What's the big deal about vaccines?
It's important to vaccinate your pets to protect them against potentially deadly diseases, and protect you, as their family, from illnesses that can be transmitted to you from your pet. There are certain vaccines that are required by the state of Indiana, and then there are vaccines that are required by our hospital if your pet requires a surgical or sedated procedure and/or grooming. As with all vaccines for both pets and humans, there can not be a guarantee of 100% effectiveness, but the risk of serious complications are drastically reduced when vaccinations have been administered. Here are some of the most common vaccines and the protection they offer:
Rabies
The Rabies vaccine is required by Indiana state law for all pets over the age of 6 months. The Rabies virus is always fatal once your pet shows symptoms, and can be transmitted to both humans and other animals (remember Old Yeller?). We offer this vaccine in both a 1-year and a 3-year form. This vaccine is required for any pet requiring a hospital stay or grooming.
BOrdetella
The Bordetella vaccine protects against the Bordetella virus, also known as "Kennel Cough." It is a respiratory illness that causes a deep cough and is highly contagious to other dogs. This vaccine is only available in a 1-year form, and is required for any dog requiring a hospital stay or grooming.
Distemper combo
Our Distemper combo vaccine protects against Distemper and Parvovirus, both potentially fatal viruses most common in puppies, Adenovirus, which is responsible for canine hepatitis, and Parainfluenza, which can lead to pneumonia. We offer this vaccine in both a 1-year and a 3-year form. This vaccine is required for any dog requiring a hospital stay or grooming.
Lyme and Leptospirosis
We recommend the Lyme vaccine to dogs who have adventures while hiking, frolicking in meadows and tall grasses, camping, and other activities where ticks can be found (sometimes even hanging out in the back yard!) Lyme disease is transmitted by ticks and can result in kidney failure, if not treated early. Lyme disease is not transmittable to you from your dog.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by the urine of infected animals (typically wildlife like racoons, possums, rats, mice, and skunks). Your dog can contract leptospirosis by coming into contact with contaminated soil or water on your daily walk, and is potentially life-threatening. Leptospirosis is transmittable from your dog to you, so we highly recommend adding this vaccine to your dog's yearly exam.
Feline Distemper combo
The Feline Distemper combo vaccine protects against the Distemper virus, a potentially fatal virus in kittens, Rhinotracheitis (also known as Feline Herpes) and Calicivirus, both responsible for a majority of feline upper respiratory tract diseases, and Panleukopenia, the feline equivalent of the more commonly known Canine Parvovirus. This vaccine is offered in a 1-year form and is required for any cats requiring a hospital stay or grooming.
Feline Leukemia
Feline Leukemia is a disease that is spread from cat-to-cat through saliva (think sneezing, coughing, licking, etc), and attacks the white blood cells and immune system. Once a cat has tested positive for feline leukemia, there is no cure. We highly recommend this vaccine for cats who may have access to the outdoors and/or may come in contact with neighborhood cats.