Question: Why give vaccines

Answer: We determine a vaccine protocol based on your pet’s needs and lifestyle. Dogs and cats both require a rabies vaccine, by law. Typically, we recommend the 3 year vaccine. Dogs also need certain vaccinations to protect themselves. In addition to rabies, we recommend a yearly distemper/parvo/parainfluenza/ hepatitis combination vaccine and bordetella vaccine. Many people are under the assumption that bordetella is a disease that animals can only be exposed to at a kennel. This is untrue. Your pet can be exposed at the groomer, the vet, doggy day care, on your walks, in the backyard, at the park, or any other place your dog is around another animal. (Did you know that guinea pigs can carry bordetella too) The canine influenza vaccine is now available as well. Dogs are just as likely to be exposed to H3N8 as they are bordetella, and many boarding, grooming, and day care facilities are going to begin requiring it. Also available, depending on your pet’s needs, are the Lyme vaccine and the Leptospirosis vaccine which can be discussed with us at the time of your appointment. Cats also have a vaccination protocol which varies on the lifestyle which they live. For primarily indoor cats, we recommend a distemper/rhino/calici/parainfluenza/panleukopenia combination vaccine. For cats that go outdoors at any time, we recommend the feline leukemia and feline immunodeficiency virus vaccines. These viruses can both be conveyed to your cat from another cat. They are also recommended in household where fostering occurs and in breeding facilities. It is important for both dogs and cats to be protected from diseases which are potentially fatal and can have important ramifications in people if allowed to go unchecked.