Kahala Pet Hospital

Conventional vaccines stimulate an immune response directed against foreign proteins.  Tyrosinase, a protein present on canine melanoma cells, is not usually targeted by the dog's immune system because it also is present on normal cells.

• Canine Melanoma Vaccine is produced with a human gene for tyrosinase inserted into a small ring of DNA.
• Human tyrosinase is different enough from canine tyrosinase that an immune response is generated, yet is similar enough to canine tyrosinase that this immune response is directed against the protein on canine melanoma.
  
• Historically, dogs with advanced melanoma (stage II through stage IV) have reported survival times of less than 5 months when treated with standard therapies (surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy).
• When used in conjunction with surgery and/or radiation therapy to treat the local tumor cells, this type of vaccine has been shown to extend the survival time for dogs with advanced stages of melanoma. 
  

Vaccination involves an initial 4-dose series once every 2 weeks, using a needle-free transdermal device.  After this initial series, dogs receive one booster  vaccine every 6 months.  Some dogs may have a temporary, low grade fever after vaccination.