20 May Basic Vaccinations for Your Pet (Dogs and Cats)
Vaccines offer simple, effective, safe, and cost-efficient protection against diseases. They use an organism’s natural immune system to build immunity against certain diseases and prevent re-infection. It is a safe and ingenious way of provoking a response from a person’s immune system, and depending on what vaccine it is, its protection can last for years or even decades. A vaccine is important because rather than acting as a cure, it acts as a prevention against diseases. Your pet needs and deserves the same level of protection against diseases as you, which is why vaccinating them is so important. Here are some basic pet vaccinations your pet should get:
Basic Vaccinations for Your Dogs
Basic or core vaccines are essential, as they prevent severe diseases, and reduce the risk of exposure and the risk of spread of disease from dogs to dogs/other humans. They are also mandatory if you ever wish to move to a foreign country, as most countries require pets to have their basic vaccinations completed before import. These are as follows:
- Canine Parvovirus
- Canine Distemper
- Hepatitis
- Rabies
- Leptospirosis
Non-Core Vaccines for Your Dog
- Bordetella
- Canine Influenza (Dog flu)
- Lyme vaccine
Dog Vaccination Schedule
While you should always consult your vet for an accurate schedule, here is the average schedule for dog vaccinations:
- 6-7 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Bordetella
- 9-10 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Bordetella, Leptospirosis
- 12-13 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Leptospirosis, Canine Influenza*, Lyme Disease
- 15-17 weeks: Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, Rabies, Canine Influenza, Lyme Disease
*Canine influenza and Lyme Vaccinations are prescribed based on the lifestyle of the dog.
Dog Vaccination Schedule/Effectiveness
Once your puppy has all its basic vaccinations done, your vet can prescribe a vaccination schedule for your adult dog. This typically consists of boosters for the Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza which were given as puppies. It is recommended to get booster doses for their Rabies, Leptospirosis, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza. In addition, if necessary, the Canine Influenza and Lyme vaccines, which depend upon your dog’s lifestyle and the vet’s prescription.
Vaccines are effective for a certain time period before a booster or fresh shot is required. Here are the effectivity periods of dog vaccinations:
- Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza: 3 years
- Rabies: 3 years
- Leptospirosis: 1 year
- Canine Influenza: 1 year
- Lyme Disease: 1 year
- Bordetella: 1 year
Basic Vaccinations for Your Cats
As is the case with humans and dogs, basic or core vaccines for your cat are essential and crucial in making sure they grow up healthy and disease-free. While you should always discuss the mandatory vaccinations for your cat with your vet, the following are commonly recommended as basic vaccinations for your cat. These are as follows:
- Panleukopenia
- Rhinotracheitis
- Calicivirus
- Rabies
- Feline Leukemia
Cat Vaccination Schedule/Effectiveness
Cat vaccinations depend on a few factors, such as whether the cat has any medical conditions from birth, or if the cat is living indoors only or outdoors as well. As always, you should get in touch with your vet to plan out an exact schedule. That being said, here is an estimated schedule for an indoor house cat:
- 6-10 Weeks Old: FVRCP (feline distemper)
- 11-14 Weeks Old: FVRCP (feline distemper), FeLV (feline leukemia)
- 15+ Weeks Old: FVRCP (feline distemper), FeLV (feline leukemia), rabies vaccine
