Vaccinations

Puppies and kittens, as well as adult pets, need regular vaccinations to help keep them healthy and to protect them from disease. But what is a vaccination? How does it work? And which vaccinations does your pet need?

We have provided the following information in an attempt to answer these questions.

The Basics:

We tend to think of vaccinations as a wall that will keep us from contracting a disease. However, when an animal is vaccinated, there are two major determinants of how well the vaccine works.

The first determinant is the vaccine itself. This is affected by the quality of the vaccine (is the vaccine any good to begin with?), handling of the vaccine (did the vaccine get warm during shipment or at any other time, rendering it ineffective?), and whether or not the vaccine was properly administered.

These factors are our responsibility. We ensure that we purchase quality vaccines from a reputable company, so that the product is sound and they are shipped using the correct protocols. We make certain the vaccines are immediately transferred into the refrigerator upon arrival, ensuring the viability of the product.

The second area concerns the individual cat or dog. Vaccines are designed to stimulate the immune system to recognize a disease so it may respond quickly if the puppy is exposed to the disease in the environment. If an animal is immunodeficient and the immune system does not function properly, then even the best vaccine in the world will not provide protection.

What is a vaccination?

A vaccine is a medication designed to help the body prepare itself to fight off a potential viral infection. Confused yet? A vaccine is given before a pet is sick, to help them get ready to fight off an infection that they might get.

A virus is a microscopic organism that invades the body. Viruses can work in many different ways, but the body usually responds by "getting sick." A fever is induced in an attempt to make things a little too warm for the virus to be comfortable.

Vomiting and diarrhea may occur as the body attempts to rid itself of the virus by flushing out the digestive system. The exact clinical signs relate to the specific virus, how it enters the body, and what kind of cells it attacks once it is inside.

The body's defense system creates T cell to fight off the infection. These T cell are designed specifically for the virus that is invading the body. While the body produces these customized soldiers, it tries to use the other methods discussed above to fight off the virus until its army is ready.

Unfortunately, the other measures can take their toll, especially in young or debilitated animals before the T cells have a chance to do their job.

With vaccinations, we help the body be ready to fight off a virus before it comes in contact with it.

A vaccination actually introduces a form of the virus we are trying to protect against into the body. Typically, the virus in the vaccination is either dead, or what is called a "modified live" vaccine. This means that the virus is alive, but it has been changed so that it cannot actually make the animal sick.

The body, however, responds like the virus is real, and begins to make T cells to combat it. This is why your pet may act lethargic (tired) after being vaccinated, because their body believes it is under attack by a real, live viral infection.

When the modified virus is defeated, the customized T cells for that virus remain in the body's ammunition store for a period of time. Then, if the pet comes in contact with the real virus, its body is ready to fight it off without having to go through the process of getting sick.

Some vaccinations only contain one type of virus or only virii of one certain disease, where other vaccinations can contain many different types of viruses.

Why do I have to revaccinate my pet?