Thoughts on Vaccinating at Home

"I'm just here for a rabies shot. I give my dog the distemper vaccine at home myself." This sentiment has repeated so often lately it's become somewhat of a theme.

I grew up on a farm. We gave our farm dogs distemper vaccine at home. For this budding veterinarian, it was fun to play doctor. And it certainly was economical.  Now, as the Practical Pet Vet, I appreciate self-sufficiency and I understand the desire to save money. My goal as a preventative medicine practitioner is to help owners make the best decision for their animal's care from youth until old age. Today's blog is not meant to persuade you not to vaccinate at home. I hope to enlighten you, the reader, about aspects of vaccination you might not have considered.

Parvovirus is highly contagious and often deadly,
especially in young puppies.

I believe vaccination is an important part of preventative health care. Periodically there are outbreaks of canine distemper and parvovirus that trigger rumors of "new" deadly virus strains against which current vaccines are not protective. In actuality, across the U.S. there are pockets of unvaccinated and inadequately vaccinated dogs that are highly susceptible to these preventable diseases. A dog would be inadequately protected if it did not receive vaccine boosters according to schedule as a puppy and young adult. If you're going to vaccinate at home, PLEASE consult your veterinarian to make sure you've timed your puppy's distemper series properly.

An emerging sentiment among many clients is that pets are over-vaccinated. Based on recommendations from independent researchers on vaccine effectiveness, many veterinarians now vaccinate against rabies and distemper every three years. The canine 5- and 7-way vaccines I've seen for purchase at pet stores are labeled to be given every year. Most likely this over-the-counter vaccine is protective for longer than a year. However, because you can't be certain the vaccine was handled properly (meaning kept at the proper temperature during transport and on the loading dock) it may not be as effective as those carried by your veterinarian whose vaccine shipments are more precisely controlled. Boostering annually with the pet store distemper vaccine increases the odds your pet has received a potent dose at several points in time.

Facial swelling may be a
symptom of a vaccine reaction. 

Vaccines, like all medicines, provide many benefits to health but are not completely without risk. Most dogs and cats respond as expected to vaccination and enjoy the benefits of protection with just a moment of minor discomfort. A potential side effect of vaccination in some pets is vaccine reaction, the severity of which ranges from mild GI upset to moderate facial swelling to severe anaphylactic shock and death! I worry that owners who vaccinate at home do not anticipate a vaccine reaction in their pet. Imagine the horrific irony of vaccinating your dog at home on a Sunday night to save some money, then having to rush to an emergency clinic for treatment of a life threatening reaction. If you're going to vaccinate at home, try to do it when your veterinarian is available to help you in the event of complications.

In the end, if it comes down to choice between not vaccinating your dog at all or vaccinating at home I'm certainly in favor of home vaccination. As with any medical treatment there are risks and benefits to consider. I hope to have made some educated consumers today.

Happy Birthday, Kitty!

People always want to know how old their dog or cat is in human terms. The rule of thumb for dogs has been one dog year equals seven human years, but we know that it not exactly right. Little dogs like Bichons tend to live longer than big dogs like Newfoundlands. Also the first few years of a dog's life are accelerated. A one-year-old dog is capable of reproducing and so it is definitely not the equivalent of a seven-year-old human (unless you believe those crazy tabloids)!

Unlike dogs, after the first few formative years of life, the ratio of cat years to human is about 1:4. As you can see, a feline surpassing 20+ years is deserving of a Willard Scott-esque birthday celebration!

Cat's Age               Equivalent Human Years
 1 year                    15-18 years
 2 years                   21-24 years
 3 years                        28 years
 4 years                        32 years
 5 years                        36 years
 6 years                        40 years
 7 years                        44 years
 8 years                        48 years
 9 years                        52 years
10 years                       56 years
11 years                       60 years
12 years                       64 years
13 years                       68 years
14 years                       72 years
15 years                       76 years
16 years                       80 years
17 years                       84 years
18 years                       88 years
19 years                       92 years
20 years                       96 years
Adapted from Think Like a Cat: How to raise a well-adjusted cat -- not a sour puss by Pam Johnson-Bennett


Here are some tips for helping your kitty reach his or her "centennial" celebration.

1. Schedule annual wellness exams with your cat's veterinarian even though vaccines are not due. Most progressive veterinary clinics now booster feline vaccines only every three years. That's the equivalent of 12 years between doctor visits in human terms! Screening bloodwork should be performed periodically (and at least annually in senior cats) to catch certain diseases early. Early detection allows for easier management and a longer, happier life.
2. Spay or neuter your kitty to avoid medical and behavioral problems that may result in accidental death, illness or euthanasia.  
3. Feed your cat a high quality cat food but limit portions! Obesity is a huge problem in felines leading to diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, and skin problems from inability to groom. Most cats do not get enough moisture in their diets and suffer from GI and urinary problems as a result. Train your kitty early on to enjoy quality canned or moist foods. Dry food does not -- I repeat, does not -- prevent dental disease.
4. Dental disease is a common and painful condition in many cats, and it negatively affects their overall health. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to prevent and manage dental disease in your cat. Just like people, most pets should have their teeth professionally cleaned (i.e., by their veterinarian) periodically.
5. Know what plants and household items are potentially toxic for your cat to avoid tragic illness or death. Also, PLEASE remember very few human medications are safe for cats. Some over-the-counter flea and tick treatments are OK for dogs but are deadly for cats!
6. Environmental enrichment can improve the quality and length of your cat's life. Many feline diseases are linked to stress. Learn as much as you can about feline behavior and play with your kitty every day. Especially in multi-cat households, make sure you have provided the proper resources for cats that may not get along all the time. A rule of thumb for litter boxes is "1 per cat plus 1." That means if you have three cats, you should have four litter boxes. Also properly placed scratching posts may eliminate the supposed need for declawing. By "properly placed" I mean in highly visible areas the cat has chosen, not the owner!  

Sadly, even with proper care and the best intentions some cats do not live to ripe old age. It is no different with us humans (I'm thinking of the fit and trim 30-somethings who die tragically from cancer or accidents). However, cats who receive proper exercise and nutrition, regular medical and dental care, and environmental enrichment will have an improved quality of life no matter how many candles are on their tuna cake.

Stop! Be a tree!

If you've been on the internet at all this past week you've doubtless seen the horrifying video of Denver news anchor Kyle Dyer being bitten in the face by a large dog on air. The footage is raw and, of course, the dramatic incident carries highly charged political connotations. Animal behavior experts are already weighing in on what went wrong and how the bite could have been avoided.

As a veterinarian, I am at risk of being seriously bitten on a daily basis. Multiple times a day I interact with dogs and cats who are complete strangers to me. I peer into their ears, lift their lips and manipulate their limbs. These animals are often highly aroused -- for cats the adrenaline has been pumping since their owners locked them in that dreaded carrier and drove them to the clinic! Most of them associate the veterinary clinic with poking, pinching and prodding, and some are simply not going to take it sitting down. I have learned through formal training, experience and intuition when an animal poses a threat to me. And frankly, when an owner insists their growling pet "never bites" it's a sure sign I need to grab a muzzle.

Ironically the worst dog bite I've ever had was from a skittish English Setter who was waking up from anesthesia. In general, bad things happen when you let your guard down. That's why I got bit. I was tired from surgery and inattentive to the dog's signals. I was sitting in her recovery cage as her anesthesia wore off (meaning she was probably not only naturally inclined to bite but also dysphoric from her drugs) and reached over her head to adjust her blankets when she snapped and caught my arm. I did so many things wrong here I can hardly blame the dog: I was in her space while she was not in her right mind and I acted threatening to her. She was not a big dog, but I had to pry her jaws from my forearm. Tylenol, ice packs and time was all I needed. I'm grateful it was just my arm.

The tragic unfolding of events in Denver has affected me like it has many others. I empathize with Ms. Dyer and hope she recovers fully. I worry about what will happen to Max as a result of his highly publicized bite. And I fear the impending backlash against "pit-bull" breeds--already a popular target for breed specific legislation. No one can undo the damage that occurred in an instant on that television set, but we can learn from it.

I want to share a great dog safety resource with parents and educators reading this blog. One of my family's favorite board games is Doggone Crazy! This educational board game teaches kids and adults alike how to behave safely around dogs, especially strange dogs. If the spinner lands on the picture of the snarling dog all players must stand up and "Be a tree!" to make the dog go away. Being a tree means you 1) stop, 2) fold your branches [arms], and 3) watch your roots grow [count while staring at your feet]. Basically you become as non-threatening as possible.

Doggone Crazy! contains stacks of photographs of real dogs in real life situations, and players earn points by identifying not only if the dog is safe or unsafe to approach, but also why or why not. A few of the pictures are obvious, but many dogs display very subtle signs of stress. And a stressed dog may bite at (what seems like) the least provocation. My children and I have become much more skilled at observing a dog's body language from playing this fun game. Still, as I said before, inattention is a danger magnet, and my educated kids are as spacey as they come so I don't trust them unsupervised with any dog (including our own EdGrrr).

Kick the habit and other ways to prevent cancer in your pet!

Animal companionship has a proven positive influence on our general health. Numerous scientific studies have shown that caring for a pet actually improves our health by reducing stress levels and increasing our physical activity.

Unfortunately, we and our pets also have a lot of diseases in common -- cancer, diabetes and inflammatory disease -- that are often directly linked to negative lifestyle choices.

Kick the Habit
Cigarette smoke is a long recognized cancer-causing agent in humans. The risks of second hand smoke to other people has led to smoking bans in all public places in Wisconsin over the past few years. News flash! Research shows that second hand smoke causes cancer in pets, too. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common cancer in cats. It often occurs on their face or in their mouth. The development of SCC on the lips, eyelids and nose has been associated with light-colored cats that love to sun-bathe! The form of SCC that occurs in a cat's mouth responds poorly to treatment and has been linked to ingestion of cigarette smoke from the fur. Cats are fastidious self-groomers, so they are exposed to a lot of cigarette chemicals this way!

Second hand smoke is a cancer causer in dogs too. Whereas the carcinogens inhaled in cigarette smoke settle out by gravity in human lungs, in dogs these cancer-triggering chemicals are filtered out by the delicate canine nasal tissues and create tumors in the nose. In fact, the longer the snout -- think greyhound vs. pug -- the bigger the risk of developing nasal cancer.

Shed some Lb's

Obesity increases the risk of many diseases in people and pets. Fat dogs, for example, suffer from debilitating orthopedic diseases. For years we veterinarians have preached weight loss in cats, for example, to prevent and manage diabetes mellitus. Now cancer researchers have connected the dots between obesity, diabetes and cancer. There is an elaborate Rube-Goldberg-type biochemical chain reaction to explain the link, but the "Chemistry for Dummies" version goes something like this: high carbohydrate diet (especially processed sugars) è increased blood sugar è increased insulin receptors è obesity and inflammation è cancer.


We can break the links in the chain any number of ways to reduce the risk of cancer in ourselves and our animals. Changing our diets to significantly reduce highly processed carbohydrates. Bam! Shedding that excess weight. Bam! Reducing inflammatory processes in our bodies. Bam!

A natural dietary supplement that is being used in human and veterinary medicine for a variety of beneficial purposes are polyunsaturated fatty acids. One way fatty acids benefit animal health is by reducing inflammation (in the skin, joints, gut, etc.). Fish oil and algal sources are appropriate for pets, but don't bother giving flax seed sources to Fido or Fluffy because dogs and cats cannot metabolize flax to access the beneficial fatty acids.Your veterinarian can help you determine a fatty acid dose for your pet (it's higher than you think!).

When it comes to being susceptible to cancer -- whether you walk on two legs or four -- genetics and environment are intimately linked. Many of the lifestyle changes recommended by the American Medical Association over the years to improve human health also improve the lives of the animals who share our homes and hearts! If you don't do it for yourself, maybe those pleading puppy dog eyes or that purr of contentment will convince you to make that one vital change.