As with people, dogs need yearly vaccinations to prevent potentially fatal infections. As a good pet owner, you must ensure that your pet gets yearly vaccinations. How often you vaccinate your pet depends on the immunizations and your pet’s susceptibility to specific illnesses.
For example, veterinarians suggest that your dog has all its essential vaccinations. They will also recommend non-core vaccinations if your pet frequents doggie daycares, the dog park, the groomer, or has other environmental factors that increase the likelihood of your dog catching certain illnesses.
What are vaccines?
Vaccines for dogs function similarly to those for people in that they stimulate an immunological response to assist your pet’s immune system fight against future illnesses caused by disease-causing agents.
Vaccines stimulate your pet’s immune system by stimulating the production of antibodies required to combat disease-causing germs. Vaccines may help your pet develop immune to one or more illnesses or reduce the severity of disease if your pet is exposed to it.
Vaccinations have helped save the lives of pets by preventing them from infectious illnesses and enhancing their general quality of life throughout the last century.
Why You Should Immunize Your Pet
There are several reasons to vaccinate your pet, but the most important is that immunizations prevent parasites and save lives. Vaccinations are an investment in your pet’s future since they reduce the need for expensive treatments for easily preventable illnesses.
In addition to preventing the spread of illnesses transferred between animals, they also prevent the transmission of diseases from animals to humans. Numerous states have laws mandating pet owners to vaccinate their animals, particularly against illnesses widespread in nature, such as rabies and distemper.
Why do pets require multiple vaccinations?
Young animals are more susceptible to contracting infectious illnesses since their immune systems are not fully developed. Puppies and kittens absorb some antibodies from their mother’s milk; however, this protection is transient and diminishes as the animals mature. Learn more on internal medicine here.
The first booster vaccinations for your cat will stimulate her immune response against viruses. In contrast, the following dosages will stimulate your pet’s immune system to manufacture more antibodies to guard against illness.
Vaccines are often administered 3 to 4 weeks apart for the most effective protection throughout the first few months of a child’s life. Most puppies and kittens get their last vaccination booster at roughly four months.
Depending on your pet’s size and risk factors, we may prescribe a different vaccination regimen. Your pet must have every immunization since an incomplete vaccine series might create a hole in their immune system, leaving them vulnerable to illnesses. Why not follow this link for more info on pet care.
What vaccinations does my pet need?
We will prescribe core immunizations based on the common illnesses in our region and non-core vaccines depending on your pet’s specific needs. To decide which immunizations your pet need, we will need information about your pet’s lifestyle, your travel intentions, and your pet’s amount of animal interaction. These are some of the most frequent basic vaccinations for dogs:
- Distemper
- Rabies
- Adenovirus (Dog hepatitis)
- Parvovirus
Common non-core vaccinations for dogs include:
- Lyme Disease
- Leptospirosis
- Bordetella
- Parainfluenza
- Canine Influenza
- Adenovirus Intranasal
Some non-core vaccinations, such as Bordetella, Lyme, and Leptospirosis, are bacterial vaccines that may cause adverse physical reactions in dogs. Therefore, we will only suggest medications if we consider your pet has a greater likelihood of developing certain illnesses.
