Vaccines & General Health
Vaccinations are a critical part of your dog’s preventive health care. Vaccinations today protect dogs from such diseases as:
Vaccinating a pet against disease is a medical procedure and, like all medical procedures, carries some risk. The benefits of vaccinating must be weighed against the risks. One of the key AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines is that all dogs are different and therefore vaccine decisions should be made on an individual basis for each dog. Issues to consider include:
Core Vaccinations–These vaccines are generally recommended for all dogs to protect against diseases that are more serious or potentially fatal. These diseases are found throughout North American and are more easily transmitted. AAHA considers these the core vaccinations:
- Rabies
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Parvovirus
- Other diseases
Vaccinating a pet against disease is a medical procedure and, like all medical procedures, carries some risk. The benefits of vaccinating must be weighed against the risks. One of the key AAHA Canine Vaccine Guidelines is that all dogs are different and therefore vaccine decisions should be made on an individual basis for each dog. Issues to consider include:
- Age
- Breed
- Health status
- Environment
- Lifestyle
- Travel habits of the dog
Core Vaccinations–These vaccines are generally recommended for all dogs to protect against diseases that are more serious or potentially fatal. These diseases are found throughout North American and are more easily transmitted. AAHA considers these the core vaccinations:
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Parvovirus
- Rabies
- Kennel cough
- Lyme disease
- Leptospirosis
Reactions to Vaccination.
Vaccine reactions, of all types, are infrequent. In general, most vaccine reactions and side effects (such as local pain and swelling) are self-limiting. Allergic reactions are not common, but if left untreated can be fatal. These can occur minutes or hours after vaccination. If you see such a reaction, contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. It is also a good idea to document the reaction, severity and what vaccines were given; this information should always be in a pets medical record so that in the future vaccines may be preceded with a medication to decrease the severity of the reaction. In rare instances, vaccines can result in a tumor developing at the vaccination site or diseases that affect the blood, skin, joints, or nervous system. Contact us for more information.
Microchip.
It’s always sad to see a flyer stapled to a signpost or on a bulletin board at the grocery store with a picture of a lost pet. You imagine a child waiting for the phone to ring, hoping that some kind person happens to find his kitty and see his flyer. Sadly, once a pet is lost, the odds are against her finding her way home again. According to the American Humane Association, only about seventeen percent of lost dogs and two percent of cats ever find their way back from shelters to their original owners. Almost 9.6 million pets are euthanized every year because their owners can’t be found. There are ways to beat these odds though, and they involve using nametags, collars and microchips. To give your pet the best chance to be identified, no matter how far she roams, have her implanted with a microchip and wear an updated nametag.
Besides providing your contact information, a collar and nametag notifies others that your pet is domesticated and strangers are more likely to assist your pet in finding her home. Since tags can fade, rust, or get scratched and become impossible to read, AAHA suggests inspecting your pet’s tags and collars once a month. If the tags become unreadable or outdated, it is important to immediately replace it with a new nametag with your current contact information.
Although tags and collars are important, they can tear or slip off. With microchipping, on the other hand, a veterinarian injects a tiny computer chip—about the size of a grain of rice—just under your pet’s skin, between the shoulder blades. A number on the microchip is entered into an international database, like the Central Animal Registry or PETtrac. If your dog or cat is found, any animal hospital, shelter, or humane society can use a microchip reader to read the unique ID number contained on the chip. The veterinarian or worker can accesses the database by imputting the number given off by the microchip. The chip can’t be lost or damaged, and it lasts for the pet’s lifetime. However, it is your responsibility as the pet owner to update your contact information.
The microchip is convenient, safe, and reliable. Though many veterinarians and animal shelters are actively working to inform their clients about microchipping, there are still a number of myths keeping pet owners from microchipping their pets.
In a perfect world, leashes, fences, and doors would be enough to keep your pet safe at home. In the real world, accidents happen, and your pet depends on you to protect her against the things that could go wrong. With a little effort now, you can take a big step toward ensuring that your furry friend will be with you in the future.
Besides providing your contact information, a collar and nametag notifies others that your pet is domesticated and strangers are more likely to assist your pet in finding her home. Since tags can fade, rust, or get scratched and become impossible to read, AAHA suggests inspecting your pet’s tags and collars once a month. If the tags become unreadable or outdated, it is important to immediately replace it with a new nametag with your current contact information.
Although tags and collars are important, they can tear or slip off. With microchipping, on the other hand, a veterinarian injects a tiny computer chip—about the size of a grain of rice—just under your pet’s skin, between the shoulder blades. A number on the microchip is entered into an international database, like the Central Animal Registry or PETtrac. If your dog or cat is found, any animal hospital, shelter, or humane society can use a microchip reader to read the unique ID number contained on the chip. The veterinarian or worker can accesses the database by imputting the number given off by the microchip. The chip can’t be lost or damaged, and it lasts for the pet’s lifetime. However, it is your responsibility as the pet owner to update your contact information.
The microchip is convenient, safe, and reliable. Though many veterinarians and animal shelters are actively working to inform their clients about microchipping, there are still a number of myths keeping pet owners from microchipping their pets.
In a perfect world, leashes, fences, and doors would be enough to keep your pet safe at home. In the real world, accidents happen, and your pet depends on you to protect her against the things that could go wrong. With a little effort now, you can take a big step toward ensuring that your furry friend will be with you in the future.
