Important Vaccines for Dogs and Cats in Shelters

By Sarah Fogle, Dane County Humane Society Extern and Rebecca Stuntebeck, DVM, DCHS-UC-Davis KSMP Intern
Every day, hundreds of dogs and cats are admitted into shelters across the country. Many of these animals are found as strays, while others are surrendered. Regardless of how an animal came into the shelter, often no medical history or vaccination status is known. With unknown vaccination status, there is a risk of spreading diseases such as canine parvovirus, canine distemper, and feline panleukopenia. All animals without a documented medical record should be considered unvaccinated. Vaccinating all animals upon entry into the shelter is very important to help protect the animals coming into the shelter and the animals already admitted.

Many different vaccines exist for both dogs and cats but there are very specific vaccinations called “core vaccines” that every dog and cat entering shelter should receive at intake. It is important that every animal receive these vaccinations on entry into a shelter in order to provide protection as soon as possible.
Feline Core Vaccinations

  1. Feline herpesvirus-1 (feline viral rhinotracheitis/FHV-1)
  2. Feline calicivirus
  3. Feline panleukopenia virus

These vaccines are often grouped into one vaccine (FVRCP). Herpesvirus and calicivirus cause upper respiratory infections in cats, while panleukopenia is the feline form of parvovirus (although it is often mistakenly referred to as “distemper”); panleukopenia is almost always fatal.

Canine Core Vaccinations
  1. Canine Distemper Virus
  2. Canine Adenovirus Type 2
  3. Canine Parvovirus
  4. Parainfluenza 
  5. Bordetella bronchiseptica

The first 3 viruses listed above are potentially fatal diseases in shelter dogs and puppies. Parainfluenza and Bordetella cause upper respiratory infections.

Often vaccines for distemper virus, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza are grouped in the same product (DA2PP).

Bordetella can be given as an intranasal vaccine, which provides the faster protection than the injectable form.  It very important to always give a vaccine by the route recommended on the product label.
When Should We Vaccinate?

Puppies and kittens
  • Initially, neonatal animals have passive immunity from their mothers. This means that they are temporarily protected by their mother’s antibodies; when these maternal antibodies are present vaccination does not provide protection. Around 4-6 weeks of age, these antibody levels begin to decrease. There is a period of time, or “window of susceptibility” in which the maternal antibody levels are too low to protect against disease but too high to allow the vaccine to work. Unfortunately, there is no test to determine when this window occurs. In a shelter situation, kittens and puppies should be vaccinated starting at 4 weeks of age and again every two weeks until they are 20 weeks of age because these animals are at a higher risk for infection than those in a home environment.  Puppies can be given an intranasal Bordetella vaccine as young as 3 weeks of age. This vaccine confers local immunity in the nose and is not affected by maternal antibodies. A repeat vaccination should be given after 6 months. 
Adult animals with no vaccination history
  • All adults without medical records should be treated as if they are unvaccinated. An initial vaccination with DA2PP should be given upon admission to the shelter.  Like puppies, an intranasal Bordetella should be given once on admission and then again 6 months later. 

Adult animals with vaccination history
  • If an adult animal presents to the shelter with up to date vaccination records, no further vaccination is needed. Be sure to note when the previous vaccination expires and continue to follow the previous vaccination schedule.
Should Sick Animals Be Vaccinated?

Often in a non-shelter setting, a sick animal will not be vaccinated until it is healthy. In a shelter, the risk of exposure to a disease is too great to delay vaccinations. An optimal immune response may not be reached when vaccinating a sick animal, but is still beneficial.

When Should Rabies Vaccinations Be Given?

Rabies is a core vaccine but not necessarily needed directly upon admittance to the shelter. All animals over 12 weeks of age should be vaccinated for rabies before being adopted. This can be done once the animal is settled in the shelter and healthy. Often Certificates of Veterinary Inspection are needed for dogs before adoption. Vaccination can be easily done at the time of this exam. The chosen protocol should ultimately follow local legal requirements regarding rabies.

Next month we’ll discuss how important it is to vaccinate every animal at intake for the health of your whole shelter population, so please check back again in a month!
References

  1. Welborn, L.V., J. G. DeVries, R. Ford, R. T. Franklin, K.F. Hurley, K. D. McClure, M. A. Paul, and R. D. Schultz. “2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines.” Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association 47.5 (2011): 1-42. Print. 
  2. “Vaccination.” Koret Shelter Medicine Program UC Davis, n.d. Web. 22 May 2013
  3. “Canine and Feline Vaccination Guidelines.” UC Davis School of Vet Med. Internal Medicine, Nov. 2012. Web. 22 May 2013. 
  4. Vaccines and Sarcomas: A Concern for Cat Owners.” Vaccines and Sarcomas: A Concern for Cat Owners. Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force, n.d. Web. 22 May 2013.
  5. Key Facts about Canine Influenza (Dog Flu).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 May 2013.