Vaccines administer a very low dose of a pathogen (usually modified live or killed organisms are used so as not to be infectious) to a pet so that their immune system can “learn” to fight it.
The vaccine primes the immune system so that it is ready with antibodies and other immune factors to fight or prevent the disease effectively should they be exposed to it.
Will My Pet Be 100 Percent Immune?
This is a tricky question. Some animals who receive vaccines do develop total immunity. Others only develop partial immunity. Still others, if they don’t receive booster shots regularly, may lose part or all of their previous immunity. Generally the level of protection (and therefore risk of infection) will vary based on the specific disease, the vaccination schedule, the individual animals immune system, and the exposure level. Most healthy pets that are vaccinated appropriately will have robust protection against common diseases.
Canine Kennel Cough (also know as Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease) is a special case. Each time a bout of Kennel Cough circulates it is actually a combination of several different pathogens. Vaccination protects against the most serious 1 or 2 players, but cannot cover for all. This is why vaccinated dogs can still get an infectious cough - Vaccination cannot prevent all causes of Kennel Cough but it does tend to keep dogs safe from the most severe forms of disease.
Which Vaccines Does My Pet Need?
Your pet needs “core” vaccines and may need “non-core” vaccines depending on their lifestyle. Core vaccines for dogs include canine parvovirus, canine distemper, infectious canine hepatitis and rabies. Core inoculations for cats include feline panleukopenia, feline calicivirus, feline rhinotracheitis and rabies.
Depending on your individual dog or cat, your vet may recommend other vaccines as well. For instance, if your cat is free roaming or spends time outdoors your vet may recommend vaccinating against feline Leukemia.
Are There Side Effects to Vaccinating?
Usually, no. Vaccines are safe and well studied. At most, pets may experience a bit of mild fever or discomfort associated with the immune response to vaccination. True vaccine reactions can occur but luckily they are very rare. Part of the veterinarian's job is to assess each pet's risk for disease and ensure only the necessary vaccines are administered. By limiting unnecessary vaccines and administering injections at the lowest effective frequency we can further reduce the risk of negative reactions.
Vaccinations are a routine part of any pet’s life and, except in very rare cases, their benefit vastly outweighs any risk.
Want to learn more about vaccinating today? Feel free to get in touch with us at (780) 466-4030!
