Want to Help Give Your Pet a Long, Healthy Life? Vaccinate It!

I remember well the first weeks with Boomer as puppy. He was irresistibly cute and endlessly rambunctious, especially when he would bark at himself in the mirror! I was so proud of his fluffy adorableness, and I couldn’t wait to introduce him to the world. But I had to wait, because I knew that new puppies (and kittens) are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases that can make them extremely sick. Thankfully, those illnesses are preventable—as long as I made sure Boomer was properly vaccinated.

Boomer’s veterinarian guided us through the process, developing an immunization schedule made for his specific breed, size and living situation. The veterinarian explained how all pets—even those that remain inside and have little exposure to other animals—should be vaccinated against diseases like rabies, parvovirus, and E.coli. That’s because we can’t always control our animals the way we think we can: wildlife and even neighbors’ pets can find their way into our spaces and pass along diseases. There are also state laws requiring certain vaccines like rabies for all pets, including cats.

Vaccinations are a proven, safe way to avoid disease and maintain overall health. Widespread use of vaccines in the past 100 years has prevented death and disease in people and animals. The entire point is to prevent suffering, because once your pet is sick, it will suffer. Plus, care will be more expensive, and the disease could even be fatal.  Prevention of disease is job one in both animal and human health.

Veterinarians use different vaccines to inoculate against different diseases, and not all animals are prone to the same diseases. Responsible pet owners work with their veterinarians to determine the best vaccine regimen for your pet, and the American Veterinary Medical Association also provides helpful information.

On this World Vaccination Day, AHI celebrates the inarguable success of vaccinations. These medicines save countless lives and prevent suffering in humans and animals alike. Boomer and I are proud to live in a world where deadly diseases don’t have a fighting chance against the power of immunizations.

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