Pet Vaccinations Are an Important Part of a Pet’s Well Being and Health
Prevention of serious infectious disease through pet vaccination has been practiced for many years. It is safe to state that no single achievement has had greater impact on the well being of pets and pet owners than the development and continual improvement in animal vaccines. Early vaccines did not provide the same safe and effective protection that we have today. This protection however has not come without certain side effects. In recent years, the scientific and veterinary medical community, have paid close attention to the theory that over vaccination may be occurring as a result of improvement in the duration of immunity that the current vaccine products are providing. Methods to measure that immune status have recently become available and cost effective.
The recommendation for choice of vaccines and the schedule for their administration is now made on an individual basis that depends upon the lifestyle of the animal, possible exposure to disease, and the amount of immunity measured by a test called a “titer.” If the testing determines that the pet has appropriate protection, vaccination will be delayed. With the current information available, it is reasonable to expect that most adult pets will require vaccination about every three years for most diseases. Puppies, kittens, and senior pets will require special consideration.
During your next veterinary appointment ask your veterinarian to run a “titer” test on your pet to determine if a vaccination is appropriate at this time.
In Dr. Gary Ailes’ book “Happy Tails-Hilarious Helpful Hints for Dog Owners” the section “How Not to Choose a Vet” gives the reader tips from the main charactor, Hank, on the differences between Dr. Vonhurtsalot and Dr. Gentlefingers.
Article written by Dr. Gary Ailes, Veterinarian
