When looking for a vet clinic in the Los Angeles area that offers vaccines for dogs and cats, you should be able to count on superior care and excellent service. Here at Larchmont Animal Clinic, we have assembled an expert team of veterinary professionals to bring you the best possible healthcare for your pet.
Vaccine protocols differ depending on your pet's lifestyle and age. For instance, puppies receive initial protection against infectious diseases from their mother's milk as long as she has been regularly vaccinated. However this protection only last for a few weeks and so your new addition will need to be vaccinated from an early age. Many puppies or kittens will go to their new homes already having received their first vaccinations, but check with their former owner when you collect them. If they have not yet been vaccinated, we recommend that they get their first vaccinations done as soon as possible.
As a guideline, puppies and kittens should be vaccinated at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. Booster injections should then be given 12 months after the last set and annually thereafter.
Dog Vaccines:
- Leptospirosis: a bacteria based disease spread by infected water. It can cause fever, lethargy, vomiting, bloody diarrhea and jaundice. It can be treated by antibiotics but the bacteria can be harbored for months and their urine is a health hazard to humans and other dogs. Leptospirosis can be fatal in humans.
- Canine distemper virus: a virus spread by bodily fluids. There is no treatment and is generally fatal. Those who survive will have neurologic difficulties later in life.
- Canine parvovirus: spread by contact with infected feces. It mainly infects puppies but can be seen in older unvaccinated dogs. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. Without supportive treatment, 80% of dogs infected will die.
- Infection canine hepatitis: Infection is from contact with infected bodily fluids. The virus can survive in the environment for prolonged periods. There are two types of virus: a kennel cough type and a liver infection.
- Kennel Cough: this is a combination of parainfluenza and bordetella bronchiseptica. It causes a severe upper respiratory infection. It is found in places with a high turnover of dogs like dog parks, groomers, day care and kennels.
- Rabies: contrary to what some believe, rabies is present in California and all dogs should be vaccinated against this virus. It is uniformly fatal.
Cat Vaccines:
- Feline calicivirus: commonly know as the cat fly, it's symptoms include sneezing, fever, discharge from the nose and eyes, and mouth ulcers. It is spread through cat to cat contact, airborne contact, and contamination of the living environment.
- Feline herpes virus: spread by the saliva or discharge from the nose and eyes of infected cats. It can also survive in the environment. It's symptoms are similar to the "cat flu" including fever, sneezing, conjunctivitis, and eye discharge. Once infected, cats will harbor the infection for life and can have flare ups which are symptomatically treated.
- Feline infectious enteritis: spread by infected feces or urine. The virus attacks their immune system leaving the animal unable to fight infection. Pregnant cats can transmit the disease to their kittens. Symptoms include fever, seizures, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration.
- Feline leukemia virus: this is spread via close contact with an infected cat. Multi cat households are more at risk as are indoor/outdoor animals. Symptoms include poor body conition, anorexia, diarrhea and jaundice. The virus attacks the bone marrow which causes leukemia.
- Rabies: any cat that goes outside or travels should be vaccinated for rabies.
Please call us today to schedule an appointment to get your dog or cat vaccinated.