Vaccinations

What are vaccines, and why do they matter?

Vaccines are products designed to trigger protective immune responses and prepare the immune system to fight future infections from disease-causing agents. Vaccines stimulate the immune system’s production of antibodies that identify and destroy disease-causing organisms that enter the body.

Vaccines provide immunity against one or several diseases that can lessen the severity or prevent certain diseases altogether.

Studies show that widespread use of vaccinations within the last century has prevented death and disease in millions of animals. Vaccinations protect your pet from highly contagious and deadly diseases and improve your pet’s overall quality of life.

4 reasons to vaccinate your pet

Vaccinations prevent many pet illnesses.
Vaccinations can help avoid costly treatments for diseases that can be prevented.
Vaccinations prevent diseases that can be passed between animals and also from animals to people.
Diseases prevalent in wildlife, such as rabies and distemper, can infect unvaccinated pets.

Do vaccinations ensure protection?

For most pets, vaccination is effective in preventing future disease or decreasing the severity clinical signs. It is important to follow the vaccination schedule provided by a veterinarian to reduce the possibility of a gap in protection.

Vaccination is a medical procedure. Vaccines are available through sources other than a veterinarian, but they may not protect your pet against disease unless properly stored, handled, and administered. For this reason, we recommend getting these vaccinations from a veterinary clinic. Most boarding facilities and veterinary clinics will not recognize vaccines given outside of a veterinary establishment.

Are there risks to vaccinating my pet?

Any type of medical treatment has associated risks, but the risk should be weighed against the benefits of protecting your pet, your family and your community from potentially fatal diseases. The majority of pets respond well to vaccines. The most common adverse responses to vaccination are mild and short-term. Serious reactions are rare.

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 yet fully mature. They receive protection through antibodies in their mother's milk, but the protection is not long-lasting and there may be gaps in protection as the milk antibodies decrease and their immune system is still maturing. Maternal antibodies can also interfere with a puppy’s or kitten’s vaccine response, so a series of vaccines is typically recommended to ensure that the puppy or kitten receives a vaccine as early as possible after maternal antibodies subside.

In many instances, the first dose of a vaccine serves to prime the animal's immune system against the virus or bacteria while subsequent doses help further stimulate the immune system to produce the important antibodies needed for long-term protection.

We recommend your pet get established with one of our veterinarians, at that time your pet will receive the proper vaccinations according to age and health.

Finish the series

An incomplete series of vaccinations may lead to incomplete protection, making puppies and kittens vulnerable to infection. To provide optimal protection against disease in the first few months of life, a series of vaccinations are scheduled, usually 3-4 weeks apart. For most puppies and kittens, the final vaccination in the series is administered at about 4 months of age; however, we may alter the schedule based on an individual animal's risk factors.

How often will my pet need to be vaccinated?

Many vaccinations provide adequate immunity when administered every few years, while others require more frequent schedules to maintain an acceptable level of immunity that will continually protect your pet. We will determine a vaccination schedule that's appropriate for your pet.

Which vaccinations should my pet receive?

"Core" vaccines are recommended for most pets in a particular area or geographical location because they protect from diseases most common in that area. "Non-core" vaccinations are for individual pets with unique needs. Talk with us at DRVC about your pet's lifestyle, including any expected travel to other geographical locations and/or contact with other pets or wild animals, since these factors impact your pet's risk of exposure to certain diseases.

Recommended Canine Vaccine Schedule

6-8 weeks: DHLP-PV only
10-12 weeks: DHLP-PV booster and Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough)
16 weeks: DHLP-PV booster, Bordetella Bronchiseptica booster, and Rabies
DHLP-PV and Bordetella are given annually after initial doses while Rabies is given every 3 years after initial dose.

Recommended Feline Vaccine Schedule

6-8 weeks: FVRCP only
10-12 weeks: FVRCP booster and Feline Leukemia
16 weeks: FVRCP booster, Feline Leukemia booster, and Rabies
FVRCP and Feline Leukemia are given annually after initial doses while Rabies is given every 3 years after initial dose.

What to expect after your pet's vaccination

It is common for pets to experience some or all of the following mild side effects after receiving a vaccine, usually starting within hours of the vaccination. If these side effects last for more than a day or two, or cause your pet significant discomfort, it is important for you to contact us:

A small, firm swelling under the skin may develop at the site of a recent vaccination. It should start to disappear within a couple weeks. If it persists more than three weeks, or seems to be getting larger, you should contact your veterinarian.

Always inform us at DRVC if your pet has had prior reactions to any vaccine or medication. If in doubt, wait for 30-60 minutes following vaccination before taking your pet home.