Keep pets protected with vaccines
If you ever find yourself staring in confusion at your pet’s vaccine schedule, wondering why a certain vaccine is necessary, read on to learn how your pet’s vaccines can protect them from different and dangerous diseases. These simple and effective vaccines can help make sure our beloved pets stay safe and healthy!
Dog and cat vaccines
- Rabies vaccine. Transmitted to pets (and people) through bites or scratches of infected wildlife—most often bats, skunks and raccoons in the United States—the rabies virus attacks the nervous system, causing disorientation and often aggression before eventually leading to death. Although there is no cure for rabies, it’s completely preventable in dogs and cats (and humans) with a vaccine!
Dog-only vaccines
- Canine distemper vaccine. This vaccine is a powerhouse of prevention, protecting against several common and deadly dog diseases, including:
- canine distemper virus, which fatally attacks the gut, lungs and nervous system of dogs;
- canine adenovirus-2, also known as infectious hepatitis because it causes liver failure; and
- canine parvovirus, which debilitates the gut and immune system of young dogs.
- Leptospirosis vaccine. For all those puddle-drinkers out there, leptospirosis is a must! This disease transmits through water or soil contaminated with wildlife urine and causes potentially fatal kidney and liver failure.
- Bordetella vaccine. Most dogs who go to daycare or boarding facilities have had a brush with Bordetella, otherwise known as “kennel cough.” Unfortunately, dogs can keep getting this respiratory disease again and again, so it’s best to vaccinate these high-risk dogs.
- Canine influenza vaccine. Much like the flu in people, the dog flu causes respiratory disease that can become severe in some patients, and just like kennel cough, it passes quite easily from dog to dog.
- Lyme disease vaccine. A tick passes this disease to your dog (or you!) through their bite, which can then cause many serious widespread symptoms, such as joint and kidney disease.
Cat-only vaccines
- Feline distemper vaccine. Similar to the canine distemper vaccine, this vaccine is actually a 3-in-1 shot, protecting against:
- feline panleukopenia virus, also known as “feline distemper,” which dangerously attacks the gut and immune system of cats;
- feline viral rhinotracheitis, also known as herpesvirus infection, which is a common upper respiratory disease, causing severe inflammation and discharge of the nose and eyes; and
- feline calicivirus, another important cause of upper airway and also oral disease of cats.
- Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) vaccine. As its name implies, this disease can cause cancer in cats, but it also depletes their white blood cells so that they can’t fight off infections. Cats get this from social grooming and other close contact with infected cats. Spread from cat to cat, there is no current cure, so ensuring your pet gets vaccinated is incredibly important.
Did you know that CareClub® personalized pet health care plans are tailored to include the vaccines that match your pet’s needs?
Find out more about the plans that get you exactly what you need, when you need it. Visit vcacareclub.com Today >>
