Should dog owners give vaccines?

Here’s answers to some of your questions.

Q: I heard the six month heartworm injection is back. Is it better than using the monthly pills?

A: ProHeart 6 was introduced in 2001 as a twice-a-year injection to prevent heartworms. It also had a label claim against hookworms. Due to safety concerns and an FDA investigation into more than 5,000 adverse drug event reports, the manufacturer voluntarily pulled from the drug from the market in 2004.

The FDA recently allowed ProHeart 6 to return under a “risk minimization and restricted distribution program.” It is the first veterinary drug to be approved under such a restriction. In order to use the drug, veterinarians must register with the manufacturer and take an Internet-based training course. They must also agree to obtain informed consent from dog owners and report any adverse events to the company.

ProHeart 6 should not be given within one month of vaccinations. It should also not be administered to dogs that are sick, debilitated, underweight or have a history of allergic conditions.

Fort Dodge, the drug manufacturer, disputes claims that there was ever a safety issue with ProHeart 6. It also claims the product has been reformulated to eliminate a solvent residue thought to have caused some side effects with the earlier version.

While the idea of a six month injection to prevent heartworm is a good one, it is hard for me to justify use of this particular product at this time. The injections certainly have the potential to reduce missed doses and to boost compliance with current prevention recommendations. However, the FDA still clearly feels this medication requires additional concern and caution that are not factors with other heartworm prevention options.

Q: Is it legal for dog owners to give their own rabies vaccines?

A: The Code of Virginia states “The owner or custodian of all dogs and domesticated cats four months of age and older shall have them currently vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian or licensed veterinary technician... The owner of the dog or the custodian of the domesticated cat shall furnish within a reasonable period of time, upon the request of an animal control officer, humane investigator, law-enforcement officer, State Veterinarian’s representative, or official of the Department of Health, the certificate of vaccination for such dog or cat.”

In Virginia, it is technically not illegal for dog owners to purchase rabies vaccine or to inject it into their own pets. However, owner administered rabies vaccines are not recognized for the purpose of licensing dogs or in the case of health department investigations of dog bites. An owner-vaccinated dog that bites a person could be subject to a six month isolation quarantine or euthanasia even if the owner administered rabies vaccines at appropriate intervals. If the same dog had been appropriately vaccinated by a veterinarian, the quarantine period would only be ten days. Since owners are legally required to license their dogs and the licensing process requires a veterinarian’s certification of vaccination, the effect is to require owners to have a veterinarian vaccinate their dogs.

Q: My dog’s right ear is swollen. It looks like it’s filled with fluid. Any idea what this is?

A: This condition is called an aural hematoma. Most commonly the underlying cause is an ear infection. The infection causes the dog to shake his head too much and/or too hard. The skin of the ear becomes separated from the underlying cartilage. The space then fills up with blood and fluid. Frequently, the area begins as a small patch at the tip of the ear and then spreads until the whole ear is affected. Without treatment, the ear will usually stay inflated for a few weeks as scar tissue forms. As the ear scars down, it generally heals in a deformed manner frequently called “cauliflower ear.” This condition is usually just a cosmetic problem, although sometimes it seals of the external ear canal opening and leads to chronic painful infections. The best advice is to see your vet as soon as possible. They can drain and place sutures through the ear to guide healing in a controlled manner. This procedure maximizes the chance that the ear will heal normally. Your vet can also examine the ear canal to look for an underlying cause. If there is an infection, treatment may prevent this from happening on the other side. Good luck.

Dr. Watts is a companion animal general practitioner and owner of Clevengers Corner Veterinary Care. He can be reached through ClevengersCorner.com or by calling 428-1000. Some columns contain material contributed by the Veterinary News Network.