When to vaccinate puppies and kittens
It matters not only that you get your pets vaccinated, but also how and when vaccines are given, especially for puppies and kittens.
When dogs and cats are born, they have an unknown amount of immunity that has been given to them from the mother. It is also unknown how long this immunity will last.
Core vaccine protocols were designed to provide protection as early as possible and continue long enough to ensure that each puppy or kitten develops good immunity for common serious and/or deadly illnesses. In general, most recommendations suggest to start at 7 to 9 weeks, and vaccines should be given every 3 weeks until at least 16 weeks of age.
Vaccines are then boostered at a year, and then it varies after that depending on the illness. The websites for UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, AAHA, and others provide a list of core vaccines and timing for the administration.
This sounds simple, but there is more to think about. The company that produces the vaccine is important. High level companies invest significant amounts of money to evaluate both efficacy and safety of vaccines. When you have your pet vaccinated through your veterinarian, the quality of that vaccine is generally much higher than that of a feed store.
There is also handling to consider. Vaccines are not durable. If they are not refrigerated properly, or left out for too long, they loose efficacy. Again, this is why I advocate for having vaccines provided by trained health care professionals such as at a veterinary office or medical vaccine clinic.
Sadly many of the diseases that core vaccines protect against are deadly. Parvo, for example, kills a large percentage of puppies annually in our community, but it is easily prevented with adequate puppy vaccines.
At ER, I will routinely see a Parvo puppy every 1 to 2 nights during both early spring and early fall, the times when we seem to have Parvo in our area. There is no specific treatment or cure for Parvo. It is all supportive care and the hope that the puppy is strong enough to fight the illness.
An owner can easily spend several thousands of dollars in hospitalization trying to save a puppy with Parvo. Many pet owners are not able to afford this, and hospitalization doesn’t guarantee survival.
Parvo is actually the reason I started my vaccine clinic for the pets of the homeless community.
It’s also not just about the vaccine. A puppy’s or kitten’s wellness visit should provide you with basic care recommendations that will be setting the foundation for your buddy for the rest of their life, and your veterinarian is the best person to advise you on which noncore vaccines you should consider for your pet. They can also guide you on diet, exercise, flea control, heart worm prevention, spay/neuter, etc.
The first year of your puppy’s or kitten’s life is pivotal. Please get guidance from someone who has dedicated their life to saving animals.
Dr. Julie Damron, doctor of veterinary medicine, is the medical director of Stockton Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Center. She has worked as a veterinarian in San Joaquin County for more than 20 years and is the founder of Loving Tails, an organization that assists the pets of the homeless community.