Preventative Dog Care
Keeping your dog healthy is our number one priority! We recommend vaccinations based on your pet’s lifestyle and follow the latest recommendations for vaccine intervals. The core vaccines we recommend are:
Distemper
- Distemper is a disease caused by a virus that attacks a dogs respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems
- Infection is airborne (through coughing or sneezing) from another infected dog or wild animals (foxes, raccoons, skunks) or by shared food & water bowls
- Mothers can pass the virus to their puppies
- There is no cure for canine distemper infection. It is often fatal or causes permanent nervous system damage.
Parvovirus
- Virus that affects the gastrointestinal tract and white blood cells
- Spread from dog to dog by contact with contaminated feces, bowls, hands & clothing of people handling the infected dogs
- Can affect all dogs but puppies younger than 4 months old and unvaccinated dogs are at the highest risk
Rabies
- Viral disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of mammals
- Infectious virus that can be transmitted from infected animal to humans via saliva from bite, open wounds or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth)
- Pets are required to be Rabies vaccinated by law
- Raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes are also susceptible to rabies
- Rabies is a fatal disease
The non-core vaccines we recommend are:
Bordetella
- Highly contagious to other dogs
- Symptoms: dry, “honking” cough, nasal discharge
- Can spread through the air, especially in close quarters such as a kennel or grooming facility, directly from dog to dog or through contaminated objects
- Dogs that go boarding, grooming, to dog parks or are in contact with many other dogs should be vaccinated
Leptospirosis
- Disease caused by an infection with leptospira bacteria
- Can be spread from animals to people
- Dogs can be exposed by drinking from dormant water sources such as puddles, lakes, streams, etc that wildlife could have infected (it is spread through their urine)
- Dogs that are exposed to the outdoors often (hiking, etc) should be vaccinated
Lyme
- Transmitted through tick bites, the disease can be difficult to detect and can cause serious and recurring health problems.
- Lyme disease symptoms in dogs: lameness, fever, lethargy, swollen joints, enlarged lymph nodes & loss of appetite.
- Dogs that are exposed to the outdoors often should be vaccinated.
Preventative Cat Care
Keeping your cat healthy is our number one priority! We recommend vaccinations based on your pet’s lifestyle and follow the latest recommendations for vaccine intervals. The core vaccines we recommend are:
Feline Distemper (panleukopenia)
- Very contagious viral disease
- Affects bone marrow and intestinal cells
- Commonly seen in kittens
- Cats can become infected through urine, stool, nasal secretions, people handling, clothing, bedding, etc.
Rabies
- Viral disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of mammals
- Infectious virus that can be transmitted from infected animal to humans via saliva from bite, open wounds or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth)
- Pets are required to be Rabies vaccinated by law
- Raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes are also susceptible to rabies
- Rabies is a fatal disease
The non-core vaccines we recommend are:
Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV)
- Cats that go outdoors should get this vaccine
- Affects the immune system
- Shed in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces and blood