Vaccinating your pet is a crucial step in ensuring their overall health and well-being. While the initial puppy or kitten vaccine series is essential, it's important to understand that adult pets also require ongoing protection through booster vaccinations.

🔑 Key Takeaways

  • Adult pets need booster vaccinations to maintain immunity against diseases.

  • Not all vaccines need to be administered annually. Consult your veterinarian to determine the best vaccination schedule for your pet.

  • There are core and non-core vaccines for both dogs and cats. Your veterinarian will recommend the appropriate vaccines based on your pet's lifestyle and risk factors.

Why are Booster Shots for Pets Important?

Vaccines are a component of preventive pet wellness care. They protect against a variety of serious and potentially fatal diseases. By vaccinating your pet, you're safeguarding their health and contributing to the overall health of other people and pets in your community by preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases like Rabies.

Should Your Pet Get Vaccinated Every Year?

The short answer is not necessarily. Some pet booster shots, such as those for Leptospirosis, Bordetella, and Feline Leukemia, are recommended annually to maintain optimal protection. Others, like FVRCP, DHPP, and Rabies, typically provide immunity for three years in adult pets.

However, it's important to familiarize yourself with your town and state requirements and consult your veterinarian to determine the best vaccination schedule for your pet based on their exposure risk, age, and overall health.

What Vaccines Do Adult Pets Need?

Like puppies and kittens, adult pets require specific vaccinations to maintain their immunity. Booster vaccines help reinforce protection against diseases as the immunity from initial puppy and kitten vaccinations can gradually decline over time.

Adult Dog Vaccines

Every Three Years

The core vaccines below are recommended one year after your pet completes their puppy vaccine series, then every three years, or as your veterinarian recommends. 

1. DHPP: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza

  • Canine distemper virus affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems. Infected dogs may have a high fever, runny nose, lack of appetite, eye discharge, lethargy, thickened skin on the nose and footpads, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and paralysis.

  • There are two types of Adenovirus (CAV-1 and CAV-2) that dogs are vaccinated for.  CAV-1 is infectious canine hepatitis, which causes liver disease, and CAV-2 causes respiratory infections like kennel cough.

  • Canine parvovirus (parvo) is highly contagious and causes severe gastrointestinal illness in dogs. It often leads to dehydration and death, especially in puppies.

  • The canine parainfluenza vaccine protects dogs against pathogens that cause infectious canine tracheobronchitis, known as kennel cough.

2. Rabies Booster

The rabies vaccination protects your dogs against rabies, a disease that attacks the central nervous system. This vaccine is required by law in many regions as rabies is fatal if contracted.

Annual Vaccines

The non-core vaccines listed below are recommended annually for dogs based on their exposure risks or as your veterinarian recommends.

  1. Leptospirosis: Annual vaccine recommended for dogs exposed to contaminated water or soil.

  2. Lyme: Annual vaccine for dogs in areas with high tick populations.

  3. Canine Influenza: Annual vaccine for dogs in high-risk environments.

  4. Bordetella: Annual vaccine, or more frequent depending on exposure risk (e.g., boarding kennels, dog parks).

  5. Rattlesnake Vaccine: This is an annual vaccine for dogs living in areas with rattlesnakes. However, it's important to note that it doesn't provide complete immunity, and some veterinarians do not recommend it. 

Adult Cat Vaccines 

One Year After Kitten Vaccine Series

The core vaccines below are usually recommended one year after the initial kitten series is completed or as recommended by your veterinarian.

1. FVRCP Booster: Protects against Feline Panleukopenia, Calicivirus, and Rhinotracheitis.
  • Feline panleukopenia, also called feline parvovirus or feline distemper (FPV). A highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease that spreads by bodily secretions.  Symptoms can include gastrointestinal signs, neurologic signs, & immunosuppression.
  • Feline calicivirus (FCV) is highly contagious & is a significant contributor to upper respiratory tract infections. Symptoms include but are not limited to sneezing, discharge from eyes & nose, & oral ulcers. Spreads by direct contact with infected cats & contaminated environments
  • Feline rhinotracheitis virus, also called herpesvirus 1, is a contagious upper respiratory tract infection causing sneezing, nasal & eye discharge, loss of appetite, and fever. Spreads by direct contact with infected cats, airborne particles, and contaminated environments

2. Rabies Booster: Rabies vaccination protects your cats against rabies, a disease that attacks the central nervous system.

This vaccine is required by law in many areas as rabies disease can be fatal if contracted.

Every 1–3 years

As mentioned above, the FVRCP and Rabies boosters are core vaccines typically administered one year after the initial kitten vaccine series and recommended every one to three years after that.

  • FVRCP is often recommended every three years for indoor cats and every year for indoor/outdoor, outdoor-only, very young, or senior cats.
  • The Rabies vaccine is also recommended every one to three years, depending on state laws and the guidance of your veterinarian. 

Annual Vaccines 

The FELV vaccine is an optional yearly vaccine. 

Conclusion

By staying up-to-date on your pet's vaccinations, you're taking an important step in protecting their health and well-being. It’s important to remember that these are general guidelines, and your veterinarian is the best person to advise you on your pet’s vaccine schedule. They can assess your pet's needs and recommend the appropriate vaccines based on their lifestyle, age, and overall health.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a booster shot for pets?

Booster shots are vaccinations for adult pets to ensure continued protective immunity against certain diseases.  

What is titer testing?

Vaccine titer testing is a blood test that measures the level of antibodies in a dog or cat's blood to determine whether they have protective immunity against certain diseases. Titers can help determine whether a pet needs a booster vaccine.  

Is titer testing worth It?

Titers can be helpful for pets that have had a rare vaccine reaction in the past or for pets that are traveling to areas where the disease is not prevalent (such as Rabies virus).

How much does getting booster shots for pets cost?

Depending on the area you live in and the vaccinations needed will determine the cost of booster vaccines.

How often should your pet have a booster shot?

Depending on the type of disease, the booster vaccine provides protection for up to 1 to 3 years.

Does my elderly pet still need vaccine boosters?

Factors such as your pet’s health status, type of vaccine, and exposure risk will determine the need for booster vaccines in some geriatric pets. Certain vaccines such as Rabies may be required by law regardless of age.