Lucerne Veterinary Hospital Services Preventive Care Page

Appropriate preventive care recommendations varies somewhat for each individual pet. Lifestyle of the client and pet (and associated risk factors), concurrent disease states, as well as philosophy of the client, all contribute to determining the best recommendations. We will make every effort to determine this for each individual pet. What follows are our general recommendations, which apply to the majority of our patients, for preventive care.

Canine vaccinations - Core group
All dogs should receive the following "core" vaccines:

· Rabies: should be given at ~12 weeks old, again at one year of age and then every three years (unless an unknown bite wound or contact with a suspect rabid animal occurs, in which case a booster is given)

Rabies is an extraordinarily dangerous, invariably fatal viral disease that can be passed to humans. It is transmitted usually by the bite of an infected animal, but contact with bodily fluids of an infected animal can also cause transmission of the disease. Bats are always considered "rabies suspect" and have been known to transmit the virus by scratching. We insist on this vaccine (except in rare disease states) for the safety of you, your pet, and our staff.

· Distemper/Parvovirus/Parainfluenza/Adenovirus (a combination vaccine, "DA2PP"): are collectively referred to as the "distemper shot" and should be given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks old, again at about 1 year old and then every 3 years

Canine Distemper virus causes a potentially very dangerous disease that can affect the respiratory, GI, and neurologic systems. We do not see this disease often anymore, largely due to routine vaccination. Puppies and unvaccinated dogs, especially in a shelter or pet store situation, are at highest risk.

Parvovirus is another viral disease that we don't see a lot anymore, but it killed thousands of dogs and puppies before the vaccine was developed. Parvo is still "out there" though, and causes potentially fatal GI disease, especially in unvaccinated or undervaccinated puppies.

Parainfluenza virus is one of the microorganisms that contributes to "infectious tracheobronchitis" or kennel cough.

Canine Adenovirus causes infectious hepatitis (liver disease) in dogs.

· Leptospirosis: should be given at 12 and 16 weeks old, followed by annual boosters. If given for the first time as an adult, one booster is needed 3-4 weeks later.

Lepto is a potentially serious and possibly fatal bacterial disease carried by wildlife, which can affect the liver and/or kidneys, among other things. Exposure usually occurs after contact with wildlife urine. This is a potentially zoonotic disease (can be transmitted from animals to people), and many strains, or serovars, exist. We are able to vaccinate for only four of these strains, but they are the four most likely to cause disease in dogs. Risk factors include hunting, swimming, or otherwise being exposed to water (even drinking from puddles), but since rodents can carry this disease, even dogs that don't engage in these activities can be exposed. New England is considered an endemic area for Lepto, so we consider this vaccine an important one, especially since it is transmissible to humans. On the downside, this vaccine has the highest reaction (side effect) rate, so if a vaccine reaction is observed, we may premedicate prior to giving the vaccine or discontinue it altogether. Reaction rates are still very low, so in the vast majority of cases, the benefit will outweigh the risk.

Canine vaccinations - Non-core group
"Non-core" vaccines are considered optional and whether they are given depend on risk factors for each dog. Leptospirosis is technically a "non-core" vaccine, but in this area of the country we feel immunization is important, so have included it on the "core" list above.

The following are "non-core" vaccines, and will be given depending on risk factors and owner concerns:

· Bordatella: Kennel Cough: This is an annual vaccine given as a nasal drop or as an injection. Any dog that goes to daycare, dog classes, field trials, dog shows, boards, goes to a groomer, or is routinely exposed to dogs who take part in the above should receive this vaccine. Some at-risk dogs may benefit from twice-yearly vaccination. It protects against the most common forms of disease but not all pathogens associated with kennel cough.

"Kennel Cough" is usually a self-limiting tracheobronchitis (inflammation of the airways) that causes a dry cough, often with a gag at the end. Most dogs will clear the cough within 2 weeks or less, but in very young or old debilitated dogs, secondary pneumonia is possible. Kennel cough is very contagious via aerosol (through the air). Dogs who have kennel cough should not have contact with other dogs until the cough has completely resolved.

· Lyme: This is also an annual vaccine; the first time a dog receives the vaccination, it needs to be boosted 3-4 weeks later. Dogs that are active outdoors in any environment other than a mowed lawn may benefit from the vaccine, but dogs who travel more south in New England or to coastal areas are at particular risk.

Lyme Disease is transmitted by ticks and can cause a variety of signs, including general malaise and joint stiffness. Lyme can also have effects on the nervous system, kidneys, and many other body systems and is potentially very serious. The vaccine is only one way to protect your dog – using a flea/tick product from spring through fall is also very important (see "External parasites" below) .

Feline vaccinations - Core group
All cats should receive the following "core" vaccines:

· Rabies: should be given at ~12 weeks of age, then annually with a non-adjuvanted vaccine.

Rabies is an extraordinarily dangerous, invariably fatal viral disease that can be passed to humans. It is transmitted usually by the bite of an infected animal, but contact with bodily fluids of an infected animal can also cause transmission of the disease. Bats are always considered "rabies suspect" and have been known to transmit the virus by scratching. We insist on this vaccine (except in rare disease states) for the safety of you, your pet, and our staff.

Note: A 3-year vaccine is available for cats that may be outdoor/difficult to catch, but we prefer not to use it if possible. Though rare, cats can develop a tumor at the site of vaccination, and using the "nonadjuvanted" (1 year) vaccine reduces this risk considerably. It is possible for any of us to get a bat inside the house, so even indoor cats need to be vaccinated.

· Distemper/Rhinotracheitis/Calicivirus (FVRCP):
is a combination vaccine and should be given at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age, again at approximately 1 year, then every three years.

Feline "Distemper" is actually a misnomer; the disease is caused by feline parvovirus and causes "feline panleukopenia". The disease can be fatal and causes fever, diarrhea, and a drop in white (infection fighting) blood cells, which leaves the cat open to overwhelming bacterial infection. If a female is infected during pregnancy, kittens may be lost or have permanent neurological disease.

Rhinotracheitis is caused by a feline herpes virus and results in upper respiratory disease – conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, sneezing, sometimes coughing, and corneal ulceration [a painful eye condition] are possible signs. This herpes virus shares one feature with the human herpes virus in that can remain in the body even though there may be no signs of disease. (The feline herpes virus is not transmissible to humans.) Particularly after stress, signs may return with varying degrees of severity. Cats at highest risk are those housed in close proximity as in shelter, pet store, or cattery situations.

Calicivirus also causes upper respiratory disease similar to rhinotracheitis virus, but signs are usually milder. There is however a newer strain of the virus that can cause much more severe signs. The vaccine we use at LVH should be protective for both strains.

Feline vaccinations - Non-core group
There is really only one "non-core" feline vaccine:

· Feline Leukemia: should be given to cats that will be unsupervised outdoors or apt to come into contact with unvaccinated cats. Cats that live in multiple cat households may also need this vaccine, depending on the circumstances. It is given at 12 and 16 weeks, then yearly thereafter. The first time an adult receives this vaccine, it needs to be boosted 3-4 weeks later.

Feline leukemia is caused by a "retrovirus" that causes immunodeficiency (susceptibility to a wide variety of diseases, including cancers). It is transmitted primarily via exposure to an infected cat’s eye or nasal secretions, or by bite wounds.

Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
Feline Immunodeficiency virus, or FIV (a similar virus to human HIV) is also a disease transmitted cat-to-cat via bite wounds. There is a vaccine for this disease but there are a number of problems with it, including unknown effectiveness, causing the cat to test positive in the future for FIV (leaving it very unclear if the cat has the disease or not), and possibly enhancing the ability of the virus to penetrate into host cells. For these reasons we do not recommend vaccinating at this time.

Feline tests
· Feline Leukemia/Feline Immunodeficiency Test (FELV/FIV): All kittens should be tested during their initial kitten vaccine series. Kittens can get Feline Leukemia or Feline Aids in utero from an infected mother or can become infected by exposure to other infected cats or kittens. All outdoor cats should be tested regularly. Any outdoor cat with fighting wounds or a wound of unknown origin should be tested.

Internal Parasites
Heartworm and intestinal worms are examples of internal parasites. Heartworm (worms – sometimes large ones – actually living in the heart) is transmitted via mosquitoes, and intestinal worms are transmitted via the fecal-to-oral route, though many can be transmitted by ingesting rodents, birds, etc. Many of these parasites are potentially transmissible to humans (especially young children), sometimes with serious consequences. Our recommendations therefore are the following:

Heartworm - Dogs

All dogs should have a heartworm test annually. If owners are religious about giving heartworm pills on time every month, theoretically we could test every other year, but the heartworm test is a combined test that also checks for exposure to Lyme Disease and other tick-borne diseases, so annually is a good idea.

Young puppies are too young to test for heartworm, as it takes approximately 6 months after exposure for the test to show up as positive. Puppies are placed on preventative and tested at the following year’s annual exam unless they have come from the southern states, then testing may be recommended earlier.

All dogs need monthly heartworm preventative to prevent transmission by mosquitoes and to prevent and control intestinal parasites (worms) year round.

Heartworm - Cats

Feline heartworm may be more common than we once thought, and owners of outdoor cats in particular should consider monthly preventative. Cats are not the preferred host of heartworm but they can acquire a small number of worms, which can present an array of possible health problems, most commonly respiratory disease. At this time, cats are not treated if they acquire heartworm due to risks involved; symptoms are treated until the worm(s) die on their own. As you can imagine, having the worms presents risks, but dying worms do as well.

Heartworm prevention pills also prevent and control intestinal parasites (worms) and should be given year round to any at risk cats, such as outdoor cats or avid hunters.

Intestinal worms - Dogs

All dogs should be on year round prevention to prevent against the more common intestinal worms (hookworms, roundworms and whipworms).

Dogs should have annual fecal exams, more often if there has been a problem with parasites.

Puppies should have a fecal exam at least twice during the first year (almost all puppies and kittens acquire worms from their mothers, through the uterus or when they nurse, even if the mother was dewormed prior to pregnancy).

All puppies will be routinely dewormed several times during their initial vaccine series.

Intestinal worms - Cats

Cats should have an annual fecal exam. Outdoor cats should ideally have a fecal sample checked twice a year. Indoor-only cats can contract intestinal parasites by encountering mice or other rodents indoors, sometimes without the owner even knowing about it.

Owners with outdoor cats who are avid hunters should practice "empiric deworming" – periodic deworming based on the assumption that they have been exposed to intestinal worms through hunting (very common).

Please refer to www.petsandparasites.org for more information on parasite diseases of pets.