Cat & Dog Vaccination Types, Schedules, & Precautions G

One: The Necessity of Vaccinating PetsVaccines are specially processed viruses that have been weakened and reduced in vitality. These viruses, after special technological processing, have very low activity and will not cause significant harm to the body. Instead, they can promote the body to produce virus antibodies. When the real virus tries to invade the body, the immune system can resist the virus through immunity, thereby reducing the serious damage caused by the invasion of the virus. Dogs and cats without vaccinations have a certain degree of immunity, but this level of immunity is not enough to resist the virus. After vaccination, the body of dogs and cats will produce virus antibodies, thereby enhancing their immunity. This allows them to fight against the virus with equal strength when it invades. Dogs and cats can obtain maternal immune protection by suckling breast milk in the first few weeks after birth, but this immunity is not sustainable and usually disappears around 510 weeks after birth. Once dogs and cats lose immune protection, they are likely to become the "prey" of the virus. The harm caused by virus infection in dogs and cats without immune protection is very fatal. In this case, it is necessary to enhance the immunity of dogs and cats through vaccination.Two: Common Types of Dog and Cat VaccinesThere are also many types of dog and cat vaccines, as follows:1. Dog Vaccines① Canine DAPP Vaccine: Puppies can be vaccinated with the Canine DAPP vaccine at 46 weeks of age to prevent canine distemper and canine parvovirus.② Canine FVRCP and Canine FVRCPHCV Vaccines: The Canine FVRCP vaccine mainly prevents canine parvovirus, canine hepatitis, canine adenovirus type 2, canine distemper, and canine influenza. The Canine FVRCPHCV vaccine adds canine leptospirosis to the Canine FVRCP vaccine. Puppies need to be vaccinated with the Canine FVRCP or Canine FVRCPHCV vaccine three times consecutively from 50 days after birth to three months of age, with an interval of three to four weeks between each injection. Dogs over three months of age only need to be vaccinated twice, with an interval of three to four weeks. After the first vaccination, a booster shot is required once a year.③ Canine 7in1 Vaccine: The Canine 7in1 vaccine is a combination of the Canine 6in1 vaccine and the rabies vaccine.④ Rabies Vaccine: This vaccine is mainly used to prevent rabies virus infection. Dogs over three months of age can be vaccinated for the first time and then vaccinated once a year. It is stipulated by the state that dogs must be vaccinated against rabies.⑤ Canine Cough Vaccine: Puppies as young as 2 weeks old can be vaccinated with the Canine Cough vaccine, which targets canine bronchitis and canine influenza. The vaccine is administered by nasal drops and needs to be given every six months.2. Cat Vaccines① Feline FVRCP Vaccine: The Feline FVRCP vaccine mainly targets feline panleukopenia, feline rhinotracheitis, and feline calicivirus. Cats can be vaccinated for the first time at 2 months of age, with two consecutive injections, with an interval of 23 weeks between each injection. After the first vaccination, a booster shot is required once a year, and then once every three years.② Rabies Vaccine: Cats over 12 weeks of age can be vaccinated for the first time to prevent rabies virus infection and then vaccinated once a year. Although many pet owners may not take the rabies vaccine seriously because it is not required by the state, it is still recommended to vaccinate cats against rabies as the risk of infection is also high. This is also beneficial to the safety of pet owners.The vaccines introduced above for dogs and cats are mainly core vaccines. There are also noncore vaccines for dogs and cats, and pet owners can choose to vaccinate their pets with noncore vaccines according to their wishes.Three: Precautions for Pet VaccinationThere are many precautions to consider when vaccinating dogs and cats, as follows:1. Precautions Before Vaccination① Before vaccinating dogs and cats, it is necessary to conduct a physical examination because dogs and cats with diseases are at risk when vaccinated and may affect the immune effect. Even if the pet is just in a cold state, it is not suitable to vaccinate immediately. It is recommended to treat the pet's cold with Ganao Ning Shuanghuanglian tablets before taking the cat or dog to be vaccinated. Ganao Ning is a general pet cold medicine that can clear heat and detoxify, effectively relieve symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and runny nose in pets.② Dogs and cats that are pregnant should not be vaccinated as it may cause abortion. From the perspective of the immune system, the immunity of dogs and cats will reach its highest level during pregnancy, and they are usually not susceptible to infections.③ If the dog or cat has malnutrition or low physical fitness, it should not be vaccinated. Instead, it is recommended to adjust the body and supplement nutrition before vaccination to avoid potential harm to the body.④ To ensure that the dog or cat is in good health when vaccinated, pet owners should deworm their pets internally and externally before vaccination. Internal deworming can be done with praziquantel, which can effectively kill various common internal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms. External deworming can be done with nonivermectin drops, which can effectively kill fleas, mites, and lice, and can quickly penetrate the skin surface. After deworming, the dog or cat can still play in the rain without affecting the efficacy of the medicine.⑤ If the dog or cat is just adopted, it is recommended to wait until they adapt to the new environment before vaccination, as the physical condition of dogs and cats is not stable and they are more susceptible to stress. Especially for stray dogs and cats, whose physical conditions are generally poor, it is necessary to stabilize their physical condition first, then go for a physical examination and deworming, and finally vaccinate them when their physical condition allows.⑥ Even for dogs and cats that have been raised at home for a long time, it is necessary to vaccinate them, as pathogens may also attach to humans and be transmitted to dogs and cats through contact. Environmental factors may also affect the immune effect. If it is too cold or too hot, or if the humidity is high or the air circulation is not good, these may cause stress in dogs and cats, resulting in a decrease in the ability to respond to immunity. Therefore, some experts believe that it is most appropriate to vaccinate dogs and cats in spring or autumn.2. Precautions After Vaccination① Dogs and cats may experience slight fever, poor appetite, and a decrease in activity after vaccination. They may also experience pain in the body, which are all normal vaccine reactions and usually resolve within 24 hours. However, if dogs and cats experience rashes, weakness in the limbs, itching all over the body, and swelling of the face after vaccination, it indicates that they may be allergic to the vaccine. In this case, it is necessary to inject desensitization shots in a timely manner. Therefore, it is recommended that dogs and cats not leave the hospital within half an hour after vaccination to observe whether they experience vaccine allergies.② Dogs and cats will produce antibodies about one week after vaccination, so it is recommended not to bathe them for 710 days after vaccination. Vaccinated dogs and cats are more susceptible to colds, and bathing can easily cause them to catch a cold, which may lead to respiratory diseases and affect the immune effect. The safest way is to bathe them one week before vaccination.③ The timing of the first vaccination for dogs and cats is also very important. If dogs and cats are vaccinated too early, the maternal antibodies may interfere with the immune effect. Generally, maternal antibodies in dogs and cats will gradually degrade at 6 weeks of age and reach a noninterfering level by 12 weeks of age. Therefore, the first vaccination for dogs and cats should be given at 12 weeks of age or later to ensure that they can fully obtain the immune protection provided by the vaccine.Dogs and cats can prevent most infectious diseases after vaccination, but this does not mean that they will not be infected with these diseases. Therefore, even if dogs and cats have been vaccinated, they still need to take other preventive measures against diseases, such as reducing contact with unfamiliar animals and their feces, and ensuring that the living environment of dogs and cats is clean and hygienic.Many pet owners may choose to vaccinate their pets with both the last dose of combined vaccine and the rabies vaccine at the same time. While this is not necessarily a problem, it is still recommended to separate the two vaccines as vaccines themselves are also weak viruses. Injecting multiple vaccines at the same time may increase the burden on the dog or cat's immune system and may affect the immune effect. If you have any questions about pet vaccination, you can consult online pet doctors.