We strongly believe that vaccines are a necessary part of preventative care but there are some important things to consider in this matter.
1. Your pet’s lifestyle dictates exposure. Not every vaccine is appropriate or necessary for every pet. We prefer to follow minimal vaccination guidelines and strongly consider your pet’s lifestyle when it comes to making recommendations about non core vaccinations.
2. We prefer to separate vaccines for smaller animals to minimize the risk of any potential reaction. Although reactions are rare, they can happen and we make every effort to avoid any issue.
3. Vaccines are ALWAYS done with or shortly after an exam. It is extremely important to examine and assess the health of any patient before vaccinating them, no matter how young. We find abnormalities on patient exams on a daily basis and it is critical that these things be addressed. There are times where we have determined patients to not be healthy enough to be vaccinated.
4. Not all vaccines are created equal. Our medical management team researches each vaccine that we use, and select only the ones we find appropriate your pets (and ours!). For example, we carry Merial’s Purevax Feline Rabies vaccine because it has been proven to be safer for cats than the tradition canine/feline Rabies vaccines.
5. For the most part, vaccines in animals are given subcutaneously (meaning under the skin) so they do not usually cause as much discomfort as people feel while getting vaccinated. We also make every effort to distract your beloved pet with love, scratches, and food to keep them from noticing the vaccine at all!
