Vaccinations at Glastonbury Animal Hospital
Vaccines are crucial for the overall health and well-being of your pet. This preventative care protects your pet from several deadly diseases that can even impact the health of other pets and humans. Glastonbury Animal Hospital in Glastonbury and Marlborough, CT, recommends vaccinations based on your pet’s environment, lifestyle, and risk factors. We are here to tell you about the importance of vaccinations and when you should schedule them.
The Importance of Vaccines
Vaccines contain a weakened or inactive virus that gets injected into your pet to teach its immune system to fight off diseases. Doing this triggers your pet’s immune system to produce antibodies that protect it if exposed to specific diseases. To put it simply, vaccines can save your pet’s life. Some diseases, such as rabies, are deadly to pets and humans. Vaccinating your pet significantly increases its life expectancy by reducing its likelihood of getting sick from specific diseases.
What Vaccines Are Necessary for My Pet?
The two types of vaccinations are core and non-core vaccines. Core vaccines are deemed necessary for all pets to receive. Non-core vaccines are recommended based on your pet’s environment and lifestyle. Core vaccines for dogs include rabies, distemper, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and adenovirus, while cat core vaccines include rabies, viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia.
Frequent non-core vaccines our veterinary team recommends for pets include Lyme disease, Bordetella, feline leukemia, leptospirosis, and Chlamydophila. Keep in mind that boarding facilities and groomers often require the Bordetella vaccine. Our veterinary team will tell you which vaccines your pet should get when you bring it in for a wellness visit.
When Should My Pet Get Its Vaccines?
Puppies and kittens should start their first round of vaccines between six and eight weeks of age. The immunity your pet received from its mother’s milk will begin to wear off during this time, making vaccination crucial for protecting its health. Your pet’s vaccine schedule will continue every three or four weeks until your pet reaches four months. After that, our veterinarian will schedule regular booster shots every one to three years based on the vaccine.
Vaccinate Your Pet Today at Glastonbury Animal Hospital
If you are searching for a “veterinarian near you” to vaccinate your pet or provide other veterinary services to keep your pet healthy, consider contacting Glastonbury Animal Hospital in Glastonbury and Marlborough, CT. Whether your pet needs vaccines, surgery, or anything in between, we can help. Call us and schedule an appointment today at our Glastonbury office at (860) 633-8394 or our Marlborough office at (860) 295-3939.
