Whilst we recommend regular vaccination to help protect every at-risk dog and cat against common infectious diseases, there are times when this simple rule gets a bit more complicated!
Here are a few vaccination situations that aren’t quite so straightforward, and how our medically sharp team can help.
Anxious pets
Unfortunately, highly-strung or less socialised pets (or those who have previously required intensive veterinary treatment for a painful condition) may develop significant anxiety around veterinary visits. This can lead these pets to show “fight or flight” behaviours in the clinic, where they demonstrate evasive or even aggressive behaviours to escape the perceived threat. Understandably, this can make these pets difficult to examine and vaccinate!
If your pet shows signs of significant anxiety in the clinic, there’s lots we can do to help them remain calmer for veterinary visits, so that they can still safely receive their required vaccinations. Depending on their specific level of anxiety, we can offer:
- Changes to normal handling procedures, e.g. examining your pet outside
- “Lickable” treats, which can be smeared onto lick mats or into basket muzzles for pets to wear
- The use of calming or sedative medications
- Referral for behavioural assistance to help “retrain” your pet’s brain and reduce their fear
Unwell pets
If your pet has been demonstrating any symptoms of unwellness within the 48 hours prior to their vaccination (such as vomiting or lethargy), it’s a good idea to mention this to our vets. Depending on our assessment of their current health status, it may or may not be recommended for them to receive their vaccine that day.
For instance, if we suspect that your pet is currently dealing with a significant infection, we’ll postpone their vaccination until they are feeling better – this ensures the vaccine will be most effective, not to mention as safe as possible for your pet.
Pets with other health issues
In most cases, pets with long-term health problems can still receive a vaccination, unless they are currently suffering a significant flare-up that first needs to be investigated or managed further.
The exception to this is pets who have previously suffered from a significant autoimmune disease, such as immune-mediated haemolytic anaemia (where the pet’s immune system mistakenly targets and destroys their own red blood cells, causing dangerous anaemia). Given this is a life-threatening illness, it is usually deemed safest for pets to undergo scheduled blood tests that help assess their immunity against the life-threatening diseases they would normally receive vaccination against (such as parvovirus in dogs). If the blood test indicates sufficient protective immunity, vaccination is withheld to avoid unnecessarily triggering the pet’s immune system. If the blood test shows that the pet is likely to be at risk of contracting those contagious diseases, we then have a discussion with the owners to weigh up the risks of vaccinating or not.
The bottom line? We’re informed about injections! So, if your pet’s vaccination situation is a little complex, consult our helpful team for further advice and assistance.