Where Can I Buy Dog Vaccines
The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) splits vaccines intotwo categories: core and non-core. Core vaccines are those thatevery dog needs and includes the rabies vaccine and the combinationDHPP vaccine that protects against distemper, adenovirus,parainfluenza and parvovirus. Non-core dog vaccinations aredetermined by where you live and your lifestyle. A dog who hasregular grooming appointments, goes to doggy day care, plays withfriends at the dog park and sometimes boards in a kennel may neednon-core dog vaccinations that a dog who does none or only some ofthose things will need. Consult your Petco veterinarian about whatvaccines are suitable for your dog.
where can i buy dog vaccines
Spectra and Focus multi-protection vaccines give your furry friends proven protection against the major health risks of cats and dogs. Save time and money when you vaccinate at home, knowing that your pets are getting the same industry-leading protection that veterinarians have trusted for years.
The state of Texas requires that dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age. The vaccination must be administered by a licensed veterinarian. Additionally, when traveling with a dog or cat, have in your possession a rabies vaccination certificate that was signed by the veterinarian who administered the vaccination. Check with your veterinarian about other vaccines that are available for a wide range of diseases in these animals.
All dogs and cats 12 weeks of age or older that are being transported into Texas must have been vaccinated against rabies and not be overdue. Proof of vaccination must be provided via a rabies vaccination certificate (or pet passport) signed by the attending veterinarian. Veterinarians in Texas are restricted to using vaccines approved by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); however, for entry purposes only, dogs and cats traveling into the state from another country may be inoculated against rabies with killed, modified live, or recombinant vaccine. Once in Texas, if a USDA-approved vaccine was not used or the veterinarian who administered it was not licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the US, compliance must be achieved.
Although not required by law, it is recommended that livestock (especially those that have frequent contact with humans), domestic ferrets, and wolf-dog hybrids be vaccinated against rabies. Again, check with your veterinarian about other available vaccines for these animals.
Worries about the cost of vaccines? Know that we package many of our vaccines together to keep prices down. And remember: some protection is better than no protection.
Strategies for vaccination in a shelter or other high-turnover small animal population are different in many ways from those for a privately owned pet. The likelihood of exposure to disease is often very high, and the consequences of infection potentially severe for both the affected animal and the shelter population. A well designed vaccine program can be a life-saving tool to keep shelter animals healthy. Some vaccines provide protection within a few days or even a few hours of administration, and can drastically reduce the frequency of life-threatening disease in the shelter. Other vaccines, while less impressive, can reduce the frequency and severity of disease both within the shelter and after release to adopters or rescue groups. This can help the shelter's reputation and facilitate increased adoptions and improved relations with rescues, conferring a benefit well beyond the vaccine itself.
Of course, vaccination is not a magic bullet for disease prevention. Even the best vaccines take some time to provide protection, and animals may enter the shelter already incubating disease. In addition, vaccination does not provide protection to 100% of vaccinates under the best of circumstances, and animals entering shelters stressed and malnourished may not respond optimally. Finally, vaccines are not available for all diseases of importance in shelters, and do not provide complete protection for some diseases even when there is a vaccine available. Vaccines can help but are never a substitute for good overall animal husbandry.
Core vaccines are vaccines indicated for virtually all shelter animals, and include vaccines against those agents which are very likely to be a threat and for which vaccines are at least somewhat protective. Limiting vaccines to core components reduces cost and incidence of adverse reactions.
Vaccines for Bordetella bronchiseptica are available with or without canine parainfluenza and canine adenovirus-2. A recent study showed modest benefit even in a shelter where dogs were likely exposed to high levels of disease early in the shelter stay. [Edinboro, 2004 #762] In general, intranasal vaccination is recommended due to the demonstrated rapid onset of immunity (3-5 days) and the potential benefits of local IgA derived protection. Additionally, this vaccine can be used in puppies as young as 2-3 weeks of age, and may provide local immunity even in the face of maternal antibody.
Rabies vaccination in shelters, however, is complicated by variable local regulations regarding the level of veterinary supervision required for administration. In some cases it is not permissible to give the rabies vaccine without direct veterinary supervision. If local regulations/veterinary staffing permit, rabies vaccine should be given at intake for dogs for whom a long term shelter stay is anticipated, and for all dogs in shelters where virtually all dogs are adopted.
For open-intake shelters, rabies vaccination at the time of surgery or release is often more practical. Although ideally vaccines are not given less than two weeks apart, the public health benefit of giving rabies vaccine for all animals on release outweighs this concern, and rabies vaccine should be given even if core intake vaccines were given less than two weeks previously.
If local regulations prohibit shelter staff from vaccinating or adequate veterinary supervision is unavailable, the adopter should be urged to have the animal vaccinated by their veterinarian. A deposit system can help ensure compliance (e.g. where the adopter pre-pays for the vaccine and license and has their money refunded when they return with proof of vaccination).
Canine influenza (CIV): Subcutaneous killed vaccines are available for canine influenza H3N8 strains of (at this time it is unknown whether this vaccine will protect against H3N2 strain). These vaccines are labeled to reduce the severity of clinical signs and decrease the duration of viral shedding, though like many respiratory vaccines they may not completely prevent infection. The vaccines are labeled for use in puppies 6 weeks of age and older, and should be given as two injections, 2-4 weeks apart. The requirement for a booster limits the usefulness of this vaccine in most shelters, but it should be considered for pet dogs that stay in boarding kennels, attend doggy day care centers, frequent dog parks, or otherwise congregate with other dogs, especially in areas known to be endemic for canine influenza. The series of two vaccines should be completed at least two weeks before boarding to allow for optimal immune response. This vaccine may also be useful for shelters in endemic areas if dogs frequently stay for a prolonged period, or for shelters transferring dogs from non-endemic to endemic areas (to be administered prior to transfer into an endemic area).
Rabies: There is minimal risk of transmission of rabies within a typical shelter environment, but there is great public health benefit in ensuring that all dogs and cats leaving animal shelters are vaccinated for rabies. Rabies vaccination in shelters, however, is complicated by variable local regulations regarding the level of veterinary supervision required for administration. In some cases it is not permissible to give the rabies vaccine without direct veterinary supervision. If local regulations/veterinary staffing permit, rabies vaccine should be given at intake for cats for whom a long term shelter stay is anticipated, and for all cats in shelters where virtually all cats are adopted.
If local regulations prohibit shelter staff from vaccinating or adequate veterinary supervision is unavailable, the adopter should be urged to have the animal vaccinated by their new veterinarian. A deposit system can help ensure compliance (e.g. where the adopter pre-pays for the vaccine and license, if applicable, and has their money refunded when they return with proof of vaccination).
Vaccines are categorized as modified live (MLV), inactivated (IA) and recombinant. Each type of vaccine has advantages and disadvantages. In shelters, the most important aspects of each vaccination choice are outlined here. In the majority of cases, modified live vaccines are the preferred choice in shelters.
The advantages and disadvantages of inactivated (IA) vaccines reflect the flip side of those listed for modified live vaccines. Inactivated vaccines will not cause shedding of antigen nor cause disease even in pregnant or very young animals, and are much more tolerant of variations in storage and handling.
The most significant disadvantage of inactivated vaccines is that for some serious diseases such as panleukopenia, protection will not be acquired until 1-2 weeks after a booster vaccine is given (2-3 weeks after initial vaccination). This means naive animals will not be protected for up to five weeks after vaccination! In many shelters the animal will likely have been exposed to disease by the time protection is achieved. 041b061a72