To protect your pet from dangerous pathogens, ensure their vaccinations are up-to-date. Vaccines enable your four-legged friend’s immune system to fight certain infections they may encounter. To help prevent your pet from contracting infectious disease, read our Smithtown Animal Hospital team’s information about core and noncore vaccinations for cats and dogs.

Core vaccines for dogs

Every pet should receive core vaccines, defined by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as vaccinations that protect pets from diseases that are endemic to a region, pose a potential public health threat, are required by law, are highly virulent, and pose a risk for severe disease. Dog’s core vaccines include:

  • Rabies — Rabies is a viral infection, typically spread by an infected animal’s bite. In addition to domestic pets, bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks, and other wild mammals can transmit the disease. Signs include aggression, difficulty swallowing, progressive paralysis, and seizures. Once signs manifest, the disease is almost always fatal. New York law requires that all dogs be vaccinated against rabies after they reach 4 months of age.
  • Parvovirus — Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral infection that attacks the rapidly dividing cells in a dog’s intestinal tract and bone marrow. A dog can contract the disease by coming in contact with an infected animal’s feces and contaminated objects and surfaces. Signs include inappetence, high fever, lethargy, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Parvovirus can also cause damage to a young puppy’s heart. 
  • Distemper — Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that an infected dog sheds through their urine, saliva, and respiratory secretions. Signs include coughing, nasal discharge, fever, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea. In some cases, the virus attacks the nervous system, causing signs such as incoordination, weakness, and seizures.
  • Adenovirus — Infectious canine hepatitis is a viral disease caused by canine adenovirus-1, which an infected dog  sheds through their urine, saliva, and respiratory secretions. Signs include inappetence, lethargy, fever, nasal and ocular discharge, cough, and corneal opacity. Young puppies may also experience abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.
  • Parainfluenza — This virus is commonly included in a combination vaccine with parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus. Parainfluenza is an important pathogen in canine infectious respiratory disease complex (CIRD), and an infected dog sheds the virus through nasal and ocular discharge, and respiratory secretions. 

Noncore vaccines for dogs

Your veterinarian will determine which noncore vaccines your dog should receive based on your furry pal’s lifestyle and disease exposure risk. Dogs’ noncore vaccines include:

  • Leptospirosis — Your dog can contract leptospirosis by coming in contact with an infected dog’s urine or by drinking urine-contaminated water. Signs include fever, muscle tenderness, increased thirst and urination, vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, and jaundice. Dogs who drink from or swim in natural bodies of water have a high risk of contracting leptospirosis.
  • Lyme disease — The black-legged tick transmits Lyme disease, a bacterial disease caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Signs include mild fever, lethargy, swollen lymph nodes, and lameness. Lyme disease is considered endemic in New York, and vaccinating your dog against the infection is strongly recommended.
  • Bordetella — Bordetella bronchiseptica is an important pathogen in CIRD. Dogs who frequent doggy daycares, boarding facilities, and dog parks have the highest risk of contracting this disease. 
  • Canine influenza — The canine influenza virus is an infectious respiratory disease that causes coughing, sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, fever, and difficulty breathing. Dogs who frequent doggy daycares, boarding facilities, and dog parks have the highest risk of contracting this disease. 

Core vaccines for cats

Although your cat may stay strictly indoors, to prevent them from contracting life-threatening infectious diseases, you should ensure their vaccines are up-to-date, because you never know when your feline friend might run away, or an infected pet may visit your home. Cats’ core vaccines include:

  • Rabies — New York law requires that all cats be vaccinated against rabies after 4 months of age. 
  • Feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV-1) — FHV-1 is a viral infection transmitted through an infected cat’s nasal and ocular secretions, and respiratory droplets. Signs include conjunctivitis, sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, lethargy, inappetence, and fever. 
  • Feline calicivirus (FCV) — FCV is a contagious viral disease transmitted through an infected cat’s nasal and ocular secretions, and respiratory droplets. Signs include sneezing, nasal and ocular discharge, conjunctivitis, lethargy, fever, and oral ulcerations.
  • Feline panleukopenia — Feline panleukopenia is a viral disease that targets the body’s rapidly dividing cells. Signs include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, inappetence, and weight loss. 
  • Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) for kittens — FeLV is considered a core vaccine for kittens younger than a year.

Noncore vaccines for cats

Your veterinarian will determine which noncore vaccines your cat should receive based on your feline friend’s lifestyle and disease exposure risk. Cats’ noncore vaccines include:

  • FeLV for adult cats — FeLV is considered a noncore vaccine for cats older than 1 year of age. FeLV attacks a cat’s white blood cells and immune system. An infected cat transmits the virus through their saliva, and transmission most commonly occurs when cats spend time mutually grooming, and sharing food and water bowls. Infection can also be transmitted through bite wounds. Signs include weight loss, fever, enlarged lymph nodes, and chronic skin, eye, respiratory, and urinary tract infections. Cats allowed outdoors and those who live with an FeLV-positive cat have the highest risk for contracting the disease.
  • Chlamydiosis — Chlamydiosis is a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydophyla felis. An infected cat transmits the disease through nasal and ocular discharge, and respiratory secretions. Signs include sneezing, ocular discharge, coughing, difficulty breathing, and fever. Cats housed in crowded conditions have the highest risk for contracting the disease.
  • Bordetella — As in dogs, Bordetella bronchiseptica can cause respiratory disease in cats. Cats housed in crowded conditions have the highest risk for contracting this infection.

Keeping your pet’s vaccines up-to-date helps them live a longer, healthier life. To keep your pet as healthy as possible, contact our Smithtown Animal Hospital team, so we can create their individualized vaccination program.