Vaccines can be controversial, but they save numerous lives. By keeping your pet’s vaccinations up to date, you easily protect them from several debilitating, and potentially life-threatening, diseases. Our team at South Shores Pet Clinic wants to offer information about the vaccines that your pet needs, and to explain the consequences if they do not receive these important inoculations.

How do I know what vaccines my pet requires?

Our veterinary professionals at South Shores Pet Clinic will determine the appropriate vaccines for your pet by assessing their exposure risk. Factors we will consider include:

  • Age — Puppies and kittens receive immunity from their mother for the first six to eight weeks of life, but then their immunity begins to wane. Puppies and kittens should receive their first vaccine doses between six and eight weeks of age, and will require boosters every three to four weeks until they reach 16 weeks of age. Adult dogs and cats need booster shots at least once yearly.
  • Geography — Certain geographic areas pose a higher risk of contracting certain diseases. For example, Lyme disease is most prevalent in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest.
  • Lifestyle — Our veterinary professionals may recommend additional vaccinations based on your pet’s lifestyle. For example, if your cat lives outdoors or is boarded, they may need vaccinations against feline leukemia, while your dog who frequently swims in natural water sources may need the leptospirosis vaccine.

What are the core vaccines for my pet?

Core vaccines are those that protect your pet from diseases that are common in the region, required by law, or highly infectious, and that have a potential public health significance, or could cause severe disease.

Core vaccines for dogs include:

  • Rabies — This deadly viral disease is transmitted through an infected animal’s bite, and causes progressive neurologic problems and death. Signs include fever, difficulty swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, and seizures.
  • Parvovirus — This highly contagious viral disease is transmitted when your pet contacts infected fecal matter or contaminated objects. Parvovirus causes severe vomiting, diarrhea, and sepsis.
  • Canine distemper — A highly contagious viral disease, canine distemper is transmitted through the respiratory droplets of infected animals, and attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. Signs include vomiting, diarrhea, and a thick, yellow discharge from the nose and eyes.
  • Infectious hepatitis — Hepatitis is transmitted when your pet contacts infected nasal discharge, saliva, feces, or urine, and targets the spleen, kidneys, lungs, liver, and blood vessel linings. Signs of this contagious disease include fever, lethargy, enlarged lymph nodes, abnormal bruising, jaundice, and seizures.

Core vaccines for cats include:

  • Rabies — This deadly viral disease is transmitted through an infected animal’s bite, and causes progressive neurologic problems and death. Signs include fever, difficulty swallowing, excessive drooling, staggering, and seizures.
  • Feline herpesvirus-1 (i.e., feline viral rhinotracheitis) — This highly contagious viral disease is transmitted through the respiratory droplets of infected animals, causing respiratory signs and possibly life-long infection that leads to recurrent disease flares.
  • Calicivirus — This contagious virus is transmitted through the respiratory droplets of infected animals and causes respiratory disease, characterized by oral and nasal ulcers.
  • Panleukopenia — This highly contagious viral infection, which is transmitted through infected urine, feces, and nasal secretions, causes vomiting, diarrhea, and life-threatening blood cell deficiencies.

What are optional vaccines for my pet?

Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, our veterinary professionals at South Shores Pet Clinic may recommend additional vaccines to safeguard your pet. Optional vaccines for dogs include:

  • Lyme disease — Transmitted by the black-legged tick, Lyme disease causes fever, lethargy, and joint pain and swelling. 
  • Leptospirosis — Transmitted by drinking water contaminated with infected urine, leptospirosis can cause liver and kidney failure.
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica — This bacterial infection, which is transmitted through respiratory droplets, is common in shelter dogs and dogs in boarding facilities.
  • Canine influenza virus — Transmitted through respiratory droplets, this viral infection causes respiratory disease.
  • Western diamondback rattlesnake — This vaccine can weaken the reaction, if your dog is bitten by certain rattlesnake species.

Optional vaccines for cats include:

  • Feline leukemia — Transmitted through close contact, this disease causes lifelong, debilitating illness.
  • Chlamydophila felis — Transmitted through respiratory droplets, this disease causes respiratory disease and severe conjunctivitis.
  • Bordetella bronchiseptica — A bacterial respiratory infection spread through respiratory droplets, this disease causes respiratory signs.
  • Feline infectious peritonitis  — This viral disease causes fluid accumulation in the chest and abdominal cavities, and is ultimately fatal.

What are the vaccine risks for my pet?

The most common complication observed after vaccine administration is swelling or tenderness at the injection site, while some pets may experience a mild fever or lethargy. Allergic reactions ranging from mild to life-threatening issues are also a possibility. Your pet’s likelihood of contracting a life-threatening illness without being vaccinated is much higher than their likelihood of a significant reaction to a vaccine. 

Your pet deserves to be vaccinated, and protected from debilitating and deadly diseases. If you would like to discuss the best vaccine protocol for your pet, do not hesitate to contact our South Shores Pet Clinic team to schedule an appointment.