Pet Vaccinations In Roswell, Ga

Preventative Care Keeps Your Pets Healthy

Keeping your pets healthy starts right away, and one of the best ways to protect them from diseases is with vaccinations. At Holcomb Bridge Animal Hospital, we offer a wide range of vaccines for dogs and cats. It’s important that when you first bring your new kitten or puppy home, you bring them in for their initial set of vaccinations. The veterinarian will follow up with immunizations in the future if they are necessary to maintain your pet’s defenses against a particular health concern.

Vaccines work by delivering a small dose of deactivated bacteria or viruses into your pet’s body. That dose will cause your pet’s immune system to develop antibodies to fight off that specific problem. Then if your pet is exposed to the same health issue in the future, he or she will be ready to fight it off right away and won’t have signs of the disease or illness.

Some of the most common vaccines for pets include rabies and distemper. Other vaccines for dogs include:

• Parainfluenza
• Canine influenza
• Canine parvovirus
• Adenovirus
• Coronavirus
• Leptospirosis
• Bordetella
• Lyme disease

Some of the other vaccines we may recommend for cats include feline virus rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and leukemia.

For further information about our pet vaccinations in Roswell, reach out to us today at 770-212-3605.

Protect Yourself & Your Family

Canine and feline vaccinations do more than just protect them from illness and disease, they also prevent you and others in your household from getting sick. Diseases such as rabies can be transmitted from pets to people, so it’s crucial that you protect his or her immune system in order to protect you and your family as well.

We Provide Recommendations for a Wide Range of Vaccinations

There are many types of vaccinations for pets, but you may not need to give all of them to your dog or cat. When you first bring your pet in, our veterinarians will make recommendations on a vaccine schedule based on your pet’s age, breed, and living situation. For example, pets that do not spend much time outdoors may not need to get certain types of vaccines. In addition, some types of health issues are regional, so your pet may not need those vaccines unless you frequently travel with your pet. Other viruses are most often transmitted in kennels or boarding facilities, so pets that are not in these environments may not need the vaccinations.

Your pet will likely not enjoy the experience of getting shots, but they should not have any severe side effects from the vaccines. After the first appointment for vaccinations, our veterinarian will let you know when you need to return to us for additional vaccines. These help further prepare your pet’s immune system to fight off the disease, and we highly recommend that you follow your booster schedule to ensure that your pet has the best possible defenses against that disease.

New Pet Vaccinations Q&A

Below you will find common answers to the most frequently asked questions about pet vaccinations:

What are vaccinations?

Vaccines are biological preparations made from weakened or killed forms of microbes and its toxins that trigger a protective response in pets, allowing them to fight future infections. They can either prevent or lessen the severity of future diseases and there are a wide variety available for use by our veterinarians.

Is it important to vaccinate?

To put it simply: Yes! It is indeed very important to vaccinate your pet. These vaccinations can protect your furry loved one from a variety of illnesses and diseases, some of which can be quite serious and even deadly. Over the course of the past century, animal vaccinations have potentially prevented death and disease in millions of animals. Many diseases have become far less common, but the necessity for vaccinations still remains, as many serious illnesses can still be present in the environment.

Does vaccinating ensure protection?

Generally speaking, vaccinations protect pets from many highly contagious and deadly diseases. However, in some cases, some animal’s immune systems might not develop adequate immunity and could possibly become ill. Even though occasional breakdowns in protection can occur, most pets that are vaccinated never show signs of disease, which is why vaccinating continues to be an important part of preventative care.

Are there risks involved with vaccination?

Most pets respond well to vaccines, however, in some rare cases, vaccinations can carry some risk. Though generally short-term and mild, fever, sluggishness, and reduced appetite are among the most common adverse responses. Other potential effects include temporary pain or swelling at the site of the vaccination. Most of these reactions will resolve themselves within one or two days, but if your pet is experiencing any reactions, it’s best to alert your veterinarian just in case. In some rare instances, serious adverse responses can occur.

If your pet has repeated diarrhea or vomiting, swelling, itching, or difficulty breathing, contact your veterinarian immediately, as they may indicate an allergic reaction. In extremely rare situations, death can occur. To learn more, speak to your veterinarian to learn about the latest vaccine safety information, including rare adverse responses that could present themselves weeks or months after vaccination. Though vaccination is not without risk, failing to vaccinate may put your pet and your family at an even greater risk.

Why do kittens and puppies require a series of vaccinations?

These series of vaccinations are very important because puppies and kittens are highly susceptible to infectious diseases. Their mother’s milk provides natural immunity after they are born, but this immunity gradually wears off. In order to avoid gaps in disease protection during their first few months, our Ardmore vets recommend a series of vaccinations scheduled 3 – 4 weeks apart. For most young pets, the final vaccination in this series is often administered when the kitten or puppy is 12 to 16 weeks old.

Which vaccines should my pet receive?

The vaccines your pet receives all depend upon his or her lifestyle and risk of exposure to disease, geographic location, access to other animals, and whether they live indoors or outdoors. It’s certainly not necessary to vaccinate your pet with every vaccine that is available.

Vaccines are divided into “core” and “non-core” vaccines. “Core” vaccines are the ones that are generally recommended for most pets in a particular location. “Non-core” vaccines are reserved for those animals with unique needs. Our veterinarians will take into consideration all of these various factors and will customize a vaccination plan for your pet.

How often should my pet be vaccinated?

Your pet’s vaccination schedule will be determined by our veterinarian and will be customized to suit their needs. In most cases, for the first few years, annual vaccinations are normal and necessary for both cats and dogs. As veterinarians continue to learn more about diseases and animals’ immune systems, they are learning that certain vaccines provide protection beyond one year, while others do not. That’s why more than one successful vaccination schedule is possible.