VACCINATIONS
WHAT ARE VACCINES?
Vaccinations are a crucial component in your pet's health and well-being, providing them with the necessary protection against contagious and even lethal diseases. While the Rabies vaccination is required by state law, there are a number of other vaccinations that help protect pets from infection.
The primary purpose of a vaccine is to stimulate the immune system to produce protective antibodies against a specific infection. The antibodies formed offer protection in case of real exposure to the infection. The goal of a vaccination program is to safely deliver a vaccine that produces a strong and lasting immune response. All vaccines contain antigens. Antigens are substances that stimulate the immune system. The antigens found in most vaccines are viruses and bacteria. For purposes of vaccination, the viruses and bacteria are modified in different ways to provide protection without causing disease. There are three general types of vaccinations used in veterinary medicine.
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Killed Vaccines
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Modified Live Vaccines
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Recombinant Vaccines
Killed Vaccines
Killed vaccines contain inactivated antigens to reduce the antigens' disease-causing ability.
Modified Live Vaccines
Modified live vaccines contain live viruses that have been genetically altered to stimulate the immune system without causing disease. The benefit of a modified live vaccine is that it more closely mimics an actual infection, resulting in a stronger immune response.
Recombinant Vaccines
Recombinant vaccines contain only the immune stimulating pieces of viruses or bacteria.
WHY ARE VACCINES NECESSARY?
Vaccines help protect pets by equipping their immune systems with the tools necessary to fight off infections. Many diseases are species-specific, requiring different vaccinations for cats and dogs. We offer the latest vaccinations for both cats and dogs to help our patients live healthy and full lives.
DOG VACCINATIONS
Rabies
RABIES
The Rabies vaccination is required by law in the State of Indiana. Rabies is a lethal zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted between humans and animals. Rabies is spread from the bite of an infected animal.
DAPP-L
DAPP-L
The DAPP-L vaccination protects against Distemper, Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza virus, and Leptospirosis. These diseases are very contagious and are easily transmissible between dogs, and often have lethal prognoses, making it a necessary core vaccination. Leptospirosis has traditionally not been considered a core vaccine, but because of its zoonotic nature and its increased prevalence, the Leptospirosis vaccination is highly encouraged.
BORDETELLA
BORDETELLA
Bordetella, also known as "kennel cough," is a highly contagious and lethal disease easily spread in community settings. Even though Bordetella isn't a core vaccine, it's strongly recommended and often required for boarding facilities, grooming, dog parks, training facilities, and any other settings where dogs will be in close contact with each other. Because of the disease's highly infectious nature, the Bordetella vaccine is a tremendous help in protecting our canine friends.
LYME
LYME
The Lyme vaccination protects against Lyme disease. Lyme disease is transmitted from the bite of an infected tick. While this is not a core vaccine, we encourage dogs living in highly wooded areas or who are frequently outdoors to get this vaccine as we are seeing more & more species of ticks that carry this disease.
CANINE INFLUENZA
CANINE INFLUENZA
While the Canine Influenza vaccine isn't considered a core vaccine, we encourage this vaccination for dogs that are highly sociable and attend daycare, grooming, boarding facilities, and dog parks. There are currently two strains of Canine Influenza, H3N8 & H3N2. Our vaccine protects against both strains.
CAT VACCINATIONS
RABIES
RABIES
The Rabies vaccination is required by law in the State of Indiana. Because Rabies is such a deadly and communicable disease that's easily spread between humans and animals, the Rabies vaccination is required even for indoor cats.
FVRCP
FVRCP
The FVRCP vaccination stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia. The FVRCP vaccine is also known as the feline distemper vaccine, a combination vaccine that protects against multiple diseases. This is considered a core vaccine because of the significant dangers these diseases pose for our feline companions.
FVRCP + FELEUK
fvrcp + feleuk
The FVRCP vaccination stands for Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia. FeLeuk stands for Feline Leukemia Virus. This combination vaccine has the added benefit of protecting our feline friends from Feline Leukemia, which is easily spread via the saliva or nasal secretions of infected cats and has potentially lethal results. While this is not considered a core vaccine, we highly suggest this vaccine for any cats that may be outdoors or come in contact with feral cats.
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SCHEDULE A VACCINE APPOINTMENT TODAY!
TESTIMONIAL
"I have a six minute voicemail on my phone from Dr. Carter explaining things in detail, very nice mannered. When I go in, I have never met a Vet like him before. Have you heard the saying "I'll talk your head off...."? That's him. He is patient, is kind, and knows his information. He even tells me things he does for his dogs."
MARYRAE / NEXTDOOR.COM