PET TALK FROM TURNER VET: August is vaccine month

By Rhonda Baillargeon, LVT
Turner Veterinary Service

TURNER — Because preventing disease with vaccines is less expensive and less stressful for pets and their families, August has been designated Vaccine Awareness.
Vaccines can be divided into two categories — core and Non-core. Core vaccines are recommended and, sometimes, required for all pets; non-core vaccines not recommended for all pets but may be a good idea for some, based on their lifestyle and the area in which they live.

For dogs, the core vaccines are rabies and some a combination of distemper and parvovirus. Rabies is a fatal disease spread through bite wounds of infected wild animals. In the state of Maine, rabies vaccination is required for all cats and dogs regardless of lifestyle. Distemper and “parvo” are very contagious from dog to dog. It is rare to see a case of canine distemper because most dogs are vaccinated for it. Parvo specifically affects puppies and very old dogs. It is highly contagious and keeps evolving into new strains that can elude the current vaccine formulas. This is a disease that seems to show up in waves — there will be several cases in a certain area for a while, and then it will fade away and show up somewhere else.
Non-core vaccines for dogs include Lyme, leptospirosis and bordetella. Lyme vaccine is recommended for all dogs in the Turner area, because there is a large deer population and, therefore, a large deer-tick population. There are a lot of dogs here that have contracted Lyme disease and, for that reason, it could be considered a core vaccine in Turner. Any hunting dog or dogs spending a lot of time in the woods definitely should be vaccinated for Lyme disease. Leptospirosis, a bacteria, can be found in the urine of infected animals. It is transferred when animals drink from infected water sources. Therefore, again, all hunting dogs and dogs frequently spending time in the woods and near ponds and streams should be vaccinated. Bordetella, also known as “kennel cough,” is a very contagious infection found where dogs are housed in close quarters. For this reason dogs that are kenneled, visit the groomer or day care, or attend training classes should be vaccinated.
For cats, core vaccines are rabies and distemper. Again, rabies is required for all pets whether they stay indoors or not. Distemper is an intestinal disease that can be passed from cat to cat but also can be brought home to infect an indoor cat. This vaccine also can include some sort of combination protection from upper respiratory infections which are also very contagious for cats.
The one non-core vaccine for cats is feline leukemia. Feline leukemia is an immunosuppressive disease spread through infected body fluids such as milk, urine, saliva and blood. It is of most concern for very young and very old cats. It is recommended for cats that go outside and especially those that get into quarrels with stray cats in their neighborhoods.
Although not all vaccines are needed for every pet, it is important to talk with your veterinarian to decide which vaccines are most appropriate for your beloved fur baby.