A Guide to Pet Vaccinations

Everyone adores their pet. They are our friends who will stand by us no matter what. We want to observe them thriving with life, joyful, playful, and full of vitality. To ensure they have all they need to grow healthily, we feed, walk, and care for them.

One of our primary duties as responsible pet owners is to monitor our animals' health. We would never want our animals to become unwell. To this end, vaccinations are crucial for preventing hazardous and unnecessary illnesses.

Maintaining the safety of your pet, your family, and other pets they will interact with depends on keeping vaccines up to date. It is the same whether you own a dog, a cat, or both. It is especially important because animal diseases are not only infectious to other animals but also to humans.

What are Pet Vaccinations?

There are pet immunizations available to keep your pet healthy. They offer protection against various contagious illnesses that can strike people and animals.

Vaccines must contain a component comparable to the pathogens to be effective. Once injected, this substance stimulates the immune system of the pet's body. It identifies the pathogen as a threat and fights it off. The pet's antibodies retain the memory of fighting off the disease. When the body encounters the same sickness later, the immune system will be ready to fight it off.

Understanding that healthy, content animals respond to vaccinations better is critical. The average time for the pet's body to react and build immunity is seven days. Giving your pet a vaccine when ill will be ineffective and counterproductive. Vaccines serve more as a preventative measure than as a treatment for diseases.

Types of Vaccines

Pet vaccinations are into two categories: core vaccines and noncore vaccines.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) defines core vaccines as those that every dog or cat should have regardless of age, environment, habits, breed, or situation. Animals can avoid catching globally endemic, life-threatening diseases by receiving essential vaccinations.

Noncore vaccinations are necessary depending on the environment in which the animal lives. These include the place of residence, setting, and way of life.

Core Vaccines

Dogs

Parvo
Rabies
Distemper
Adenovirus

Cats

Panleukopenia or distemper
Rabies
Rhinotracheitis or herpes
Calicivirus

Common Noncore Vaccines

Lyme Disease

Due to the prevalence of the disease-carrying tick in the north and Midwest, Lyme disease is a common condition. Deer serve as intermediary hosts for the tick, which usually bites dogs and spreads Lyme disease.

Lyme illness can result in Lyme nephritis, a kidney ailment that frequently results in death, in addition to fever and lameness. Talk to your veterinary practitioner about tick and flea control.

Feline Leukemia

According to the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), all kittens and young cats should receive a feline leukemia vaccination. If your cat spends a lot of time outside, it should continue to receive this vaccination. Cats that live entirely indoors are not exposed to the illness and do not receive the adult vaccination for feline leukemia.

For more on pet vaccinations, visit the Animal Hospital of Whitfield County at our office in Dalton, Georgia. Call (706) 226-3710 to book an appointment today. In case of an emergency, call the Animal and Emergency and Specialty Center at (423) 822-8304.