands is that against feline distemper and cat flu. Also in cats it is not necessary to give the whole cocktail every year:
- Protection against feline distemper (panleucopenia virus) lasts at least 3 years and is 100%.
- The duration of protection against cat flu (herpes and calicivirus) is shorter and not 100%, but infected animals will become ill less.
When and how to vaccinate
Depending on the living conditions (indoors – outdoors, individual – large group), an animal runs more or less risk of infection. It is wise to adjust the vaccination schedule accordingly.
To minimize the side effects of a vaccination, the following is recommended:
- Vaccinate only when necessary.
- Vaccinate against as few diseases as possible at the same time.
- Only vaccinate when an animal is healthy.
In our practice we vaccinate the dogs and cats with an inverted vaccination, which can reduce the amount of stress on the body. In addition, we also work with various medications that have a supportive effect after a vaccination. For more information about this, please feel free to contact on with our practice.
Read more about vaccinations in horses .