Individualized Disease Protection for Your Pet

Vaccinations Help Keep Your Pets Healthy and Happy.

At Four Paws @ Four Points, we use the most progressive and current vaccine protocols based on the recommendations of Texas A&M University. In concert with recognized experts, our doctors have determined which vaccines may be needed and at what intervals. This valuable information helps us formulate the right vaccine protocol for your pet’s needs, with a focus on customizing a plan for each patient and avoiding over-vaccination.

We recommend vaccinations for your pet depending on age, lifestyle, and risk of exposure on an individual basis. While some vaccines are administered annually to adult animals, others are recommended every three years.

Canine Core Vaccines (vaccines recommended for all healthy dogs)

• DAP - This is a combination vaccination that covers numerous diseases with one injection. What do those letters stand for?
  • D = Distemper - Distemper is a highly contagious virus that affects the skin and the respiratory and neurological systems. Young puppies are more susceptible to the virus than adult dogs. This disease is often fatal. Distemper is spread through close contact with infected dogs.
  • A= Adenovirus-2 - This vaccine offers protection against adenovirus-1, the infectious agent of canine hepatitis (ICH). As such, this virus can cause liver failure as well as kidney failure. If a patient survives, damage can cause lifelong impairment of these organ systems. Adenovirus is spread mainly by contact with the urine of infected animals.
  • P = Parvovirus - This virus attacks the gastrointestinal tract and causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. Without treatment this disease is often fatal. Even with aggressive therapy, some patients may not survive. Parvovirus is highly contagious. Dogs contract the virus through contact with an infected dog’s stools.
• Rabies - This virus affects the nervous system and is fatal. There is no known cure for rabies. To confirm a case, brain tissue must be examined. In the United States, raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes are the main wild animal hosts for the virus. Symptoms can include behavior change, difficulty swallowing, hypersalivation, depression, stupor, and hind limb paralysis. The disease is spread through the saliva of infected animals and can be transmitted through a bite or an open wound.

Dog/Canine Non-Core Vaccines (vaccines recommended for dogs considered "at risk")

Bordetella and Parainfluenza - This is an upper respiratory infection also known as kennel cough. The infection can spread quickly through boarding and grooming facilities or any place dogs congregate. The vaccination is in the form of a nasal drops. An injectable version is available for dogs that will not tolerate intranasal dosing. Although this is a non-core vaccination, we recommend it for most of our canine patients due to the high likelihood of casual exposure to other dogs that could be potentially infected.

Leptospirosis - This bacterial disease affects the liver and kidneys and can be fatal. Animals with this disease are contagious to other animals and humans. The disease is spread through contact with urine of infected animals such as rodents, raccoons and other wild animals. Dogs with leptospirosis may show signs of lethargy, dehydration, jaundice, and fever.

Rattlesnake - The rattlesnake vaccine is a toxoid that is initially administered in two doses, one month apart, and then once each year in the spring before rattlesnake season. This vaccine is in the early stages of usage and there is still some controversy as to its helpfulness with the species of snakes seen in Texas. The recommendation is that any dog bitten by a snake be taken immediately to a veterinarian for appropriate care regardless of its vaccination status. This vaccine does have a higher incidence than most of causing a sterile abscess at the site of injection.

Our Vaccination Guidelines for Healthy Puppies/Dogs Include:

6 - 8 weeks

• DAP #1 (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus)
• Bordetella, Parainfluenza

10 - 12 weeks

• DAP #2 (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus)

14 - 16 weeks

• DAP #3 (Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus)
• Rabies

Four Paws @ Four Points recommends an examination, DAP, Bordetella/parainfluenza, and rabies at 1 year of age. Thereafter, a yearly exam and Bordetella/parainfluenza vaccine is recommended. DAP and rabies vaccine frequency is every 3 years. Other vaccinations will be tailored to your pet’s needs.

Feline/Cat Core Vaccines (vaccines recommended for all healthy cats)

• RCP - This is a combination vaccination that covers numerous diseases with one injection. What do those letters stand for?
  • R = Rhinotracheitis - Rhinotracheitis is a herpesvirus that causes acute respiratory illness in cats characterized by sneezing, nasal discharge, and conjunctivitis. This virus is especially common in kittens and cats coming from shelter situations, as it is easily spread by casual contact as well as aerosolization of infected droplets from the respiratory tract of an infected animal when it sneezes.
  • C = Calicivirus - This virus causes sneezing, nasal discharge, conjunctivitis, and may cause pneumonia, oral ulceration, and (rarely) arthritis. It is also common in kittens and cats coming from shelter situations, as it is easily spread by casual contact as well as aerosolization of infected droplets from the respiratory tract of an infected animal when it sneezes.
  • P = Panleukopenia - This viral disease is caused by the feline parvovirus. The virus causes clinical signs of lethargy, loss of appetite, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, nasal discharge, and dehydration. It can be fatal in young kittens. Transmission is not only through direct casual contact with infected animals, but also through exposure to the infected urine, stool, and nasal secretions of infected animals.
• Rabies - This virus affects the nervous system and is fatal. There is no known cure for rabies. To confirm a case, brain tissue must be examined. In the United States, raccoons, skunks, bats, foxes, and coyotes are the main wild animal hosts for the virus. Symptoms can include behavior change, difficulty swallowing, hypersalivation, depression, stupor, and hind limb paralysis. The disease is spread through the saliva of infected animals and can be transmitted through a bite or an open wound.

Cat/Feline Non-Core Vaccines (vaccines recommended for cats considered "at risk")

Feline Leukemia - Feline leukemia is caused by a retrovirus. The virus is shed in very high quantities in saliva and nasal secretions, but also in urine, feces, and milk from infected cats. Cat-to-cat transfer of the virus may occur from a bite wound, during mutual grooming, and (though rarely) through the shared use of litter boxes and feeding dishes. Transmission can also take place from an infected mother cat to her kittens, either before they are born or while they are nursing. FeLV doesn’t survive long outside a cat’s body - probably less than a few hours under normal household conditions. This virus can cause blood disorders, cancer, and immunosuppression. Testing for feline leukemia should be done prior to vaccination.

Four Paws @ Four Points recommends the following vaccinations for all kittens in their initial series, regardless of whether or not they will go outside, in accordance with the recommendations of the AAFP (American Association of Feline Practitioners). After the initial kitten series, cats that go outside, are exposed to cats that go outside, or live with a leukemia-positive cat should be vaccinated at 1 year of age and then every 3 years.

Our Vaccination Guidelines for Healthy Kittens/Cats Include:

6 - 8 weeks

• Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus test
• RCP #1 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

10 - 12 weeks

• RCP #2 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)
• Feline Leukemia Vaccine #1

14 - 16 weeks

• RCP #3 (Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)
• Feline Leukemia Vaccine #2
• Rabies

Four Paws @ Four Points doctors recommend an examination, RCP, and rabies at 1 year of age. If a cat is determined to be "at risk", the feline leukemia vaccine should be administered at this first annual appointment. Thereafter, a yearly exam and rabies vaccine is recommended with the RCP and feline leukemia vaccine (if "at risk") frequency being every 3 years.

For more information about your pets’ vaccinations, please visit these reputable links:

AVMA’s Vaccination Brochure
Disease Risks for Dogs
What You Should Know About Feline Panleukopenia