Making sure your animals are vaccinated against common diseases is an important step of maintaining your pet’s health and vitality, and provides the best protection from disease, some of which are fatal.
Vaccines have been useful in reducing several infectious diseases from spreading further, helping to eradicate some of these diseases. If the number of pets protected by regular vaccines is ignored, then your pet is at risk from contracting and further spreading these serious infectious diseases.
Vaccinations are a responsible pet owner’s best assurance to ensuring your companion animal has the best possible protection from preventable disease, and are important in controlling possible outbreaks.
Partaking in vaccination programs is also extremely cost effective when compared with the cost of corrective treatment, and reducing distress and suffering for your pet while also reducing stress of potential loss.
Vaccines help a body’s immune system prepare in advance to fight infectious diseases.
Essentially, vaccines give the body a preview of a bacterium or a virus, allowing it to learn how to defend itself against that potential invader in advance. When your pet receives a vaccine, its immune system produces special substances called antibodies that work against the virus or bacteria that cause the disease. Later, if your pet is exposed to these viruses or bacteria, the formed antibodies will help destroy them, thus prevent your pet from becoming ill.
It is important that your pet is healthy at the time of vaccination so that the immune system can develop its protective response properly.
When puppies and kittens are born they are usually protected from infections by their mother’s milk. However, this protection only lasts for some weeks, so our little pets need regular vaccinations from an early age.
Puppies and kittens need a series of 2 or 3 vaccines given 3-4 weeks apart. After this they need a vaccine booster one year later. Once they have had these vaccines, the frequency of vaccinations varies depending on the lifestyle of the pet, the disease and vaccine type being considered as well as any kennel/boarding plans. Some vaccinations are 3-yearly while others are yearly.
Because of these varying factors, YourPetVet recommends that you bring your pet in for routine annual examinations where a vaccination plan for your pet can be decided during a discussion between you and your vet.
Unfortunately, no vaccine can guarantee complete protection from a disease.
However, vaccines drastically reduce the chance of developing the disease. If your pet does become ill with a disease he or she has been vaccinated for, the vaccine is likely to reduce the symptoms and make recovery quicker.
Vaccinations may sometimes cause side effects – but adverse reactions are rare events. Side effects are usually mild reactions such as fever, soreness at the injection site or loss of appetite. These responses usually resolve within 24 hours.
In a few rare cases a pet may react with an allergic reaction to a vaccine. YourPetVet will discuss with you which symptoms to look for in these cases. Other adverse reactions can also occur, but are extremely rare.
The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks of any potential side effects.
A kennel cough dog vaccination is required on a yearly basis. This is particularly important if your dog socialises with other dogs, or spends time in pet boarding facilities. Otherwise, the vaccine frequency varies depending on the type of vaccine used.
Some dog vaccinations require annual boosters, others can be extended to 3 years.
YourPetVet can help with choosing a dog vaccination programme to suit your pet’s needs.
Remember – check your pet’s vaccination status when going on holiday as boarding catteries and kennels require their visitors to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
Your cat will require vaccinations to aid in the prevention of the following conditions.
Kittens need an individual vaccination program which is based on age. Typically, they will require vaccines at 8 and 12 weeks of age to ensure maximum protection against life-threatening illnesses.
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This vet is so great. They saw my cat without an appointment in an emergency situation and cared for her for two nights and three days, ringing me to keep me informed and updated with costs. So grateful for their services.
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