Which Vaccines and How Often?

Canines:

1) Rabies Vaccine - The rabies vaccines is required by law and each pet is required to be registered with a license for the county in which they live. A puppy can receive the vaccine between 14 and 16 weeks of age. The initial vaccination is good for one year. Each subsequent booster is administered every three years. Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease that can be transmitted to pets through the saliva of a bite from an infected animal. It is important to keep your pet up-to-date on Rabies vaccinations because people can become infected from the bite of an infected animal.

2) DA2PP - Although this vaccine is commonly referred to as the Distemper vaccine. it actually protects against more than one disease. A puppy can begin receiving the vaccine around 8 weeks of age. The puppy must then receive a booster every 2-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. After the initial series of puppy shots, the vaccine is boostered in one year. Like the Rabies vaccine, the Distemper vaccine has been shown to provide protection for a number of years, so subsequent boosters can be administered every three years.

Lets break down the Distemper vaccine. The 'D' in DA2PP is for Distemper, a viral disease that can affect both young and old dogs. The 'A' is for Adenovirus, which is also known as Canine Infectious Hepatitis. The first 'P' stands for Parainfluenza, a highly contagious viral disease characterized by coughing, nasal discharge, fever, and lethargy. The last 'P' is for Parvovirus that causes severe diarrhea (and vomiting) usually in young dogs. It is spread through feces of infected animals and can be fatal. All of these contagious diseases are canine diseases and are not spread to people.

3) Bordatella - This vaccine is often inappropriately called the Kennel Cough Vaccine. In fact, the Bordatella Vaccine helps to protect against Bordatella bronchiseptica, which is one of a number of infectious agents that make up the disease known as "kennel cough complex". We recommend this vaccine be given as a puppy and then given every 6-12 months depending on the pet's lifestyle. Any pet that regularly is groomed, boarded, or goes to the dog park should get this vaccine.

4) Leptospirosis - Do your dogs go outside? If they do, they may be at risk for Leptospirosis. This is a zoonotic disease (can be transmitted to humans) caused by a bacteria. Leptospirosis can lead to liver and kidney failure. We used to think that only outdoor or working dogs in rural areas were at high-risk. The fact is that may dogs diagnosed with Leptospirosis are medium to small dogs that are mostly indoors. This vaccine is not considered a 'core' vaccine at this point, but it is STRONGLY recommended for this area.

Canine influenza (CI), or dog flu, is a very contagious viral infection affecting dogs. Currently, there have been two strains of canine influenza virus identified in the United States: H3N8 and H3N2.
Canine influenza virus causes an acute respiratory infection in dogs. There is no “season” for canine influenza, and infections can occur any time of the year. Usually these infections occur as seemingly random outbreaks. Nearly 100% of dogs exposed to canine influenza virus become infected, with approximately 80% developing clinical signs. The 20% of infected dogs that do not exhibit clinical signs of disease can still spread the infection.

We offer a bivalent vaccine offering protection against both strains (H3N8 and H3N2). Vaccination may not all together prevent an infection, but it may reduce the severity and duration of clinical illness. The canine influenza vaccine is a "lifestyle" vaccine and is recommended for dogs at risk for exposure to the canine influenza virus, which includes dogs that participate in activities with many other dogs or are housed in communal facilities (boarding, daycare, grooming, dog shows, canine sporting events, etc).

Felines:

1) Rabies - As with their canine counterpart, our feline friends should receive their first Rabies vaccine as a kitten between 14 and 16 weeks of age. The initial vaccine is good for one year, then each subsequent vaccine can be administered every one to three years.

2) FVRCP - This is often referred to as the feline distemper vaccine. It is also a vaccines that protects against multiple diseases. Kittens start this series of vaccines around 8 weeks old and receives a booster every 2-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. This vaccine should be boostered annually.

'FVR' stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (which is caused by Herpesvirus). You may see sneezing with nasal discharge or ulcerations on the eye. 'C' is for Calcivirus which causes a disease, mostly in kittens, which can include fever, ulcerations in the mouth, and limping. 'P' stands for Panleukopenia which is a type of Parvovirus that attacks the bone marrow, gastrointestinal system, and lymph system.

3) FeLV - This vaccine protects against the Feline Leukemia Virus. A cat will receive an initial series as a kitten, then boostered yearly thereafter. The kitten is tested before starting the series to ensure that there is not an active Feline Leukemia Virus infection. This is an infection that is transmitted from cat to cat typically through bite wounds. An infection with this virus can have serious health implications as it can cause severe immune and bone marrow suppression and lead to cancers like Lymphoma. ANY cat that goes outdoors or even an indoor cat that has contact with outdoor cats should be considered at risk and be vaccinated.

Here at the Animal Hospital of Treasure Island we are trying to make our vaccination protocols as safe as possible and reduce risk of any potential side effects.
For felines, one uncommon but serious adverse reaction that can occur with injection sites, including those sites where vaccines are administered, is tumor growth (sarcomas), which can develop weeks, months, or even years after a vaccination. Although the risk of developing an injection-site sarcomas is small, we are changing our vaccination protocol to reduce this risk even further.

An adjuvant is a chemical, microbial constituent, or mammalian protein added to an inactivated viral or bacterial vaccine to enhance the immune response to a selected antigen i.e. make the vaccine more effective. The adjuvant may provoke tumor formation in genetically predisposed cats. The Animal Hospital of Treasure Island uses non-adjuvanted vaccines.

For more information please talk to our veterinarians and visit Vital Vaccinations: Feline Injection-Site Sarcomas or the AVMA

Whether pain is from a surgical procedure, injury, or chronically painful conditions (for example back pain and arthritis), we use a combination of different therapies to help achieve our goals.

Options for pain management include injectable and oral pain medications, cold laser (or photobiomodulation) therapy, Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM), and CBD oil and other supplements.

Please see our Integrative Medicine service section for more information on TCVM which includes acupuncture.

Cold Laser Therapy or Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) not only helps relieve pain, but is a safe, non-invasive way to speed up healing as well. It uses specific wavelengths of light to speed up the body’s natural healing process. PBMT increases blood circulation, which brings more oxygen and nutrients to the area of treatment as well as speeds up the elimination of waste products and toxins.

We maintain a large inventory of veterinary pharmaceutical products, medications, and supplements. This includes flea, tick, and heartworm preventative. When you purchase medications from us, you can rest assured that your pet's prescription was obtained from a safe and reliable source and stored appropriately. Our trained staff will fill your pet's medications with care and with detail to your pet's specific needs.

Our online pharmacy is safe and convenient. All products are purchased directly from the manufacturer and carry the original 100% manufacturer guarantee! This is something that you cannot find through other online pharmacies.

It is important to have good communication with your pet's healthcare team regarding all the medications they may be taking. We are also here if you experience any problems or have questions about medications after you leave us. Call us for refills or use the refill form to request needed medications. We will do our best to fill approved refills in a timely fashion.

Quality of Life
When evaluating the quality of life of your pet, personalized and family concerns are important when reaching an educated, informed, and supported decision. Things to consider include the pet's social interactions, physical health and comfort, mental health and natural functions.

Example of Quality of Life Scale (adapted from Lap of Love)

Use the key factors of quality of life below to help asses your pet's condition. Add up the numbers from each category for that day and keep a daily diary of the scale to keep track of your pet's progress. The maximum score is 12 and you can determine your own scale. You can even add categories that pertain to your pet's condition. For example, the category "Respiratory Rate" is your pet is suffering from heart failure or lung disease.

MOBILITY

2 - Good Mobility - No difficulty getting around, enjoys walks and going outside
1 - Poor Mobility - Difficulty getting up, hard to get in position to eliminate, short walks
0 - Bare Minimum - Needs assistance, pain medication does not help

INTERACTION/ATTITUDE

2 - Interacts Normally with family and other pets
1 - Some Interaction
0 - Hides

NUTRITION

2 - Good Appetite
1 - Poor Appetite - Hand feeding, needs enticement
0 - No Appetite

ELIMINATION

2 - Normal urination and/or defecation
1 - Reduced/irregular urination and/or defecation
0 - None

HYDRATION

2 - Adequate Intake
1 - Poor Intake (or increased in patients with certain diseases)
0 - Requires subcutaneous or IV fluids

FAVORITE THINGS
2 - Normal favorite activities, hobbies, etc.
1 - Decrease in doing their favorite things
0 - No interest in doing their favorite things

Scale is as follows:

12-9 Everything is okay. No medical intervention is required yet, but talk to our veterinarians for guidance and help identifying signs to look for as the disease progresses.

8-6 Quality of life is questionable and medical intervention is suggested.

< or = 5 Quality of life is definitely a concern. Changes will likely become more progressive. Consider humane euthanasia - talk to our veterinarians to better understand the end stages of your pet's disease.

Please call the Animal Hospital of Treasure Island or visit Lap of Love for more information and assistance with quality of life concerns.

Harmony between two opposing yet complementary forces, called Yin and Yang, supports health. Disease results from an imbalance between these forces and diagnosis is through identifying the underlying “pattern” of disharmony in respect to the whole animal. At the most basic and deep level, TCVM treatment seeks to balance Yin and Yang in each animal by utilizing the opposing forces of the universe (light and dark, hot and cold) to mutually create and transform each other/maintain balance within the body. We understand this may sound crazy, but there is a reason this practice has been used in humans and animals for over 2,000 years!

The body’s internal environment is harmoniously kept in check when our life-energy or “Qi” is flowing and balanced. The balance of health depends on the unobstructed flow of Qi through the body along pathways known as meridians. As long as this energy flows freely, health is maintained, but once the flow of energy is blocked the system is disrupted and pain or illness can occur.

There are four branches of TCVM that can be used together to promote and maintain balance and health.

Acupuncture is a treatment that involves the stimulation of points, typically achieved through the insertion of specialized needles into the body. Acupuncture points typically lie along the body’s Meridian Channels along which Qi flows. Most veterinary acupuncture points and Meridian lines are transposed to animals from humans, though knowledge of some “classical points” defined on particular species have been retained and are used to this day.

Herbal Medicine utilizes herbal ingredients combined in unique formulas to treat specific disease patterns. Herbal formulas are administered orally and can be given in powder form, in a capsule, teapill, or in certain cases we can prescribe dog biscuits.

Food Therapy is the use of diet to treat and prevent imbalance within the body. It utilizes knowledge of the energetics of food ingredients to tailor diets for individual animals with particular disease patterns.

Tui-na is a form of Chinese medical massage. This is another way to stimulate acupoints to promote the circulation of Qi and can be done at home.

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world! Historic texts describe Chinese “horse doctors” practicing acupuncture on the army’s horses of the Emperor during the Shang & Zhou Dynasties around 2000 BC. The ancient Chinese identified energetic channels known as “meridians” that connected over 361 acupuncture points along the body. Since then, acupuncture points have been identified and described in humans, dogs, cats, cattle, rabbits, chickens, elephants, lizards, and even dolphins (haven’t you heard of Winter?)! These “acupoints” along the meridians cause physiologic changes and release endogenous opioids, stimulate the immune system, and can even regulate blood pressure.

Integrative Medicine

At Animal Hospital of Treasure Island, we believe the key to excellent veterinary medicine is with an “Integrative Approach” in which we use western and eastern medicine together to keep your pet happy and healthy. Acupuncture and herbal therapy have been shown to be
especially beneficial for:

• Arthritis
• Post-surgical pain
• Gastrointestinal disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease
• Nerve damage
• Epilepsy
• Cardiovascular disease
• Immune disorders
• Behavioral disorders
• Any other chronic/long term conditions may not respond well to conventional treatments
• Certain types of cancer
• Skin issues

Western medicine is essential for traumatic issues such as broken bones, torn ligaments, injuries, infections, and other acute life threatening conditions. However, there are side effects associated with many of our conventional treatments.

So come on in and ask us more about our Integrative Medicine approach!

Radiographs are good at detecting orthopedic issues like arthritis, or if your pet has swallowed a foreign object, or if they are suffering from heart disease, etc. Radiographs can help us see the size and shape of internal organs, but unfortunately we cannot see inside the organ.

Ultrasound can be used to evaluate the internal structure and function of internal organs. These non-invasive, painless exams can also detect the abnormal presence of fluid in both the chest and abdominal areas. Ultrasound can also be utilized for evaluating the status of a pregnancy and as an emergency diagnostic tool to detect internal bleeding.