The Importance of Vaccinating Your Pet
Your newborn baby has an appointment with the pediatrician two weeks after birth. Why? To protect your child from contagious diseases. The same holds true for your pets.
Vaccinations are designed to help protect your pet from diseases that are contagious. Conditions such as canine parvovirus, feline distemper and rabies, just to name a few, can devastate your animal and lead to their early demise. Millions of animals have been saved due to vaccinations over the past 50 years. Vaccinating also helps your family because it helps stop the spread of diseases to the human population.
Vaccinations stimulate the immune system which then produces antibodies protecting your dog or cat against a number of diseases. Like humans, if a pet is later exposed to an infectious agent, its antibodies will react quickly, attacking and destroying the disease.
Before vaccines are given, your pet needs to be examined by the veterinarian to ensure a clean bill of health. Once given the ok by the vet, your pet will be given a set of booster vaccines over a three-four month period beginning at approximately 8 weeks of age and then repeated yearly thereafter.
The risk factors for vaccinating are usually slim, but some pets can and do react. The most common reactions seen are lethargy, site swelling, swollen face, shortness of breath, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. If you witness any of these reactions, call your veterinarian immediately. If you believe your pet is at risk for reactions, make sure you tell your vet prior to being vaccinated so they can pre-treat with medication to stave off negative effects.
Remember, while vaccinating your animals may carry some risk, failure to vaccinate leaves your pet vulnerable to fatal illnesses that are preventable.
