Hey! What’s cookin’, good lookin’? If your pet doesn’t have shots, chances are they could be cookin’ up some claw-ful disease like parvo or lepto or distemper.
Imma get right to the point: vaccinations are super important for pets, even those snooty ones that stay indoors all the time like some furry Cleo-catra. And we’re talkin’ about more than just rabies, ya’ll!
So my cat-mom Doc Bell says that there are two kinds of shots for pets: core and non-core. Core is the stuff you pet has gotta have—either the law says so or the disease it’s preventin’ is meaner than a two-headed snake.
Non-core vaccinations are the ones maybe your pet should have ‘cause of how they’re livin’— like maybe they go outside or are around other dogs or cats a lot.
Since I like stretchin’ out on the keyboard whenever people are on the computer, I managed to cut and paw-ste this list of vaccinations so you can see what your fur-kid should have:
Core Vaccinations
- Rabies (dogs and cats)
- DA2PPV – Distemper, Hepatitis, Adenovirus 2, Parvo and Parainfluenza (dogs)
- FVRCP – Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (cats)
Non-Core Vaccinations
- FIV – feline immunodeficiency virus (cats)
- FeLV – feline leukemia (cats)
- CIV – canine influenza (dogs)
- Bordetella (dogs)
- Leptospirosis (dogs and cats)
The best way to make paws-itively sure your pets have up-to-date vaccines so they don’t go belly-up is to get them in for a yearly exam. The vet can then check for parasites too, which you may remember almost sent me to that big empty cardboard box in the sky before Doc Bell found me.
If you have questions about vaccinations or want to schedule an appointment for your pet, give us a call at 205-486-4500.
Purrs & Kisses – Bugsy
Bugsy is Dr. Bell’s country cat that she found near death while driving around on her property. Because she was saved, Bugsy has now decided to dedicate her remaining eight lives to educating people about how to care for their animal family members and tormenting Jake.