What pet owners should know about vaccinations

As a pet owner, there are a lot of things you need to do to ensure your furry friend is happy and healthy. And one of the most important things pet owners need to do is make sure their animal gets the necessary vaccines on time. Vaccines play a crucial role in protecting pets against diseases and illnesses. So let’s take a look at a few important things pet owners should know and understand about vaccines.

First off, how do vaccines work? When an animal gets vaccinated at a vet clinic, they’re injected with antigens. These antigens stimulate the immune system and help prepare it to fight off the disease if the pet were to ever get it. Vaccines can help animals completely fight off certain diseases or at the very least, reduce the harshness of the illness.

Vaccines do a lot more than protect just your pet — they protect others as well. If your animal comes into contact with other pets, there is the risk they could get the others sick, even if they’re not sick. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen when pets are vaccinated.

Additionally, vaccines protect your pet if they’re ever exposed to wild animals, which can carry a variety of diseases. And even if you have an animal that primarily stays indoors, there’s always the chance they could be exposed to an illness from an “outdoor” animal.

There are a variety of vaccines for animals like cats and dogs — your local veterinarian will let you know when your pet needs certain vaccinations. This is why it’s important to take your pet to the veterinary clinic at least once a year for a checkup so they can get updated vaccines if needed.

If you’re the owner of one of the 75 million pet dogs in the U.S., some vaccines your dog may need to get include:

• Distemper

• Parvovirus

• Rabies

• Bordetella

• Parainfluenza

And if you are the pet parent of a cat, some vaccines your pet may need include:

• Feline panleukopenia

• Feline leukemia

• Feline calicivirus

• Rabies

• Bordetella

All of these vaccines help keep your pet healthy from preventable illnesses. So whether you just got a cat or dog or have yet to vaccinate your pet, visit your local vet clinic to talk about which vaccines your fur baby needs.