Protect Your Pet Babies With Vaccinations
The majority of people take their babies to the doctor to get vaccines to ward off diseases. The majority of people feel their pets are like their children or at least a part of their family. Doesn’t it make sense then that pet owners would want to do the same for them?
Vaccinations work very much in the same way for animals as they do for humans. They are simply injections made into the bloodstream of small amounts of a virus that builds antibodies in their system to ward off that particular virus.
As with children, veterinarians generally recommend that animals be vaccinated in their infant stages. Six weeks of age is generally the age suggested for their first vaccinations.
Puppies and kittens will get some immunity from their mother’s milk, but this will wear off. Vaccine series are usually scheduled in intervals several weeks apart from the time they are about six weeks old and ending when they are around a twelve to sixteen weeks old. Again, as with humans, pets will need to have annual booster shots to maintain vaccination levels that will be high enough to ward off infection. Of course nothing is perfect and there is still a chance that your pet could contract a disease but the vaccines greatly improve their chances and are well worth it.
As with any medical procedure there are risks. As with humans some pets may have reactions and should be monitored for any prolonged adverse affects. The same with human immunization there could be a low grade fever, sluggishness and redness or swelling at the injection sight. Your veterinarian will be able to explain to you what to look for and what should or should not cause concern. None the less, the pros far out weigh the cons when choosing to vaccinate your pet.
Some of the vaccinations available for dogs are:
• Parvovirus (highly contagious virus passed from dog to dog through contact with their feces either directly or indirectly)
• Canine Distemper
• Rabies
• Canine adenovirus ( causes hepatitis in dogs)
Some of the vaccinations available for cats are:
• Feline panleukopenia virus (feline distemper)
• Rabies
• Feline calicivirus (causes upper respiratory infection)
• Feline herpesvirus 1 (causes upper respiratory infection)
There are several other vaccinations available for both kittens and puppies. Be sure to ask your veterinarian his recommendations. There is also insurance available and in most cases they cover wellness programs that include vaccinations. It could be well worth checking into to help with the cost of these vaccinations that will help protect your precious family member from life threatening disease.