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Pet Vaccinations You Should Know About

November 28, 2016 by Mary Telesz

Pet VaccinationsWhile vaccinations for pets — like those for humans — have become increasingly controversial, the truth is that certain vaccines are absolutely necessary for your dog or cat’s health and well-being. They may also be required for your pet to be boarded at a kennel or be taken care of by a pet sitter. So which vaccinations should your pet be receiving? It depends on a number of factors, such as where you live and how much time your pet spends outdoors. Here are a list of the pet vaccinations you should know about to keep your beloved pooch or feline as healthy as possible.

Rabies

When it comes to rabies, prevention is the only option. Rabies is usually fatal to dogs and cats who contract it, and it isn’t always possible to prevent a bite from an infected animal. Because rabies can easily be spread, it is a significant public health concern. For this reason, many states require both cats and dogs to be vaccinated against rabies. This vaccine is considered a core vaccine for pets.

For dogs, there are two options for the rabies vaccine: a one year dose and a three year dose. The one year dose can be administered to a puppy as young as three months, with a booster shot after one year. After that, your dog can move to a schedule of receiving a rabies shot every three years. Check with your veterinarian to determine how old your dog must be to get the three year dosage.

For cats, the first vaccine can be administered when they are 3 months old. After the initial vaccination, a booster shot should be given at one year. After that, your cat can get a vaccine every three years, just like dogs.

Distemper

a dog getting his annual shots at the vetThere are two types of distemper: canine distemper and feline distemper. Both are extremely contagious viral diseases, related to the virus that causes measles. Distemper spreads through the air, and it can attack your pet’s body, causing a variety of symptoms such as runny nose, lack of appetite, vomiting, seizures and even paralysis. There is no cure for canine distemper, although some dogs do recover. Feline distemper is also known as panleukopenia, and it can be fatal to cats. This vaccine is considered a core vaccine, given the ease with which distemper can spread and the serious and potentially deadly nature of the disease.

For dogs, the distemper vaccine is given as part of a combination vaccine at 6, 9, 12 and 15 weeks. Your dog will receive an annual booster at one year old and every year after. Cats will receive the first vaccine as young as 6 weeks of age, and then get an additional shot every 3 or 4 weeks until they are 16 weeks old. They will then receive a yearly booster.

Core Vaccines

Core vaccines are those that are considered critical to your pet’s health. In some states, these vaccines may be required by law. In addition to rabies and distemper for both dogs and cats, there are several other core vaccines that your pet should receive.

Dogs should receive vaccinations against hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. These vaccines are administered in combination with distemper to young puppies in a shot known DHPP. Cats should receive a number of vaccines as well, including the FVRCP vaccine, which protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Distemper, also known as Panleukopenia) and the Feline Leukemia Virus (FELV) vaccine. These shots should be a part of every pet owners’ plan to protect their dog or cat’s health and well-being.

Optional Vaccines for Dogs

In addition to the core vaccines, your dog may also benefit from vaccinations that address specific concerns based on where you live and your dog’s exposure to certain environmental factors.

an owner finding a tick on her dogIf you live in an area with lots of ticks and your dog spends time outdoors or in the woods, consider getting a vaccine for Lyme Disease for your dog. If ticks are not a concern, but you live in an area known for rattlesnakes, you should consider a rattlesnake vaccine. Anyone who boards their dogs may want (or be required) to get a bordetella vaccine for their dogs. Bordetella is also known as kennel cough and it can lead to severe respiratory symptoms, including coughing and even pneumonia. You should also talk to your veterinarian about the leptospirosis vaccine. This infection is spread through infected urine, and it can be fatal if it is present. Because infection rates of this virus have dropped, most vets only recommend getting this vaccine if there is a local outbreak.

Optional Vaccines for Cats

Every cat owner should make sure that their kitty gets the core vaccines to protect them from the most common and fatal types of infections. You may also want to consider additional vaccines for your cat, such as the feline immunodeficiency virus (the feline version of HIV), virulent calicivirus Vaccine (a rare disease that does not spread easily), feline chlamydia felis Vaccine (for cats who come into contact with other cats who may have this disease) and Feline bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine (for young cats living in large, multiple cat environments).

For More Information on Pet Vaccinations

Keeping your pet safe is one of your responsibilities as a pet owner. Talk to your veterinarian today to learn more about the best vaccines for your dog or cat. Contact Paw Pals Pet Sitting today.

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Centreville – 20120, 20121
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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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