Vaccinations for dogs and cats

Vaccination is a preventive measure that helps protect animals from infections that lead to death or cause pathogenic disease. A formula containing the antigens of an infectious agent is injected into the body. This creates immunity.

Why vaccination is needed

It is a safe and effective way to protect against disease before disease exposure occurs. Getting vaccinated on time will also protect you as there are common infections between animals and humans, such as rabies and leptospirosis. In humans, rabies is associated with severe damage to the nervous system and is 100% fatal. Leptospirosis is curable but can be fatal in severe cases.

Vaccination is essential.

Furthermore, your pet cannot be treated in a veterinary clinic unless it has an infectious disease unit, and you will not be permitted to travel with an animal that has not been vaccinated. Sadly, not many clinics offer these facilities, so you won't be able to leave your pet for a vacation or work trip in a kennel or pet hotel.

Vaccination procedures for dogs and cats

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) distinguishestwo types of vaccines.

Basic vaccines. ALL dogs and cats should have the basic vaccines, regardless of situation or location, to protect them from dangerous diseases that are prevalent around the world.

For dogs, it is vaccines against:

• canine distemper virus (CDV),
• canine adenovirus (CAV),
• canine parvovirus type 2 (CPV-2).

For cats, vaccines against:

• feline parvovirus (FPV),
• feline calicivirus (FCV),
• feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1).

In regions where rabies is endemic/enzootic, vaccination against rabies for both species should be considered basic, even if it is not legally routine.

Vaccines against the following infections are considered essential in Russia:
for dogs:

• distemper
• parvovirus enteritis
• Infectious canine hepatitis (ICH) due to canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1) 
• Canine parainfluenza virus (CPIV) 
• leptospirosis
• rabies

for cats:

• viral rhinotracheitis
• feline calicivirus (FCV)
• feline panleukopenia  

Additional vaccines. These are only given to animals whose location, habitat and lifestyle put them at risk.

In Russia, additional vaccines are being used:

• canine Bordetella
• canine borreliosis (Lyme disease)
• Chlamydia and leukaemia (vaccination is recommended for strays, cattery cats, shelter cats, etc.).

It is often the case that breeders offer their own vaccination programmes which are very different from the current recommendations. The application of such "advice" ends sadly. To understand how to properly vaccinate animals, read this article to the end.

Puppy vaccinations

The first vaccination of a non-shelter puppy is given at 8 weeks of age. To ensure an accurate assessment of the period of susceptibility and to build immunity during the period when the animal is likely to become ill, repeat the procedure at 12 weeks and a third at 16 weeks.

Puppies vaccinated for the last time at 12 weeks (3 months), as was formerly the norm, can die at 16 weeks (4 months) from parvovirus enteritis. This is possible because at the time of vaccination at 12 weeks of age, these puppies still had enough maternal antibodies to absorb the vaccine virus and prevent their own immunity from developing. Subsequently, the level of maternal antibodies declined to zero, rendering the puppy susceptible to the virus upon subsequent exposure, as the puppy's own antibodies and maternal antibodies were no longer present to provide protection.

It is therefore advised that puppies receive a further dose of the vaccine at 26 weeks (equivalent to 6.5 months of age). This ends vaccination until the following year.

The rabies vaccination can be administered at 16 weeks, but the subsequent component is not administered at 26 weeks. At the earliest, your puppy can be given its first rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age. Next rabies vaccination after 1 year.

In Russia, rabies vaccination is required every year. For an adult dog, this can be done free of charge at any public veterinary clinic (Animal Disease Control Station).

Kitten vaccinations

Vaccination recommendations for kittens are similar to those for puppies.

• The first vaccination of a kitten is given at 8 weeks of age.
• The second is in 3 to 4 weeks later
• The third is 16 weeks or older.

Types of vaccines

A distinction is made between vaccines depending on the number of antigens in the pathogen:

• Monovalents contain the antigen of a micro-organism of the same species;
• Polyvalent (bi-, trivalent and more) ones are made from several types of micro-organisms of the same species.

There are also different types of vaccine, depending on the type of antigen used.

Virulent living vaccines have limited use in veterinary medicine. They are used in farm animals and not in cats and dogs.

Live attenuated vaccines are actively used (attenuation means weakening of the infectious agent). They cannot cause the disease themselves, but they can induce an immune response. One example is Nobivac DHPPI. These are the most commonly used vaccines.

Recombinant vaccines are more difficult to produce, induce a very strong immune response and can induce a good immune response even in the presence of maternal antibodies in the animal. Purevax is one example.

Marker vaccines allow vaccinated animals to be distinguished from naturally infected animals.

There are non-infectious vaccines -inactivated  : a primary dose is administered first, then a secondary dose, then a booster dose. Domestic vaccine ‘Hexacanivac’, which consists of live and inactivated components.  

Preparing your pet for vaccination

Vaccinate clinically healthy animals. At the time of the procedure, the pet should not have:

• high temperature,
• vomitting,
• diarrhoea,
• a cough,
• pathologic discharge from the eyes, ears, nose, etc.

It should have a good appetite and be active and alert.

Before vaccination, the vet will examine the dog, take its temperature and ask the owner about the symptoms listed above.

Can improper feeding affect the immune response to vaccination?

Yes It has been shown that prolonged vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies (e.g. vitamin E and selenium) can inhibit the development of an immune response in puppies. If a nutritional deficiency is detected or suspected, the diet should be modified and the animal revaccinated to ensure protection.

This is why it is important to use complete nutrition formulas that have been developed in conjunction with veterinary experts. BOWL WOW is a range of feeds with a high quality natural functional composition and high animal protein content, developed in collaboration with experts in the field of veterinary nutrition and gastroenterology. 

Whether deworming is required before vaccination

Dewormed animals have higher levels of antibodies than those infected with helminths. But that level is enough to be protective. Therefore, we do not associate helminth treatment with vaccination. It should be carried out according to a schedule based on the individual animal's living conditions.

How to care for your pet after vaccination

At this point, the concept of 'post-vaccination quarantine' is outdated. The WSAVA recommends that the vaccination should last up to 16 weeks. This is the most important time in your puppy's life - getting used to socialising. This is a time when he needs to be exposed to external stimuli and situations, otherwise there is a high risk of depriving him of the needs of a growing dog and the development of behavioural problems in the future. 

Therefore, as long as the vaccination schedule is followed, it is not forbidden to take the puppy out for a walk and there is no need to restrict its interaction with vaccinated animals. However, areas where animals congregate - such as dog parks - should be avoided until the vaccination cycle is complete.

Complications after vaccination

After vaccination, your pet may experience:

• a temporary rise in temperature
• swelling where injected, localised fever
• Vomiting or diarrhoea (once)
• Allergic reaction - this is possible with any pharmacological interaction and should be monitored in the clinic.
• In rare cases, cats can develop a malignant tumour at the injection site - post-vaccinal sarcoma - which can be very aggressive and life-threatening to the pet, so it is important that the animal is regularly monitored by a vet.

Despite the side effects, annual vaccination is necessary because the risk of developing complications is much lower than the likelihood of dying from an infectious disease.

Contraindications to vaccination

• Pregnancy. The exception is canine herpes vaccines that are administered during this time - for example, Eurycan Herpes. This is an inactivated vaccine. It is designed to provide immunity in a pregnant or puppying bitch to protect foetuses and newborn puppies.
• Treatment with immunosuppressive drugs (e.g. cyclosporine) or cytotoxic drugs used to treat cancer or autoimmune diseases. In these cases, vaccination should be avoided and only resumed after the treatment is complete If the animal is on lifelong cyclosporine therapy (e.g. for atopic dermatitis), vaccination should be discussed with the treating veterinarian.
• Clinical signs of infectious/invasive disease.

Whether kittens/puppies can be vaccinated on their own

If you mean buying the vaccine and administering it yourself at home, or calling the vet at home, that's a bad option.

Field workers may fail to transport the vaccine in a cooler bag, and if improperly stored, the vaccine can become inactivated and ineffective within 15 minutes. The same applies if you buy the vaccine yourself.

In addition, if an immediate anaphylactic allergic reaction occurs, you may not be able to get your pet to the hospital in time and the doctor may not have the right medication.  

If a lactating/pregnant female is not vaccinated

Pregnancy is a contraindication to vaccination. It's a bit more complicated with breastfeeding, you have to look at what a particular manufacturer says in their instructions.

Why do you need a veterinary passport?

The animal's passport contains information about previous vaccinations, which is important when choosing a vaccine at this stage. Rabies vaccination and microchipping are important requirements for travelling in Russia and other countries, so it is important to have a document proving the vaccination.

After the first treatment, the vet will issue a document: a sticker from the vaccine bottle showing the name of the vaccine and the expiry date. The vet writes the date of vaccination by hand, puts his stamp and the stamp of the institution.

The passport contains the following information:

• Species, breed, nickname, special features, microchipping
• Owner details
• Information on all vaccinations and check-ups, deworming

If there is more than one animal in the house

Vaccinate everyone according to age and then annually as scheduled.

Author of the article: Daria Pushkareva, dog behaviourist, kinologist, veterinary surgeon.  She leads educational projects for pet owners and volunteers as well as scientific activities, is a conference speaker and author of lectures for students and pet owners on canine health and welfare. Member of Pet Dog Trainers of Europe and author of the book "Tail-Wagging Stories".

[1] - Wsava vaccination guidelines.

[2] - In Practice March 2017 | Volume 39 | 110-118 .

[3] - Животные-компаньоны . Вакцинация мелких животных: практическое руководство для ветеринарных врачей Великобритании. Майкл Дж. Дэй (Michael J. Day)