Vaccinations and your pet

Vaccines are a very important part of your dog’s preventative healthcare plan, especially in puppies. Vaccines are essential in preventing multiple serious (and potentially fatal) diseases.  At the Fenelon Animal Clinic we use the most recent research and guidelines to individually tailor your dog’s vaccination schedule according to his or her risks. Some dogs need more vaccines than others because they engage in “risky” canine behavior!  

CORE Vaccines: Canine Distemper, Parvovirus, Rabies  

CORE vaccines are those which prevent the most serious and common diseases. All dogs, regardless of lifestyle, should be vaccinated with core vaccines.  All three of these diseases- distemper, parvo, and rabies- cause major illness and/or death in infected dogs.  

Canine distemper virus can cause gastrointestinal signs, severe respiratory disease, and/or neurologic signs such as seizures. It can be fatal in all 3 disease manifestations. There is no cure, we just try to treat the symptoms.  

Canine parvovirus causes severe vomiting and bloody diarrhea. It also suppresses the immune system which often leads to sepsis(infection within the blood stream) and death. The mortality rate for infected puppies is high and treatment can be very costly.  Distemper and parvo vaccines are given in a combination vaccine (which also includes protection for Adenovirus Type 2 and Parainfluenza). You will hear us refer to this vaccine as DAPP. It is given starting at 6-8 weeks of age. Puppies require a total of 3 boosters given 3-4 weeks apart. A booster is administered again 1 year later. In the following years, it is possible to get your dog on a schedule in which this vaccine is only required every 3 years (please ask us for details).  It is of the utmost importance to follow the vaccination schedule as any missed vaccinations leave your dog at risk.  

The last core vaccine is Rabies. By law, all dogs must be vaccinated for rabies. We first give rabies at 12-16 weeks of age. If a booster is given on time one year later, it may then be administered every 3 years. There may be serious legal consequences for dogs who are not current on their rabies vaccine if they bite a human. Please be safe and keep your dog up to date on their rabies vaccine.   

NON-CORE Vaccines: Bordetella, Leptospirosis and Lyme  

The NON-CORE vaccines are not necessarily required for every dog. These vaccines are administered based on your pet's individual lifestyle and risks.  

Bordetella is also often referred to as “kennel cough.” There are over 12 different causes of kennel cough in dogs. We have a vaccine against the most common and severe of them. Although most other vaccines are aimed at preventing infection, the goal of vaccinating dogs against kennel cough is to reduce the severity of clinical signs if they do become infected. Therefore, vaccinated dogs *can* get kennel cough, but the symptoms are usually milder in vaccinated dogs. Any dog that is exposed to other dogs in environments such as boarding kennels, grooming facilities, dog parks, etc. is at risk. Our vaccine is intra-nasal and is given once yearly.  

Leptospirosis is becoming increasingly common in many areas of Ontario and can cause liver and kidney failure. Leptospirosis is a bacteria carried in the kidneys and urine of skunks, raccoons and other rodents. Drinking standing water such as ponds and puddles is one of the highest risk factors for dogs . This vaccine is initially given twice, 3-4 weeks apart and then yearly.

Lyme disease is caused by the organism Borrelia burgdorferi which is transmitted by infected ticks. Infected dogs are at risk of developing lyme disease which can cause fever, joint pain and kidney damage. This vaccine is initially given twice, 3-4 weeks apart and then yearly.

Declawing (onychectomy) is a procedure which involves surgically amputating the third phalange (toe bone) of each digit on the front (and sometimes rear) feet. It is equivalent to amputating the human finger at the last knuckle.    

It is important to keep in mind that although it can be frustrating, scratching objects is a completely normal behaviour for cats to exhibit. Cats use scratching as a way of marking their territory as well as cleaning and sharpening their claws. Unfortunately for us, this means cats often perform this behaviour on our furniture and carpets.  

Historically, declawing has been a common solution to the scratching problem; however, research into the implications of this elective surgical procedure raises several animal welfare concerns. These concerns include (but are not limited to): surgical complications, effective postoperative pain control, behavioural changes and the potential for chronic pain. Both the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) and the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) have released position statements indicating they oppose the “elective and non-therapeutic Partial Digital Amputation (PDA), commonly known as declawing or onychectomy, of domestic cats.” In keeping with these recommendations, we do not currently offer elective declawing procedures. However; if you have a kitten or cat that is exhibiting destructive scratching behaviours we would be happy to discuss alternative solutions. You can read more about some of the other options for dealing with scratching below.  

Alternatives to Declawing 

• Nail Trimming 
  • Frequent nail trimming can help significantly reduce damage to furniture and decrease the risk of scratches 
  • If you are unsure of how to trim your cat’s nail please feel free to contact the clinic as we would be happy to give you a demonstration or schedule a nail trim with one of our veterinary technicians  

• Nail Caps 
  • One increasingly popular and often very successful method of controlling destructive scratching is the application of an acrylic nail cap  to each of your cat’s nails 
  • These acrylic caps cover the nail surface so that when your cat does scratch it eliminates or reduces the damage to furniture and carpets etc. 
  • They are inexpensive, pain-free to apply and typically last for several weeks (and often longer) 
  • We can apply these caps  for you in the clinic or teach you how to apply them at home 
  • Please give us a call if you would like to discuss this option 

• Feline Pheromones
  • Pheromones are an effective product that can be used to help redirect a cat’s scratching onto a scratching post to avoid damage to other objects while still allowing them to perform this normal cat behaviour 
  • It is a product that comes in small tubes of liquid which are applied directly to a scratching post and encourage the cat to scratch there instead ○

• Training Appropriate Scratching 
  • In addition to utilizingphermomones as outlined above, there are multiple suggestions for helping to train cats to scratch appropriately 
  • If your cat prefers scratching on a particular couch or object etc. place a scratching post beside it which can help redirect their scratching onto the post instead 
  • For more tips on living with cats with claws please visit the following link https://catfriendly.com/cat-care-at-home/living-clawed-cat/

There are a vast number of diets available and many different view points on what equals the best nutrition for your pet and all of this information can be quiet overwhelming . We have put together a few key points and links to helpful info sheets to  hopefully help facilitate your decision. 

One of the most helpful way to decide whether a particular food is a good choice for your pet or not is if it follows WSAVA  (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) guidelines. The WSAVA is an association of over 200 000 veterinary professionals whose main goals are to provide the highest level of care and to advance the health and welfare of all companion animals. 

One of the main points that WSAVA stresses is that you are able to identify the manufacturer and a contact number. This allows for you to be able to ask some important key questions.

1. Do they employ a full time nutritionist?
2. Who formulates the food and what are their credentials?
3. Are the diets tested by AAFCO feeding trials or by AAFCO formulations to meet the required nutrient profiles?
4. Where are the foods manufactured?
5. What safety and quality control measures are in place to ensure the quality of the ingredients and end product?

In addition all foods should have an AAFCO statement on the label to ensure that the food is complete and balanced to be fed full time to a pet.  

Below is a link to the full WSAVA guidelines for selecting a pet food for a full and detailed description of their recommendations. 

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/English/Selecting-the-Best-Food-for-your-Pet.pdf

There are also many myths and misconceptions circulating about commerical pet foods. Below are a few  links from WSAVA outlining a few of the most common misconceptions and some methods to help you direct your own nutrition research.

WSAVA FAQ's

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/Frequently-Asked-Questions-and-Myths.pdf

Savvy Dog Owners Guide to Nutrition on the Internet

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/English/The-Savvy-Dog-Owner-s-Guide-to-Nutrition-on-the-Internet.pdf

Savvy Cat Owner's Guide to Nutrition on the Internet

https://www.wsava.org/WSAVA/media/Documents/Committee%20Resources/Global%20Nutrition%20Committee/English/The-Savvy-Cat-Owner-s-Guide-to-Nutrition-on-the-Internet.pdf