Pet Vaccinations: When, What and How Often?

Pet vaccinations help protect your pet from a variety of diseases that could harm them.

Pet vaccinations serve the same purpose as pediatric vaccinations: They help build immunity. Once built however, the question for pets is: How often should vaccinations be given once said pet reaches adulthood?

The First Year
For puppies and kittens, vaccinations are a must. Starting at six weeks, through a pet’s first year, vet checkups should be routinely scheduled. Afterwards, annual visits are sufficient; and for shots, the occurrence can be anywhere from 1 to 3 years.

For puppies, the standard vaccinations are:

• Rabies
• Distemper
• Hepatitis
• Parvovirus
• Bordetalla (kennel cough)

For kittens, you’ll want to make sure they get protected from:

• Rabies
• Feline viral rhinotracheitis and calicivirus (FVRCP/C)
• Distemper
• Feline leukemia

As for when these vaccinations should be administered, the following schedule will give you an idea of how often a puppy or kitten must go to the Vet. In addition to vaccinations, de-worming is always part of the process as well.

For puppies:

• 6-8 weeks: Distemper, measles, parainfluenza (bordatella)
• 10-12 weeks: DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus)
• 12-24 weeks: Rabies
• 14-15 weeks: DHPP (2nd)
• 12-16 months: Rabies (follow-up) and DHPP (3rd)

For kittens:

• 6-8 weeks: FVRCP (feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia)
• 12 weeks: FVRCP (2nd), FeLV (feline leukemia virus)
• 14 weeks: FeLV (2nd)
• 16 weeks: FVRCP (3rd), rabies
• 12-18 months and thereon: FVRCP (yearly), FeLV (yearly), rabies (as required)

Adulthood
Once puppies become dogs and kittens become cats, the frequency of vaccinations is something that owners should discuss with their vets. How often do pets need to be vaccinated? Aside from the rabies shot, which is mandated by law, the other vaccines might be waived.

Is it possible to over-vaccinate?  Such is the controversy. For example, cancerous tumors have been known to develop near the sites of vaccinations. The argument for regular vaccinations however is that they are preventatives. Certainly this is the main “pro.”

The debate for and against yearly vaccinations surfaced in 1998 when the American Association of Feline Practitioners recommended that certain vaccines could be administered every 3 years instead of annually. The door was thus opened for further consideration – for both cats and dogs.

Today, yearly checkups are prescribed for all pets. However, pet vaccinations are given less frequently (with the exception of the rabies shot). In general, most veterinarians will recommend these vaccinations every 3 years:

• For dogs: Distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus-2, parainfluenza virus
• For cats: Panleukopenia virus, feline herpesvirus-1, feline calicivirus

Too Strong?
If concerned, also ask your vet how strong the vaccine is. Another concern for pet owners and many in the Central Florida veterinarian community is that the pet vaccines have become stronger in order to cover the gap between shots.

One solution pet owners may not be aware of is the “titers test,” which can determine the amount of antibodies present in your pet. Consequently, it can tell you if your pet needs more vaccine. An obstacle however is that a “titers test” costs $100 to $200, which is more than triple what a pet vaccination would cost.

Pet owners however should look at the bigger picture and realize that over-vaccination is a risk. And, it’s a big one. As always, consult your Central Florida vet with your questions and concerns.