Our team at Plaza Veterinary Hospital wants to help you keep your pet happy and healthy, and a key part of accomplishing that second goal is getting your pet properly vaccinated. In recent years, there has been a lot of misinformation circulating about vaccines for both humans and animals, which can create unnecessary worry about a procedure that is proven to be both effective and safe. In this article, we’ll be going over everything you need to know about pet vaccinations.
- What are vaccinations? Vaccination is a process in which killed or weakened microbes are introduced into the body to help the immune system develop the necessary antibodies to fight off a particular illness. With pet vaccinations, your pet’s system will be able to practice fighting off the “easy mode” versions of various diseases, so that when they encounter the stronger versions of those germs in the wild, they’ll be able to deal with them easily.
- Are pet vaccinations dangerous? Because vaccinations do use the same microbes that cause serious diseases, many people worry that they might be dangerous or cause their pets to get sick. While no medical procedure is 100% without risk, allow us at Plaza Veterinary Hospital to assure you that pet vaccinations are one of the safest treatments your pet can undergo, and their proven, long-term benefits far outweigh the minuscule risks associated with them. Our team has over 35 years of experience in the veterinary field, so we are able to handle any side effects, but we can also speak to just how rare these side effects actually are.
- How often does my pet need vaccinations? What pet vaccinations you need will depend on many factors, including their age, breed, and overall health. A puppy or kitten will need more vaccines than an adult dog or cat in order to give them a solid foundation for their immune health, and once mature, most animals will only need one or two annual shots to refresh their ability to fight major diseases.
We at Plaza Veterinary Hospital hope that this article has been helpful. If you have further questions about pet vaccinations, we encourage you to give us a call to consult with one of our team members.