Whether it is our pet dog or pet cat, they need medication attention too. Vaccination plays an important role in protecting the pet from several known and unknown diseases. They have their own vaccination schedules that need to be followed properly. Our pet can carry several viruses and infections from the outside world to inside the house. They can even get the virus when they come into contact with our dogs or cats. Hence it is important to have their routine check-up and give them proper vaccination to keep the diseases away. We have listed the important vaccinations that your pet needs to be safe and healthy. Please find the below details;

Vaccinations for cats

Rabies- It is important for a cat to be vaccinated for Rabies as this disease has no cure.

Panleukopenia /Feline Distemper- This is the same as Distemper virus disease. The vaccination for this is a must. The first dose could be done within the first 6-8 weeks.

Feline Herpesvirus or Leukemia Virus- This virus can be spread from an infected cat to a healthy cat. Hence it is important to have the vaccination for your cat.

Calicivirus- It is a respiratory infection disease. This disease can also spread from one cat to another.

Bordetella- This vaccination is a must for both cats and dogs. You can start the vaccination when your pet has completed 4 weeks and can go for an annual booster after that.

Vaccinations for dogs

Rabies- It is a core dog vaccination. Rabies is a major concern and has no cure. Hence it is important for your dog to be properly vaccinated for Rabies. You can start the Rabies vaccination when the dog is around 3 months old. After one year of the first rabies vaccination, the second vaccination of Rabies 1-year will be required. Once that is completed, you will be advised to go for vaccination of Rabies 3-year. This vaccination will be done once every three years.

Adenovirus-1 & Adenovirus-2 – It is a core dog vaccination. Your dog needs to be vaccinated for both Adenovirus-1 and Adenovirus-2 in his initial months which is generally between 6-16 months. A total of three doses are required for each vaccine.  After that, a one-year vaccine will be required for both and then you can continue the once in a three-year schedule.

Parvovirus- It is a core dog vaccination. The first three doses of Parvovirus should be between 6-16 weeks of your dog’s age. Once that is completed, one vaccination will be required after one year and then once every three years.

Distemper – It is a core dog vaccination. Distemper mainly affects mammals and dogs are one of them. It can completely damage the brain and attack internal organs. It is important to have your dog vaccinated for Distemper. The first three doses should be between the first 6-16 weeks of your dog and after one year, you can continue getting your dog vaccinated every three years.

Parainfluenza- Coughing is a main symptom of Parainfluenza. It can also cause fever. Parainfluenza vaccination is important to be done on a regular basis until the dog turns 16 weeks old. It is recommended to get the doses every 2-3 weeks until the dog completes its 16 weeks. After that one yearly booster is required and then you can continue the once in a three-year cycle.

Bordetella – This vaccination can be done either by a nose spray or by injection. Mostly the intranasal vaccination is given only once but the injection is required to be given twice for the dog. The gap between the first and second injection should be 2-4 weeks only. Here the booster is recommended to be done every 6-12 months.

Lyme Disease- It is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. The doses for Lyme disease vaccination are required as around 2 doses within 12-16 weeks. The gap between both doses should be 2-3 weeks, after that the annual booster is required.

Some other vaccines include the Canine influenza vaccine which is not recommended for every dog. It totally depends on the lifestyle of the dog. The vaccine can prevent the canine influenza virus from affecting the dog. Another vaccine i.e., the Giardia vaccine is available for both dogs and cats to fight problems related to stomach /giardia. One more vaccine which is known as the Leptospirosis vaccine is not necessary but if your dog usually goes outside, we would advise this vaccination. It can be given from 8 or 9 weeks. And an annual booster after one year.