Vaccinations and Heartworm Prevention

I just gave my kitten an FVRCP vaccine purchased from a feed store-fort dodge type, 1 dose. but now, he seems uncomfortable, inactive, and generally out of character and puffy about the face. is he OK? What should I do?

Your kitten is having a vaccination reaction. Take him in to your veterinarian immediately for treatment. This is a common and treatable reaction.

Your veterinarian is experienced in handling vaccinations. No one knows how the feed store or farm store handles the product. Do they know not to shake or drop the vials? Do they understand the importance of keeping them at the correct temperature? Also, most veterinarians will give a complete physical exam with the vaccination to see if the animal is healthy enough to handle the immunization. Most importantly, your veterinarian knows how to treat a vaccination reaction better if they know the product. What if your vet uses a different brand of vaccine and has not experienced the Ft. Dodge brand reaction?

Do not give vaccinations yourself for these reasons!

Hello. I have a 8 1/2 year old Westie who is 17 lbs. and a 1 1/2 year old toy Yorkie. The Yorkie is 3 pounds. I give the Westie Frontline and heartworm medications each month. My vet told me that the Yorkie (3 lbs) can have the same dose. The instructions on the two meds same the same. Do you agree with this? I find the Yorkie has very dark urine and it is quite strong after I give her the heartworm med. I've since stopped giving her any of the meds. Can you advise me what to do to protect the Yorkie? She never goes out much, only with me to my office, or a shop or two.

Thank you! It may be the type of heartworm medicine. You did not mention the brand. The small Interceptor dose is 2 to 11 pounds and the Heartgard dose is 0 to 25 pounds. I assume you are using Heartgard since the Westie is on the same size. Both medicines are safe to over 10 times the regular dosage. It is dangerous to not give heartworm medicine to any dog. Mosquitoes are everywhere and any one can carry heartworms. She may have an allergic reaction to the ingredients in Heartgard and you may need to try Interceptor.

At six weeks, when they are weaned, your pet should receive it's first distemper combination vaccine. After that, it should receive another booster vaccine every three to four weeks until it is sixteen weeks old. At that time, it gets the final annual booster and it's one year rabies vaccine. It's a good idea to ask the person you get your pet from if it has had any of it's shots and if it has been dewormed. See our Feline and Canine Preventative Health pages for more details.

You should spay your female kitten or puppy before they are six months old. The risks of mammary tumors later in life are reduced by 80% if your pet is spayed before their first heat cycle. The first heat cycle occurs between six and eight months of age. The same age range holds true for neutering your male kitten or puppy. They have the same risks of cancer later in life, but in the male, it is testicular and/or prostate cancer. As for behavioral changes, it is only for the better! They will tend to be less aggressive and less hyperactive. The only negative aspect of the process is that your pet's metabolism may slow down some and you may need to monitor their weight and eating habits.

Kennel cough or canine cough are other names for infectious tracheobronchitis. Click here to see our informational page on this subject.