Vaccinations

Why Vaccinate?

Vaccinations are important to help trigger a protective immune response to lessen or prevent common, widespread diseases.  Your veterinarian is an important source regarding your pet’s specific vaccination needs. It is important to vaccinate to protect pets from highly contagious and deadly diseases.  It is generally agreed among veterinarians that vaccines have an excellent safety record.  Yet, vaccines are biologic products and have been documented to cause unpredictable adverse reactions in some animals up to 3 days after administration.  Commonly observed side effects include the following: reduced or loss of appetite, pain at the injection site, lethargy (lack of activity), and/or mild fever.  Please contact your veterinarian or an emergency clinic if your pet develops any of these more serious side effects: Any physical and/or behavioral manifestations that progressively worsen or continue beyond 2-3 days, or signs of systemic illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, facial swelling, collapse, and/or difficulty breathing, develop. In very rare instances, these more serious side effects have been a cause of death.

Which Vaccinations Does My Pet Need?

“Core” vaccinations are those recommended for all pets, whereas “non-core” vaccinations are generally only recommended if your pet is at a higher risk of obtaining a certain disease.  There is also a group of vaccinations that fall under the category called “not recommended,” which is due to the inability for veterinary researchers to find a justification for their use.  Dr. Peckich will formulate a tailored vaccination protocol specific to your pet’s individual needs to best protect them from contracting disease, and ensure a long, healthy life.

Core vaccinations for dogs include Rabies and the Distemper/Parvovirus/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza combo vaccine. If you board, groom or frequent places where your dog comes into contact with other dogs, like a dog park, your dog will need the Bordetella vaccination (aka the “Kennel Cough” vaccine).  For boarding purposes, Bordetella will need to be administered AT LEAST 5 DAYS PRIOR to your boarding date. If you take your dog hiking, hunting, or into the woods where they will be exposed to standing water, you will want a Leptospirosis vaccination.

Indoor cat core vaccinations include Rabies and the Herpes/Calicivirus/Panleukopenia combo vaccine. If you allow your cat to go outside, you will also want to protect them against Feline Leukemia.

If you are unsure of which vaccinations your pet needs, our staff is happy to help! Feel free to give our office a call if you have questions regarding which vaccinations are necessary for your pet.

Read about our Saturday Vaccination Clinics here.