A pet that is not vaccinated is susceptible to a number of highly contagious illnesses. That’s why our Davison veterinarian, Dr. Dunckel, recommends that all pets stay up-to-date on life-saving pet vaccinations. We offer the full kitten/ puppy shot series, in addition to regular boosters to maintain your pet’s immunity against contagious illnesses throughout his or her life.

Pet Vaccinations Important for Puppy and Kitten Care, Pet Senior Care

If you have recently welcomed a new pet into your family, we invite you to visit our animal hospital in Davison to receive a wellness exam and pet vaccinations. As part of our puppy and kitten care program, we offer the puppy/kitten shot series. Young animals receive initial immunization protection from their mother’s milk. Once a young animal is weaned, however, this protection fades. Since a young animal’s immune system is still developing, a series of regular booster shots will provide ongoing immunization protection until the immune system fully matures.

Our Davison veterinarian recommends that your puppy or kitten begin the shot series as soon as they are adopted, between 8-12 weeks. The puppy and kitten care shot series should continue until the pet reaches 18-20 weeks of age. Please note that these are generalized age suggestions; our vet will make specific shot recommendations based on your young pet’s age and wellness needs.

He also recommends that all dogs and cats stay up to date on rabies and core vaccinations. For dogs, canine core vaccinations include distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza and parvovirus. Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, we may also recommend leptospirosis, coronavirus and bordetella vaccinations. For cats, we recommend the feline core vaccination series, which protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus infection and panleukopenia (feline distemper). All cats, including indoor cats, should be vaccinated against these illnesses.

Regular vaccinations should continue throughout your pet’s life. From puppy and kitten care to pet senior care, vaccinations protect your pet from illness. These shots are just as important in older pets with weaker immune systems as they are in young puppies and kittens. Illnesses like bordetella, distemper and parvo are easily spread between animals. Since many of these illnesses may not cause symptoms until several days after infection, it is possible that your pet may interact with an infected pet that appears perfectly healthy. A trip to the dog park, an overnight stay at a boarding facility, or even a quick visit to the grooming salon could turn put your pet at risk if your pet is not protected.

Vaccinations are safe and extremely effective at preventing illness. Treating illnesses like parvo can be expensive and difficult. Treatments may include IVs to prevent dehydration and advanced pain management. The best way to avoid this costly veterinary care is to vaccinate your pet so he does not get sick. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Dunckel regarding your pet’s vaccinations schedule, please contact our office at 810-653-3988 today.