In keeping up-to-date with recent developments in environmental changes in northeast Ohio as well as the emergence of new diseases, we at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic are updating our immunization protocol recommendations.
There will be no changes to what we have referred to as our core canine vaccine protocol. Diseases for which we have been vaccinating have not gone away.
With the dramatic emergence of ticks in our area over the past three years, the Lyme disease rate has increased to levels we’ve not previously seen, and this rate has been climbing annually. Lyme disease is not straightforward in its presentation; it can lie dormant for some length of time between transmission and the emergence of clinical signs. Lyme disease can cause generalized joint pain, can look like many other types of illness, and can lead to kidney failure. It is much easier to prevent than it is to treat. Further, preventing Lyme disease in our canine patients prevents a reservoir from developing close to the people in our dogs’ environments. This is good public health. A new Lyme vaccine with unprecedented vaccine technology is available for dogs. It is both broad in its protection and gentle in its impact to the patient, your dog. The Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic recommends an annual Lyme vaccine for all dogs.
Canine Influenza has emerged in outbreaks here and there around the country, from West Virginia to Florida to Illinois/Wisconsin to Arizona. As with people, it causes a high fever, upper respiratory congestion, and can compromise the body to be susceptible to other illnesses. The first outbreaks of Canine Influenza were caused by the H3N8 strain, and this strain persists. A new strain, H3N2 has emerged, and a recent outbreak occurred very close to us. All dogs engaging in social situations with other dogs, from boarding facilities to grooming parlors, from doggie daycare to agility trials are at risk, particularly with the way we Americans travel these days. The Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic recommends an annual, bivalent (both strains) Canine Influenza vaccine for all dogs.
Dogs previously vaccinated for H3N8 will need to receive two doses of the H3N2 vaccine three to four weeks apart. After this, they will receive a bivalent vaccine. All dogs boarding with us will need to be current on both strains prior to their stay.
Our ultimate goal at the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic is to tailor your pet’s health care specifically for your pet. This includes determining those diseases for which your pet is most at-risk and choosing the most appropriate avenue of preventive care to greatly reduce those risks. Please feel free to bring any questions or concerns you may have to the attention of the doctors of the Cuyahoga Falls Veterinary Clinic.
