Is your pet at risk for illness? From distemper to parvo, these common illnesses can have serious and dangerous consequences for your pet. Worse, illnesses like rabies and leptospirosis can be transferred from pets to humans, putting your entire family at risk for infection. Pet vaccinations are an affordable and highly effective way to reduce your pet’s risk for these highly contagious and potentially deadly illnesses. Most importantly, vaccinating your pet will help keep your family healthy, too.

We strongly recommend that all pets receive core vaccinations. These vaccines are first administered as part of puppy and kitten care when your pet is young. However, immunization will not last forever. Regular booster shots are essential to ensuring your pet remains protected.

We recommend that all dogs receive the core canine vaccination series. These shots include protection against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, leptospirosis and bordetella. If your dog is being boarded or is regularly groomed at a pet salon, we also recommend the canine influenza vaccine, which is required to be kenneled at our clinic.

All cats, indoor and outdoor, should receive core feline vaccines, including the rabies vaccine. These core vaccines protect against feline upper respiratory infections and intestinal diseases. If your cat were to contract one of these viruses, the consequences could be deadly. For example, Rhinotracheitis is caused by the feline herpes virus and attacks the eyes and sinuses. This treatment can be painful and expensive, but it can easily be avoided if your cat receives the upper respiratory vaccine.

If you have recently welcomed a new pet into your family, Dr. Pawling will make sure your new pet is up-to-date on core vaccinations, including rabies. For new puppies and kittens, we offer the puppy and kitten care shot series.

This is a series of core vaccinations, starting at age 8-10 weeks and continuing until your pet’s immune system is fully mature, typically 15-17 weeks of age. Young animals receive immunity from their mother’s milk, but once they are weaned, they lose this protection. As their young immune system continues to grow and develop, vaccinations and booster shots will make sure they are protected against highly contagious illnesses.

Pet vaccinations are a safe and effective way to keep the special animals in your life protected against illness. The risk of allergic reaction to a pet vaccination is extremely low. In fact, there is a far greater chance that an unvaccinated pet will become sick from a preventable illness than suffer an allergic reaction to a vaccine. Once an animal experiences a reaction to a vaccine, they receive a reaction injection along with their vaccine(s) to prevent further problems.

Dr. Pawling and his staff are happy to answer any questions you may have about the safety and importance of vaccinations. Is your pet protected?

Contact our clinic at (440) 585-3600.