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Puppy and Kitten Vaccination Programs

Congratulations on your new puppy or kitten. We are excited to meet the newest addition to your family! The first step in becoming a responsible mom and/or dad is learning how preventative care plays a very important part in making sure your puppy or kitten grows up and stays healthy. Our role as your veterinary health care team is to help educate you so you can make the best decisions regarding your pet’ s healthcare.

UNDERSTANDING MATERNAL ANTIBODIES

When a puppy/kitten is born, it receives immunity-producing proteins from its mother called maternal antibodies. Maternal antibodies protect the newborn from the diseases against which the mother was protected. Maternal antibodies last only a few weeks in the puppy/kitten; their duration is directly proportional to the level of immunity the mother has and the rate at which the puppy’s immune system develops. If the mother’s immunity level against rabies, for example, is very high, the maternal antibodies for rabies may last up to three months. If her level is low, they may persist only five or six weeks. As long as they are present, the puppy/kitten is protected; however, those antibodies also block a vaccine challenge. If a puppy receives a vaccination for rabies before the rabies antibodies are gone, the vaccine’s effect is blocked, and no immunity develops. The same holds true for the other components of the vaccines; temporary immunity received from the mother can interfere with the vaccination. Parvo virus seems to provide maternal immunity that may last up to four months in some dogs.

Ideally, a vaccination should be given just after the maternal antibodies are gone but before the puppy/kitten is exposed to the disease-causing virus or bacterium. However, it is not practical to determine just when the maternal antibodies are gone for each of the possible diseases. It can be done, but the expense would be not be cost efficient. A vaccination schedule consists of a series of vaccinations given at regular intervals. The timing of this plan is successful in the vast majority of situations. However, if the maternal antibodies are gone and the puppy is exposed to the disease-causing virus or bacterium before the next vaccination occurs, the patient will usually develop the disease.

The solution to this dilemma is to give several vaccinations on a pre-determined schedule.

Puppy Vaccines Kitten Vaccines
6-8 Weeks 6-8 Weeks
DHPP-C FVRCP-C
FF FF
Deworming FeLv/FIV Test
FelV(+/-)
9-11 Weeks Deworming
DHPP-C
2nd Deworming 9-12 Weeks
FVRCP-C
12-15 Weeks FeLv(+/-)
DHLPP-C 2nd Deworming
2nd FF if 1st FF pos.
Intratrac II 13-16 Weeks
FVRCP-C
16-18 Weeks FeLv(+/-)
DHLPP-C 2nd FF if 1st FF pos.
Rabies 1 Year Rabies 1 Year

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