How Vaccinations Can Save Your Pet’s Life

If you are a fairly new pet owner it can be difficult to understand all the required steps to take to ensure that your pet’s health is up to standards. Like humans pets are prone to certain illnesses and need to be vaccinated for them.

When it comes to vaccinations a trustworthy veterinarian is always the best to consult. For instance your veterinarian’s suggestions will categorize the vaccinations into “core” (recommended for every pet) and “non-core” (specific to your pet’s lifestyle) vaccinations. Many pets can be vaccinated as soon as they are six weeks old and from then on it is always a good idea to set up a vaccination schedule with your veterinarian.

Here is an additional guide to some of the diseases that pets can be vaccinated for:

Rabies in Cats and Dogs

A rabies vaccination is considered a core vaccination, meaning each animal is required to get these shots. These immunizations are vital to your pet’s health and they should receive them on a regular basis. For dogs many vaccinations come where they are able to protect your dog for up to three years and others are available which need to be taken annually.

Rabies is now becoming a huge concern for cat owners as well, because statistics have shown that rabies occurrences in cats are highest among other domesticated animals.

Distemper in Cats and Dogs

Since distemper is another fatal disease it is absolutely essential that your dog receive these vaccinations. This disease has the ultimate power to impact your dog’s nervous, digestive, gastrointestinal and respiratory systems. This disease is also contagious among canines and it is vital that your dogs are immunized routinely.

Due to the life threatening nature of this illness, this vaccination is highly recommended for cats as well. The effects of this disease are somewhat similar and it used to be the leading killer disease for domesticated cats.

Other Vaccinations for Dogs

Alongside Rabies and Distemper there are a few other vaccines that a pet owner should be aware of. For instance Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious disease among dogs and is life threatening to dogs with weak immune systems. It has become a common occurrence in animal shelters in the past and can be harmful to all canines if the right treatment is not available.

There are two other non-core vaccines that can are recommended for dogs include Leptospirosis and bordetella.

Leptospirosis which is a bacterial infection that can be transmitted amongst dogs, humans and other animals. The bacteria associated with this disease which are called Leptospires spread through the infected host’s body, reproducing in organs, urine and kidneys.

Other Vaccinations for Cats

A common virus responsible for a majority of the respiratory infections in felines is herpes virus and feline circovirus. According to studies most cats are usually exposed to these viruses one time or another in their lifetime. Getting vaccinated against these diseases is absolutely essential as they are helpful in reducing the symptoms should the cat be infected.

In addition to that feline leukemia is another disease responsible for reducing the cat population. Since it is easily spread amongst cats it is vital that your cat should be vaccinated for this disease.

When looked at collectively considering these vaccinations are a step forward to responsible pet ownership and should be a part in providing a healthy environment for your pets.