Vaccination in Dogs and cats : importance and schedule

• Puppies and kittens receive antibodies from their mother’s milk in the form of colostrum that provides immunity in their initial life,this temporary maternal protection wanes by the age of 6-8 weeks. To continue enhance protection from certain highly contagious diseases vaccination is necessary.

“You should ensure that your pet should be Healthy and Dewormed before vaccination.”

• Prevent spread of disease to animal to animal and animal to humans also such as rabies.
  
• Keep your pet always healthy.
• Vaccination help you avoid costly treatments for preventable animal illnesses.
  
• Vaccination protect your pet from certain wildlife diseases like Rabies and Distemper.

• There is a two type of vaccines are available.
  1. Core vaccine : Essential for Dog or cat.
  2. Non core vaccine : optional, it is given based on Dog’s or cat’s lifestyle.
  
• Core vaccines for dog include Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Rabies and corona virus infection.
  
• Non core vaccine for dogs include Bordetella responsible for kennel cough, leptospira, and influenza H3N2.
  
• Core vaccine for cat include Rabies, feline calcivirus, Rhinotracheitis virus and Panleucopenia virus.
  
• Non core vaccine for cat include Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV).

• Different veterinary doctors have a different vaccination protocol but as a veterinarian i personally recommend protocol which i elaborated below.

• I give first vaccine at age of 6 to 8 weeks is 6 in 1 or 7 in 1 which protect puppies from 6 or 7 Diseases include Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvo, Parainfluenza, Corona and Leptospira. The booster dose is given after 21 days of first dose then annually booster dose given
  
• Bordetella vaccine given at age of 6 to 8 week if this vaccine given intra nasal route then no booster dose required , but if it given in injectable form then second dose require after 3 or 4 weeks of 1st dose and annually booster dose is given depend on dog’s contact with risk environment.
  
• Anti rabies vaccine i give at age of 3 month of puppy and booster dose must give annually.

• First vaccine in kittens given at 6 to 8 week of age is FVRCP vaccine which include feline viral Rhinotracheitis, feline calcivirus and Panleucopenia virus. Booster dose given after 21 days of 1st dose and then annually booster dose given.
  
• Anti rabies vaccine schedule for cat is similar to dogs.