Boarding Kennel Vaccination Requirements

[PlumTree]

Is it possible for a 3 year old cat that has never had any vaccinations before to only have the 1st vaccination and then be admitted into a boarding situation (before the next vacc is due)? OR does it have to have to have had its second vaccination (in a months time) before it is allowed.

I have had varying opinions from both vets and boarding establishments and would like to hear others views on this.

We own a boarding kennel and cattery and have always required cats to have had their full vaccination (3 vacc's) as a kitten before entry, or if it is an older cat , to have a course of 2 vaccinations a month apart before we would admit them.

I have been told that if the cat has one vaccination it would be then able to come after 10 days even though it may be its first vaccination ever.

The boarding kennels code of practise indicates (as far as l can tell) that this is possible , but looking at other boarding cattery websites they all seem to be requiring the full vaccination to have been done before admitting cats.

Any input from other catterys etc would be greatly appreciated...

[Danois]

I have been told by several catteries in the last week that they require a current F3 vax - i.e within the last 12 months to be admitted for boarding.

[sandgrubber]

Phone the cattery. As I know from having run a kennel/cattery, such decisions are complicated, and each operator has to set their rules according to the best information they can find and stick by them. It's always safer for the cattery to say 'no' than 'yes', from a liability perspective. From a customer perspective, it's always safer to do a little more than required than try and skimp by with the minimum. If you are in a pinch and your vet will stick up for you, some operators will accept a note from the vet. Mostly they need to have their backside covered.

[Ron]

Having owned 2 boarding catteries in Victoria prior to retiring we always required a full current vaccination.

[Leema]

I don't know why the community thinks that adult dogs require a booster. There is no reason, physiologically, that a 'booster' is required for an adult dog or cat that is vaccinated.

When puppies/kittens nurse prior to 48 hours, they acquire through the colostrum antibodies from their mother. These antibodies take from 6-16 weeks to wear off.

The antibodies make vaccination ineffective. The vaccination cannot work if the antibodies are still in the animal's system.

For a puppy, for example, it will get vaccinated at 6 weeks. It is unlikely that the vaccination worked, and that's why it needs a 'booster' at 12 weeks. But the 'booster' is not 'boosting' immunity - it's a brand new vaccination, which will either work or not work, just like the 6 week one. By 16 weeks, the antibodies should all be gone so any vaccination after 16 weeks will provide immunity (if that animal produces immunity from a vaccine).

So, in conclusion, a 'booster' for an adult cat would not be necessary. A vaccination at 15 months will 'work', so a booster is unnecessary.

[Greytmate]

Vaccination certificates always have a due date, and so that is how you decide if the certificate is current. That part is very clear, regardless of where your personal stand is on the timing of vaccinations.

It's up to people to use a vet that has the same ideas that they do. They can have the argument with their own vet, rather than the boarding kennel operator having to argue with the client.

[Danois]

That's the problem though - my certificates from my vet will say they're not due again until [insert date 3 years after vax was given] but kennels/ cattery don't accept that - they require a date which is no more than 12 months after the date of the vax.

It seems kennels/ catteries do not recognise the 3 year protocol.

[Dogsfevr]

I don't now any of the keenels that don;t accept the 3 yearly,

What they may expect is the yearly Canine cough aspect which many people don't get done .

The other issue is vets incorrectly doing the vacc paperwork for the 3 yearly.

We have had nothing but issues with clinics that place incorrect dates on the paperwork for the 3 yearlys & not keeping there own records correct .At present from our experience in the last 3 years it has been mass confusion & if vets simply placed the sticky labels they should do on the paperwork it wouldn;t happen.

We have also had cases of vets claiming it was a 3 yearly but the sticky label applied stating yearly

Also each state laws require different things under there animal act,It fine for people to say kennels are out of the loop but do you expect them to break the state law ??

People need to address there state laws so kennels can act accordingly &

[sandgrubber]

I don't now any of the keenels that don;t accept the 3 yearly,

What they may expect is the yearly Canine cough aspect which many people don't get done .

I know of several kennels where the person at the 'admissions' desk doesn't know the difference!

Just ask the kennel/cattery in advance, or get it in writing.

It's complicated. It's dynamic. It's a mess. Everyone has to make their own decisions.

I've had vets tell me that the actual vaccination used in the one year stuff is exactly the same as the three year stuff, and that a few years of regular vaccination confers immunity for life (except for 'kennel cough'). It's going to cost me $30/hit to read the scientific journal articles on such subjects, and many of them will contain so much jargon that they'll do me no good.

They keep developing new vaccines. Legislation gets written, and then gets interpreted through the courts.

In most cases we're arguing about numbers of angels on the head of a pin. How many parvo or distemper epidemics have arisen in boarding kennels?

Rapidly evolving viruses, like 'kennel cough' are a different question, but fortunately, none of them are lethal. Knock on wood.

Edited December 6, 2011 by sandgrubber

[stormie]

Cats are a bit different to dogs though, with regards to the booster thing.

An adult dog that has been previously unvaccinated only requires one shot to be covered, where as an adult cat still requires two shots, no matter how old it is, one month apart to be covered. It's the flu component of the cat vaccine which requires two shots, like the injectable Kennel Cough vaccine for dogs.

It's all really quite frustrating. Just yesterday we were reading another release by the AVA, saying that they recommend 3 yearly vaccination protocols for both adult dogs and cats (with some exceptions depending on situations). It's easier for dogs with regards to boarding because we have registered 3 yearly vaccines, but for cats it's much harder, because no cattery will accept a cat without an annual F3.

I don't get why there is so much difference with the dogs and cats, when the AVA and WSAVA guidelines clearly state core vaccines for both cats and dogs. Why are we still so far behind with the cats??

Edited December 6, 2011 by stormie

[Greytmate]

I don't now any of the keenels that don;t accept the 3 yearly,

What they may expect is the yearly Canine cough aspect which many people don't get done .

I know of several kennels where the person at the 'admissions' desk doesn't know the difference!

Just ask the kennel/cattery in advance, or get it in writing.

It's complicated. It's dynamic. It's a mess. Everyone has to make their own decisions.

I've had vets tell me that the actual vaccination used in the one year stuff is exactly the same as the three year stuff, and that a few years of regular vaccination confers immunity for life (except for 'kennel cough'). It's going to cost me $30/hit to read the scientific journal articles on such subjects, and many of them will contain so much jargon that they'll do me no good.

They keep developing new vaccines. Legislation gets written, and then gets interpreted through the courts.

In most cases we're arguing about numbers of angels on the head of a pin. How many parvo or distemper epidemics have arisen in boarding kennels?

Rapidly evolving viruses, like 'kennel cough' are a different question, but fortunately, none of them are lethal. Knock on wood.

I don't see why it has to be.

The boarding kennel association or whoever sets the rules needs the rule to refer to a vaccination protocol signed off by a veterinary surgeon. They are not really qualified to decide what the vaccination protocol is themselves.

In the same way that the Brisbane City Council regulations are written, as long as the dog is being vaccinated according to vet advice and a current certificate is held, nobody else is qualified to argue. The regulations don't have to include the current protocol, they just have to refer to the protocol and require it to be followed.

The whole reason vaccination certificates are issued is that so that the vet can certify than an animal has been vaccinated properly. It doesn't make sense that boarding kennels would see themselves as being better qualified than vets to decide whether a dog is vaccinated or not.

[Ron]

"Also each state laws require different things under there animal act,It fine for people to say kennels are out of the loop but do you expect them to break the state law ??

People need to address there state laws so kennels can act accordingly"

You are so right SHOWDOG the state laws are the controling factor and till we get the states to understand vaccination proticols it will continue to be confusing.

[stormie]

"Also each state laws require different things under there animal act,It fine for people to say kennels are out of the loop but do you expect them to break the state law ??

People need to address there state laws so kennels can act accordingly"

You ar so right SHOWDOG the state laws are the controling factor and till we get the states to understand vaccination proticols it will continue to be confusing.

You're right - this is a very good point!