Vaccinations are important to the health and protection of your pet, and serve as a preventive measure against contagious diseases. Part of our preventative care examinations are to determine which vaccines your pet needs and to examine the pet to make certain that your pet is healthy enough to receive them.
Vaccinations help to combat diseases by exposing the pet’s immune system to inactive or small amount of a particular form of bacteria or virus. Our doctors use guidelines set by the AAHA, AVMA, AAFP, and CSU to help decide which vaccines are appropriate for your pet’s risk factors. Proper and timely administrations of vaccine are paramount to ensure optimal protection. Core vaccinations are vaccines that are recommended for all pets regardless of risk factors for dogs and include: Distemper, Adenovirus, Parainfluenza, Parvo, Leptospirosis and Rabies. Vaccinations are particularly important to young animals that have immature immune systems. Vaccinations generally begin at 6 – 8 weeks of age and are given every three to four weeks until the series is completed at 16 weeks of age. Adult dogs and cats will receive core vaccines on an alternating 3 year schedule. Non-core vaccines like Bordetella, Influenza and Felv will be recommended on an as needed basis. Vaccinating your pet with appropriate vaccine schedule greatly reduces their risk of contagious diseases and helps them to live to their full life expectancy.