Just like humans, animals need immunization shots to prevent infections from harmful and often fatal diseases. The vaccinations our veterinary hospital offers are very effective methods of preventing disease.
How often does my pet need vaccines?
Some vaccines for our pets need to be done every year, and others do not. This depends on many factors including:
- the type of vaccine being used
- the species of the animal
- the potential for the individual pet's exposure to the disease
- the comfort level of the pet owner and the veterinarian to vaccinate less often than is indicated on vaccine labels.
An example of a vaccine that we recommend annually is the yearly feline rabies vaccine. A three year vaccine is available and some veterinarians still use it. However, the adjuvants that have been added to these three year rabies vaccines have come under suspicion of stimulating cancer development in some cats. Therefore, we use the yearly rabies vaccine for our cat patients. Dogs do not seem susceptible to this possible cause of cancer, so we recommend the three year rabies vaccine for our dog patients who have been previously vaccinated for rabies.
Dr. Johnson discusses with our pet owners their pets lifestyle and exposure risk, and tailors an individual vaccine plan to follow. Have further questions? We welcome your questions! Please feel free to call us at 757-355-5694 for additional information, or stop by and visit us as Birdneck Animal Hospital, 508 N Birdneck Rd., Ste C, Virginia Beach, VA 23451.