August is National Immunization Awareness Month
Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital, Covington, Louisiana
August 2020
What are vaccines?
Vaccines are products designed to promote protective immune responses and prepare the immune system to fight infections from disease causing agents. Vaccines stimulate the immune system’s production of antibodies that identify and destroy disease causing organisms that enter the pets the body.
Why do vaccines matter?
Vaccines matter because they provide immunity against several diseases that can lessen the severity or prevent certain disease all together. Vaccines are very helpful from protecting your pet from highly contagious and deadly diseases and improve your pet's overall quality of life.
5 reasons to vaccinate your pet:
1. Vaccinations prevent many pet illnesses
2. Vaccinations can help avoid costly treatments for diseases that can be prevented
3. Vaccinations prevent diseases that can be passed between animals and from animals to people
4. Diseases prevalent in wildlife such as rabies and distemper, can infect unvaccinated pets
5. In many areas, local or state ordinances require certain vaccinations of household pets
Do vaccinations ensure protection?
It is important to follow the vaccination schedule provided by your veterinarian to reduce the possibility of a gap in protection.
Why do puppies and kittens require a series of vaccinations?
Very young animals are highly susceptible to infectious disease because their immune system is not fully mature. The first dose of a vaccine serves to prime the animal’s immune system against the virus or bacteria while subsequent doses does help further stimulate the immune system to produce the antibodies needed for long term protection. Finishing the series of vaccines for puppies and kittens is very important because an incomplete series of vaccinations may lead to incomplete protection making them vulnerable to infection. To provide the best results of protection against diseases, vaccinations are given in a series usually 3-4 weeks apart. The final vaccination is given around 4 months of age.
Which vaccines should my pet receive?
Your most common vaccines are your “core” vaccines which include canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies. A common “non- core” vaccine includes Bordetella which is known as kennel cough. These vaccines should be given yearly to maintain the proper protection.
Come see Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital for your pet's yearly vaccinations!