Nutrition, obesity, specialized diets & Vaccination (Hong Kong Island Veterinary)

Vaccination at 6-8, 10-12, 14-16 weeks of age

Kittens:

WHY DO BABY ANIMALS NEED A SERIES OF SHOTS AND HOW MANY DO THEY NEED?
When a kitten or puppy is born, its immune system is not yet mature; the baby is wide open for infection. Fortunately, nature has a system of protection. The mother produces a special milk in the first few days. This milk is called "colostrum" and is rich in all the antibodies that the mother has to offer. As the babies drink this milk, they will be taking in their mother's immunity. After the first couple of days, regular milk is produced and the baby's intestines undergo what is called "closure," which means they are no longer able to take antibodies into their systems. These first two days are critical to determining what kind of immunity the baby will receive until its own system can take over.
How long this maternal antibody lasts in a given puppy is totally individual. It can depend on the birth order of the babies, how well they nursed, and a number of other factors. Maternal antibodies against different diseases wear off after different times. We DO know that by 16-20 weeks of age, maternal antibodies are gone and the baby must be able continue on its own immune system.
While maternal immunity is present in the puppy’s system, any vaccines given will be inactivated. Vaccines will not be able to "take" until maternal antibody has sufficiently dropped. Puppies and kittens receive a series of vaccines ending at a time when we know the baby's own immune system should be able to respond. We could simply wait until the baby is old enough to definitely respond as we do with the rabies vaccination but this could leave a large window of vulnerability if the maternal antibody wanes early. To give babies the best chance of responding to vaccination, we vaccinate intermittently (usually every 2-4 weeks) during this period, in hope of gaining some early protection.
When a vaccine against a specific disease is started for the first time, even in adult animals, it is best to give at least two vaccinations. This is because the second vaccination will produce a much greater response if it is following a vaccine given 2-4 weeks prior.

Annual vaccination:

SHOULD I VACCINATE MY PET ANNUALLY?
It is important to realize that some diseases lend themselves to prevention through vaccination while others do not. In dogs and cats who have access to outdoors or who live in high risk areas, annual vaccination is necessary to maintain protection. What kind of exposure to disease your pet has, what diseases and strains are common in the area, what kind of stress factors are present etc. all determine the vaccination programmes

WHAT VACCINES SHOULD I GET IF MY PET IS INDOORS ALMOST COMPLETELY?

For cats, we consider the basic flu/enteritis shot (FVRCP) important for all cats, as does the American Association of Feline Practitioners. For indoor or flat bound cats this can be given every three years. It is important to remember that if you are planning to travel or visit boarding catteries this will need to be boostered within that three years.
The leukemia vaccine would be recommended if there is a real chance that an owner will bring home a new kitten.



Nutrition, obesity, specialized diets