Why Pet Vaccinations?

Why Pet Vaccinations?

Lately, we have had a lot of people ask us whether or not they should have their pet vaccinated. The short answer is: absolutely, yes! But the lingering question is… why? Why are pet vaccinations important for my pet? What vaccines should they get and how often? Our veterinarian in Durham and Chapel Hill sets out to explain.

Pet Vaccinations are Essential Because…

They save lives, pure and simple. Did you know that before the advent of the rabies vaccine and its institution as a legally-required pet vaccination, thousands of people and pets died every year from this agonizing viral disease? These days, more people and animals are killed by lightning than rabies each year—because this vaccine is almost universally required. And this is not only true of rabies—other pet vaccinations such as those for distemper and feline herpes virus have saved untold thousands of pet lives each year as well. Pet vaccines are the simplest, most in-expensive way to literally keep your pet from dying a painful, unnecessary and too-early death.

All pets should start their vaccination schedule at about the age of 8 weeks. Puppies and kittens, being particularly vulnerable at this stage, should receive a battery of core pet vaccinations every 3 weeks until they are about 20 weeks of age. Booster shots every year or every three years (depending on the vaccine) should follow for the life of your pet:

• Core cat vaccines: feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus, feline panleukopenia, rabies.
• Core dog vaccines: parvovirus, distemper, parainfluenza, hepatitis, rabies.

There are several other non-core vaccinations (like Bordetella, Lyme disease, FIV, etc.) our veterinarian may recommend based on your pet’s individual lifestyle and health factors. Some of these factors include whether or not your pet frequents dog parks, swims in lakes, rivers or at the beach, goes camping, travels frequently to other areas or is scheduled to go into boarding. So please contact us for an appointment to discuss your pet’s vaccination schedule today.

What other questions do you have about pet vaccinations? Please let us know below!

Related Pages:

Pet Vaccinations