Immunizations

How often does my pet need to come in for his/her vaccinations?

Young Pets

~ Puppies and kittens are seen multiple times at 2-4 week intervals beginning between 6 and 8 weeks of age until they are 14-16 weeks old. The exact timing will depend on your pet’s health status, breed, lifestyle and age at time of first visit.

~ These repeated vaccinations are given to help protect the immature animals from common diseases. Most puppies and kittens are not born with immunity to these diseases. They receive this immunity from their mother during the first few days of life through the first milk called colostrum. This immunity is designed to last only long enough for the young animal to make its own antibodies. 

~ If we give the vaccine while the mother’s immunity is still present, that vaccine will be inactivated by the mother’s immunity before it can stimulate the young animal to produce its own antibodies. By administering multiple vaccinations 2-4 weeks apart we can increase the chances that the young animal is protected, since each animal may have differing immunity levels from its mother.

Adult Pets

~ Immunizations will be given based on your pet’s lifestyle, life stage and previous vaccination history.

~ Due to recent advances in the vaccine industry we now have products that are safer and more efficacious. This means that certain vaccinations can now be given at a three year interval. Some vaccines however, still need to be administered more frequently. Please refer to the specific canine and feline vaccination pages for more information.

Why does my pet need to have an exam with its vaccinations?

Our patient’s health is very important to us, therefore we want to make sure they are well enough to receive their vaccines. If a pet receives vaccinations when it is not feeling well, the pet is less likely to have an immune response to the vaccine. For this reason, we want our patient’s vaccines to be on the same day as the wellness exam or close to it.