Many pet owners question the need to have their beloved pets vaccinated, especially once they are adults, however keeping your pet up to date with vaccines is most certainly recommended by both the American Animal Hospital Association and your Veterinarians at Mclean Animal Hospital! Here are a few reasons why:
- The diseases we vaccinate against are still in our environment, putting both cats and dogs at risk. Even indoor cats can be exposed to dangerous viruses that can be brought into your home by you and your family! In the developed world in which we live, vaccines have helped to greatly decrease the prevalence of these diseases, however it is only through continuing to keep our pets vaccinated that these diseases can be kept at bay. In short, vaccines are one of the easiest ways to help your pet live a long and healthy life.
- Rabies is one of the core vaccines we give to all cats and dogs, and keeping your dog or cat up to date with this vaccine is a legal requirement. This is because rabies poses a serious risk to human health. Affecting all warm-blooded animals, there is no cure for rabies – it is a lethal disease. Unfortunately Canada is NOT one of the few countries that have eradicated rabies; therefore we must work to protect our pets, our neighbours, and ourselves. Even if your pet has not contracted rabies, if he or she were ever to bite someone, potentially when sick or scared or painful, if his/her rabies vaccine is not up-to-date, the incident would need to be reported to public health, which would then lead to serious issues involving quarantine and/or post-mortem autopsy. A simple vaccine can avert this entire headache.
- Veterinarians are often accused of vaccinating too frequently, and we certainly understand and appreciate your concern at McLean Animal Hospital. This is why we work with the most progressive protocols and safest vaccines available. For example, once your dog is an adult and has his/her puppy/kitten and 1-year vaccines properly administered, we then rotate between the core vaccines, in order to spread them out and minimize risk. For adult cats, we similarly give their main core vaccines every three years, but give them their rabies vaccine yearly, as this vaccine has been shown to be safer. Gone are the days where every pet got every vaccine every year. We truly care about what is best for your pet, and have taken steps to best ensure his/her health, as well as the health of the animal and human populations we live amongst.
If you have any questions about vaccinations for your pet, please do not be shy in calling us at 416-752-5114. We would enjoy the opportunity to talk more, and hopefully see your pet again soon!
