01/26/2025
Happy Sunday!
We have decided to reinstitute Science Sundays. I started Science Sundays during COVID to explain the science of the pandemic. Science Sundays will deal with questions that I receive from clients that I think may be interesting to others. The next few Sundays, we will cover common dog/cat vaccines.
The first animal vaccine was developed in 1879 by Louis Pasteur for a bacterial infection named chicken cholera. The objective of most vaccines is to imitate an infection by a specific bacteria/virus so that the body is stimulated to produce immunoglobins specifically trained to recognize a specific bacterial/viral threat and instruct the body on how to fight against the illness.
But no medicine is perfect. The veterinarians’ job is to assess their patients’ risk of encountering an illness and to protect their patient from that disease whenever necessary. We carefully consider prevalence of the disease, current health of the patient and potential adverse reactions from the vaccine. We also must take into consideration local laws regarding a vaccine.
Adverse reactions may include:
1. Mild toxicity which translates to reactions at the injection site such as transient pain and swelling.
2. Transient lethargy.
3. Allergic response to the vaccine and/or its components. At times, using modified live vaccines can cause the disease itself. This usually occurs in a patient that is already immuno-compromised, especially in situations where there is a current illness or in the aged.
4. Neurological complications that may or may not be fully reversible.
In the next few weeks, we will take an in depth look at common pet vaccines and evaluate the potential benefits and pitfalls of giving that vaccine.
I welcome questions that I will answer as quickly as I can.
