Pet Vaccinations - Why Your Pet Needs Them?

Pet Vaccinations - Why Your Pet Needs Them?

Pets are family and like any family member, they require proper care, nourishment and attention. A newborn child is given vaccinations in order to protect him from diseases such as polio and measles. Similarly pets need to be vaccinated on a regular basis in order to prolong their life and shield them from life threatening diseases.

Cats and dogs make up a majority of the pet population. Both are prone to certain diseases that can prove to be fatal and even get passed on to humans. Hence proper vaccination is extremely important.

Vaccinations What are they?

A general opinion among pet owners regarding vaccines is that they are a preventative drug administered to counter the development of a disease. In point of fact, vaccinations are actually injections of the very diseases a pet is prone to albeit with some modifications by the drug manufacturing company. The diseases are injected in small doses.

Types of Vaccines How they work?

There are basically two types of vaccinations:

Modified Live Vaccine

Killed Vaccine

A modified live vaccine is the actual disease being injected into the pet in a very small amount. This disease is modified by the vaccine manufacturer as to not spread into the pet and become a disease. Once the disease is injected into the blood stream, the pet's immune system will recognize it as a threat and will start working on ways to counter it. It does so by creating antibodies to fight it off. These antibodies last anywhere from six months to a year after which it is time for another vaccination shot.

A killed vaccine is when the virus itself has been killed before any injection occurs.

Common Pet Diseases that Require Vaccination

The following vaccines protect a pet from a variety of diseases:

Rabies Arguably the most commonly talked about vaccine. This disease is fatal not only to the pet but for humans as well. It is transmitted from pets to humans through saliva and bites. Some common signs of rabies in a pet are aggression, excessive salivation and erratic behavior.

Canine Distemper This is another very dangerous disease as it can cause your pet to become hostile. Canine distemper is caused by a virus that attacks the body and damages the pets' central nervous system, thereby affecting their behavior. This disease has a mortality rate of almost 50% and mainly effects middle aged dogs.

Hepatitis Not to be confused with human hepatitis, this is a life threatening viral diseases. It is transmitted through urine, feces or saliva. Dogs of all ages are prone to it. Luckily though it is not contagious and cannot be passed on to humans.

These are just a few of the diseases that your pet can potentially contract at any time in their life. It is therefore imperative that your schedule an appointment with a veterinarian to discuss your pet's current health and lay out a specific vaccination plan to ensure that the pet lives a healthy and happy life.

POST COMMENT

Cats Are Very Self Governing Animals And They Are Fine Pets. Birding Trips In Cape Town How to Remove Bird Droppings From Your Car Pelagic Birding From Cape Town Use of different bird control method to scare away birds A Diverse Mix Of Scenic And Birding Delights Within Seven Spectacular Habitat Types Tips For Pet Portraits Cape Town To Kruger Birding Tours Tips For Buying Pet Products A Short History Of Sock Puppets The Effects of Dog Diets on Dog Outputs Australia's Top 5 Animals To Avoid Tips on how to administer pet meds