By Sarah Hoggan, from the February 2001 Newsletter

Spring is coming and along with the crocus, puppies and kittens arrive to brighten our lives. If you get a puppy or kitten, you need to take your new friend for their shots—but what exactly are vaccines and how do pets benefit from them?

Vaccines are a series of small doses of either killed or modified live viruses. The viruses are killed or modified so they trigger immunity but don't make the animal sick.

The reason the vaccines have to be given over several weeks is due to the immunity the puppies and kittens acquired from their mother. When puppies and kittens first nurse they get a special type of milk called colostrum. This milk is thicker than usual and full of natural antibodies, the molecules that protect against disease. Maternal source antibody is key to the survival of young animals because their immune system is immature and can't produce enough of the right kinds of antibodies to fight off disease.

Maternal source antibody is why shots have to be given in a series. Every animal gets an individual amount of immunity from its mother. The antibody not only protects from viruses that would cause disease, it also deactivates the vaccines. You can't be sure when the maternal source immunity has diminished, so the shots need to be spread out to ensure protection. Additionally, the time span of the shots helps ensure the young animal's immune system has developed enough to produce its own protection when the vaccines stimulate it.

Basic kitten vaccines protect against several upper respiratory infections and an immunosuppressive infection. The upper respiratory infections can also infect a kitten's eyes and cause severe problems such as ulcers of the cornea, the surface layer of the eyeball.

Basic puppy vaccines protect against upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal infections. Young animals dehydrate rapidly and diarrhea is a serious problem. These infections can rapidly develop and they are potentially fatal. Even if an animal survives one of these infections, their lifespan and quality of life are usually severely impacted.

Vaccines are given for a reason and while they may seem insignificant or inconvenient, the consequences to skipping them are severe. Some people believe vaccinations are risky. In fact, vaccinations have very low rates of complications and their benefits far outweigh any risks. With excruciating eye pain or death as a potential outcome, why risk the infection? Your animal loves you unconventionally so return the love and get them vaccinated.

Sarah Hoggan's life now is full of change. She is interviewing for jobs and her four-month son is discovering new things constantly (this week it was baby food). Her pets are adjusting very well and take turns licking Tucker.

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