Pet Vaccinations: What You Need to Know
When it comes to caring for your animal companions, preventative care is often the best form of treatment, which means, among other things, getting your pet vaccinated. If you live in or near Greenbrier County, visit Lewisburg Veterinary Hospital to ensure that your pet is caught up on all of the appropriate vaccinations. Another important aspect of preventative care is flea and tick prevention. We offer a full-range of veterinary services to keep your pets happy and healthy for years to come.
Core Pet Vaccinations
When it comes to dog vaccinations, cat vaccinations, and vaccines for other pets, some vaccines are considered “core” while others are considered non-core. Core vaccinations are pet vaccines that every eligible animal should get, regardless of their lifestyle and other risk factors.
Let’s take rabies, for example. These days, rabies is less common than in the past, but this is due to preventative care and especially the use of rabies vaccinations. If a pet contracts rabies and is not already or quickly vaccinated, death is all but certain. Rabies is caused by a virus. If infected, your cat, dog, or other pet may start foaming at the mouth, act confused, or vomit. It may bite other animals or people, thus spreading the disease.
Every pet should be vaccinated against rabies (among other serious diseases) and the rabies shot is one of the core dog vaccinations and cat vaccinations. Your cat, dog, or other pet will also require rabies booster shots. Also, rabies and some other core vaccines are often required by law.
For dogs, canine parvovirus, distemper, and canine hepatitis are also considered core vaccines. With cats, feline distemper, feline calicivirus, and feline herpesvirus type I are considered core shots.
Non-Core Pet Vaccinations
Along with core pet vaccinations, there are also non-core vaccines. Whether or not your dog, cat, or other pet needs these shots sometimes comes down to the lifestyle of the pet. Another important factor is where you live. Dogs living in rural areas may need vaccines that dogs living in urban areas do not.
This is where our veterinarian can help. Our vet will work with you to determine if your pet should get these non-core vaccines. Non-core dog vaccines include Bordetella, Canine influenza, and Lyme disease. One of the common non-core feline vaccinations includes protection from the Leukemia virus.
So when should a pet get a non-core vaccine? If your dog stays indoors and you live in an urban area, the need for a Lyme disease vaccine is less pressing. If you take your dog on long hikes in the woods or live in the country, your pet may be exposed to ticks, so a Lyme disease vaccination is more important.
Preventative Veterinary Care in Greenbrier County
Preventing a health issue is far easier than treating one especially when it comes to a serious disease. If you need pet vaccinations, flea and tick prevention, or other veterinary services, our team at Lewisburg Veterinary Hospital is here to help. Call us today at 304-645-1434 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Mary Ann.
