Pet Vaccinations

This vaccine is commonly called the “parvo vaccine” or the “distemper vaccine” but it actually contains and protects against multiple diseases (including these two). Puppies are at the highest risk for these diseases and thus receive this vaccination at virtually every single puppy visit. The two aforementioned diseases are both terrifyingly common as well as life-threatening: there is no cure for either, only symptomatic treatment to try and help them survive and fight the disease themselves. Distemper and parvovirus are so highly transmissible that you can potentially bring them into your home via your shoes and introduce them to your dog without them ever meeting another dog – thus recommended for almost every canine patient.

More commonly just reffered to as “lepto,” this is a bacterial disease that is found worldwide in soil and water. In addition to causing severe illness in dogs, lepto can also be transmitted to humans from their canine counterparts. Because of the human safety risk as well as the high potential for encountering the bacteria, we recommend this vaccine for almost every dog. The highest risk dogs are those that have exposure to wildlife (even squirrels) or farm animals, exposure to slow-moving or standing water like streams, rivers, or ponds, or dogs that have contact with other dogs outside their household.

Kennel cough gets its name from being most frequently acquired when dogs are exposed to other dogs in historically “kenneled” situations like boarding or grooming. The term “kennel cough” does not refer to a specific disease but to a “syndrome,” which is a group of symptoms that consistently occur together. Kennel cough can be caused by several different bacteria and/or viruses, one of which being the bacteria Bordetella bronchispetica. The bordetella vaccine provides immunity to this bacteria and other common viral causes of kennel cough. Because kennel cough can be caused by different things, this vaccine may not completely prevent your pup from getting sick but will help to lessen the severity of symptoms.

Dogs can get the flu, too! Flu doesn’t really have a “season” in the dog world but rather comes in waves at various times in the year. It is similar to kennel cough (and can be one of the causative agents) in that it is transmitted dog-to-dog. The influenza vaccine is recommended for dogs that go places where other dogs frequent such as the groomer or boarding. We are one of few clinics that offer this vaccine, which helps prevent transmission and can dramatically lessen the symptoms of canine influenza.

Lyme disease afflicts both humans and dogs and is transmitted by infected ticks. The ticks that carry Lyme disease are active throughout the year unless the temperatures are consistently below freezing. Unlike in humans, Lyme disease can take several months after the initial tick bite to cause symptoms in dogs and thus can be harder to identify as the cause. High quality tick prevention reduces (but does not eliminate) the likelihood of a tick staying on a dog long enough to transmit Lyme disease and we recommend this vaccination for dogs commonly exposed to tick-prone areas.

This vaccine is commonly called the “parvo vaccine” or the “distemper vaccine” but it actually contains and protects against multiple diseases (including these two). The two aforementioned diseases are both terrifyingly common as well as life-threatening: there is no cure for either, only symptomatic treatment to try and help them survive and fight the disease themselves. Distemper and parvovirus are so highly transmissable that you can potentially bring them into your home via your shoes and introduce them to your cat – thus recommended for almost every feline patient.

Most commonly called the “distemper vaccine,” this vaccine protects against multiple diseases and is essential for all cats. Similar to distemper and parvovirus in dogs, you can bring feline distemper to your kitty on your clothes or shoes from outside the home. Much like canine parvovirus, panleukopenia is highly contagious and life-threatening for cats of all ages (especially kittens). Pet parents for almost every feline patient are strongly encouraged to ensure that their kit-cats are vaccinated appropriately against these diseases.

Sometimes called the “friendly cat disease,” feline leukemia is transmitted directly from cat-to-cat contact (not necessarily from fighting). The virus itself can cause severe anemia, but the worst part is that it severely weakens the infected cat’s immune system. This leaves the affected kitty susceptible to getting sick from almost anything that otherwise wouldn’t cause illness, similar to a severely immunocompromised person. We recommend this vaccine for any cat that goes outside as well as for all kittens while they are young so that they have some immunity if they are ever exposed in the future.

It is uncommon, but possible for cats to get kennel cough from their canine housemates. There is a commercially available bordetella vaccine to help prevent this in our feline friends. Please let us know if this is something you would be interested in for your kitties. If there is enough interest, we will carry this vaccine in the future.

With the rise of new rabbit diseases, vaccination of the bunny part of the family is becoming common practice in veterinary clinics all over the country. The most recent concern in the United States is that of Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV or RHDV2). The first strain of this highly contagious and nearly always fatal disease was detected in the western United States in 2018 and is thought to have originated in Europe. Since 2020, it has been found sporadically in parts of the eastern US, but it has yet to be detected in North Carolina. For more information on RHDV, including a map of affected areas, go to https://rhdv2.org/

There are two (2) commercially available vaccines for RHDV in Europe but none yet in the US that have been approved by the USDA. Due to the rapid spread of this disease within the past 3 years, one company was given emergency authorization by the USDA to distribute their vaccine within the United States. Preliminary research suggests that the US version of the RHDV vaccine is safe and effective, but this is yet to be confirmed by the USDA.

Middle Creek Veterinary Hospital & Exotic Animal Clinic does not yet recommend the RHDV vaccine for every pet rabbit and does not always stock the vaccine. We are monitoring this emerging crisis closely and will let all of our rabbit owners know if steps must be taken to protect their beloved bunnies. If you want your rabbit to be vaccinated for RHDV, please let us know because we order the vaccine when we have enough requests to use it. We are also more than happy to discuss RHDV in more detail and make recommendations specific to your family’s needs.

Ferrets are playful and mischievous members of the weasel family and can be a wonderful addition to your fur family. Even with their somewhat diminutive stature, a ferret’s intelligence and social needs can rival that of our dog and cat family members. Ferrets are also unique because they have a higher propensity for moderate to severe allergic vaccine reactions than many other species. Despite this risk, our veterinarians strongly advocate for vaccinating ferrets due to their disease risks and requirements by North Carolina law.

Most adverse vaccine reactions happen within 5 to 25 minutes after vaccination and, more commonly, in ferrets vaccinated for rabies and distemper. We will review the pros and cons of different vaccination methods, including vaccinating for both diseases with a premedication or bringing your ferret back for multiple visits. Because of this timing, we often will make our ferret vaccination appointments “backward” and give their vaccine at the beginning of the appointment and then do their official check and physical examination so that our veterinarians are immediately at hand should a ferret start to show signs of an allergic reaction. We require our ferret patients to be in the hospital for at least 30 minutes after they receive their immunization so that they can be rapidly treated if needed. If your ferret ever has a severe vaccine reaction, we will discuss what options are appropriate for them in the future.

Vaccination of young ferrets is similar to that of puppies and kittens. They require a series of vaccines about 3 weeks apart until they are around 16 weeks of age. Older ferrets that have not been previously vaccinated should receive a series of two (2) vaccines, 3 weeks apart. Annual revaccination is recommended. Due to the risk of allergic vaccine reactions in ferrets, measuring antibody titers (via a blood test) is considered by some experts to be the gold standard,

Rabies is a highly contagious and incurable disease that is 100% fatal in ferrets, cats, dogs, humans, and other animals. Because of this extreme risk of death, this vaccine is not only essential but is legally required in the state of North Carolina for ferrets over 16 weeks (4 months) of age. Vaccination will be valid for one (1) from the date of vaccination.

Distemper in ferrets, caused by the same virus as in dogs, is a very serious disease that almost always causes death in unvaccinated ferrets. Even ferrets that never go outside should have distemper vaccinations because contact with an infected dog or ferret is not the only way they can be infected. You can unknowingly bring the deadly virus into your home on clothing, shoes, or other items after being in close proximity to where an infected animal has been.

Tetanus is a bacterial disease that affects many species and causes incurable muscle spasms that can attack the respiratory and heart muscles. The bacteria is found through the world in the soil and is introduced to the body through some kind of wound such as a puncture wound, castration of an outside piglet, or a snout injury from rooting in the dirt. We recommend this vaccine for any pig that likes to play outside. An initial booster vaccination is required for initial immunity and then revaccination is performed annually.

As with other species, rabies is 100% fatal for pigs if they are infected and the risk of infection in North Carolina is high. Wildlife and free roaming animals that become infected with rabies are pervasive in our area, which increases the risk for any animal that likes to spend time outside. We recommend giving piggies their first rabies vaccine at 16 weeks (4 months) of age, as in our other species, and then boosting their vaccine annually.

Erysipelas is a painful, sometimes fatal disease, which causes high fever and disrupts blood vessel function, causing internal bleeding and bruising of the skin. The bruises on the skin can form a distinct diamond pattern and so a common name for this condition is “diamond skin disease”. The causative agent for this disease is a bacteria that is ubiquitous in the environment, making exposure almost inevitable for our porcine family members. Vaccination can begin as early as 8 weeks (2 months) of age. A booster vaccine is required 2 weeks after the initial vaccination and annually therafter.