For dogs and cats
It is the best way to prepare your pet’s immune system to fight an infection when the “real” disease strikes. There are many ways for your companion animal to be exposed to these diseases. Even animals that appear healthy can sometimes inadvertently spread viruses and bacteria. Vaccination is also a good financial decision as the cost of vaccination is much lower than that of treating the animal once it has fallen sick, if it can even be treated.
When is it required ?
Ideally, pets should be taken to the veterinarian for an initial course of 2 – 3 sets of vaccinations starting between 6 and 8 weeks of age. Unfortunately, protective immune responses decline over time, so the vaccination your pet receives will not protect it for the rest of its life. As immunity weakens over time, your pet can again become susceptible to disease. The veterinarian will do an assessment of your animal’s individual risk factors to determine your pet’s specific vaccination needs. This evaluation ensures that only what is most appropriate is done to your animal and that it has the vaccination program that is best suited to its health status, to its lifestyle and to its living environment. This will maximize protection while decreasing the risk of adverse reactions.
The great majority of pets respond well to vaccination and serious side effects are very rare. Following vaccination, your pet may develop a low-grade fever, lethargy or decreased appetite for a day or two. Some may have a slight swelling or tenderness around the injection site. These are part of a normal immune response and are usually short-lived, requiring no treatment. If your pet experiences more severe symptoms of distress, or the above symptoms persist beyond 48 hours, please contact us immediately.
