Adding a pet to your family involves more than feeding and playing with them. It also means providing healthcare, such as immunizations against diseases that can harm your animal and be passed to your family or other animals in your home. In this blog post, we will explain why you should vaccinate your pet.
How do I know what immunizations my pet needs?
Not every pet needs the same immunizations. Factors such as your pet’s age, where you live, and exposure risks can determine what vaccines your animal needs. Puppies and kittens will need several immunizations as immunity from their mother fades away, and then booster shots as they get older. Depending on where you live, there may be vaccines needed for Lyme disease due to increased tick exposure. Depending on how much traveling or exposure to other animals your pet will have will determine if extra immunizations are needed.
What immunizations does my dog need?
There is a list of core immunizations that are suggested for dogs which includes canine distemper, parvovirus, and rabies. Canine distemper is often fatal and can affect your dog’s nervous and respiratory systems. Parvovirus causes diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration, often becoming life threatening to puppies. The rabies vaccine will protect your pet from contracting rabies, as well as protect you since rabies can be passed onto humans through bites.
What immunizations does my cat need?
Immunizations for cats include panleukopenia, feline herpesvirus-1, and feline immunodeficiency virus also known as FIV. Panleukopenia can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. If your cat is not spayed, it can also lead to kittens in utero having brain damage. Feline herpesvirus-1 causes respiratory disease that is infectious and can result in periodic flare-ups. FIV is a disease that is contracted through cat bites and causes chronic illness and can lead to death.
What are the risks of getting my pet immunized?
As with any medical procedure or vaccination, there are risks to your pet such as fever, soreness, and allergic reactions. However, the risk of not getting your pet immunized can be much more significant than the risk of these minor side effects.
To find out if your pet is up-to-date on their immunizations, contact your veterinarian.