Pets may appear to have an easy life, but they actually face all sorts of risk and dangers on a daily basis — including the threat of dangerous or even fatal communicable diseases. Pet vaccinations can provide vital protection through all stages of an animal’s life, which is why they’re considered a critical preventative wellness tool. You can schedule the vaccinations your pet needs here at Pinecrest Veterinary Clinic from our veterinarian in Johnson City, Dr. Karl Kapoor.
Why Your Furry Family Member Needs Pet Vaccinations
Vaccinations address a serious vulnerability in animals’ immunity to disease. The immune systems of newborn puppies and kittens have not yet manufactured the antibodies necessary to fight off germs for the simple reason that it has not been triggered yet by the presence of those intruders in the body. In the case of some germs, however, that initial exposure could be life-threatening. Vaccines act as inert stand-ins for the germs in question, tricking the immune system into believing the real thing has invaded. This prompts the creation of antibodies which will now defend against the genuine disease.
Pets typically receive vaccinations at different frequency rates at different points in their lives. To build up a puppy or kitten’s initial immune resistance, our veterinary clinic administers multiple rounds of vaccinations during the first year of life, starting around the age of 6 weeks (to coincide with weaning, when the animal stops receiving “borrowed” immunity from his mother’s milk). Later in life, we provide booster shots for individual vaccines at periodic intervals, depending on the duration of each vaccine’s potency.
Dog and Cat Vaccination Recommendations
Dog and cat vaccination lists tend to fall into two different categories, core and elective. Core vaccinations are the ones every dog or cat needs. For cats, these include vaccinations against rabies, calicivirus, panleukopenia, and feline herpesvirus type 1. For dogs, the core vaccinations include those against rabies, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, and parvovirus. Elective vaccinations are recommended for certain pets based on their environment, lifestyle, and other elevated risks for disease exposure. For example, if your dog spends a lot of time in “tick country,” he may benefit from a Lyme disease vaccination, while dogs who interact with other dogs in close quarters should receive vaccinations against Bordetella (“kennel cough”). Cats in boarding facilities may need to be vaccinated against cat-carried diseases such as feline leukemia, Bordetella or feline immunodeficiency virus.
Our veterinarian in Johnson City can advise you on which elective vaccinations your pet should receive on top of his core vaccination regimen. We will also devise a personalized schedule of core vaccinations, elective vaccinations, and booster shots to help your pet stay protected.
Schedule Pet Vaccinations for Your Best Friend
There’s no greater service you can perform for your best friend than safeguarding him against killer diseases. Call (423) 926-6091 to schedule pet vaccinations at Pinecrest Veterinary Clinic!
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