August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) but that doesn’t just mean people should be heading to their primary care physicians and seeking out any immunizations or vaccinations they may need to protect their health and wellness.
Your pets – dogs and cats particularly – need regular vaccinations as well, and there’s no better time than the NIAM to make sure that your furry little family members are up-to-date on all of their shots.
Dogs
Dogs of all ages are going to need a Rabies vaccination, and depending on whether or not you move forward with a one year or a three year vaccination it may be time for Fido to have his annual booster.
Distemper vaccines and parvovirus vaccines should also be administered on a three-year basis, and it’s not a bad idea to consider moving forward with a Lyme disease vaccination ahead of the annual start of tick season which comes later in the fall and will carry through to the spring.
Canine influenza vaccinations are recommended to be administered on an annual basis as well, with these shots being spread out over two different injections anywhere between two and four weeks apart.
Cats
Depending on where you live, your cat is going to need a rabies vaccination either every year or every three years – and state regulations are also going to dictate and determine the frequency as well as the specific type of booster necessary, too.
Feline distemper vaccinations are available on an annual or three-year basis, with feline herpes virus vaccinations available on that same schedule. It’s not a bad idea to space both of these vaccinations out by a couple of weeks, giving your cat one of them at the beginning of the month and the other at the end.
Feline leukemia vaccinations are recommended every two years for those that are at low risk for this disease and annually for those with higher risk factors. Bordetella disease vaccinations are also recommended to be administered annually.
NIAM does a great job at raising awareness for the kinds of vaccinations your pet may need. Contact us today to discuss which boosters your 4-legged loved ones require to live a long, happy, and healthy life!
References
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/general-pet-care/vaccinations-your-pet
https://pets.webmd.com/pet-vaccines-schedules-cats-dogs
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/vaccinating-your-pet/