Dog, and Cat Vaccination Recommendations

Vaccinations to prevent infectious diseases are as important for pets as they are for children!  Some of the deadly diseases that commonly plagued dogs and cats in the past are rarely seen today, except in unvaccinated or under vaccinated animals, simply because vaccination programs used by veterinarians are extremely effective.  

What vaccines should dogs receive? 

Dogs should begin their initial puppy vaccination series at 6-8 weeks of age.  These vaccines give immune responses in healthy pets to canine distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza, parvovirus, and coronavirus and are given once monthly until the puppy is approximately 4 months old.  A minimum of two vaccinations are necessary for all previously unvaccinated dogs. 

Leptospirosis, a severe kidney disease which has been included as a portion of this series, will require annual vaccinations. 

 Rabies vaccination is given at 12-16 weeks of age.  If a dog has never had a rabies vaccination before it must be given a second vaccination within one year, and every 3 years thereafter in our province. 

Bordetella vaccine protects against some forms of tracheobronchitis or canine kennel cough.  It is strongly advised if your dog is visits boarding facilities while you are on vacation or away, or is in dog shows, or is in any way exposed to many other dogs, and it helps prevent this frequently diagnosed disease.  New information indicates that this vaccine should be given once every 4-6 months for good protection for your pet. 

What vaccines should cats receive? 

Cats should begin their initial kitten vaccination series at 6-8 weeks of age.  These vaccines give immune response in healthy pets to feline panleukopenia (distemper), rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and chlamydia and are given once monthly until the kitten is approximately 4 months old.  All cats that have never been vaccinated need a minimum of two vaccinations.

Rabies vaccination is given at 12-16 weeks of age.  If a cat has never had a rabies vaccination before it must be given a second vaccination within one year, and then every 3 years thereafter in our province

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 Feline leukemia vaccine is initially given to kittens 12 weeks of age or older.  A second vaccination is given approximately one month later. All cats need a minimum of two vaccinations initially, followed by a yearly booster.  Cats that are allowed outside at any time can be tested annually for Feline Leukemia and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. (This is a virus totally unrelated to the virus that causes Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome.  There is NO evidence to indicate humans can be infected by this virus, so DO NOT worry about this aspect of the disease.)