Vaccinations at Rosemarie Pet Hospital
Vaccinations help pets to live healthier, more comfortable lives by building your pet's immunity against infections and viruses. Good pet owners know that seeking regular vaccinations for pets, including rabies shots, is the responsible thing to do.
Rosemarie Pet Hospital is a well-established clinic providing comprehensive veterinary services seven days a week to our community in Stockton, CA 95207. Vaccinations are an important part of our emphasis on preventative care.
Vaccination has protected the lives of millions of animals in the last 100 years according to the American Veterinary Medical Association.
Pet vaccines are created from killed or weakened disease organisms. When injected, they help your pet's immune system develop resistance to serious illnesses.
Sometimes called "core" shots, regularly scheduled vaccinations are ones that protect against major illnesses. These include legally mandated shots for rabies, a form of encephalitis that is deadly to pets and the people they bite. Rabies shots are standard for both cats and dogs.
Opinion sometimes varies about what qualifies as a core vaccination, but canine standards include vaccines for distemper (a nervous system infection), adenovirus (also called canine hepatitis), parvovirus (an intestinal ailment) and parainfluenza (a kind of kennel cough). Often, these vaccines are grouped into one DHPP shot.
Examples of core cat vaccinations include feline distemper (affects digestion and other body systems) as well as rhinotracheitis virus and calicivirus, both of which cause upper respiratory illness. Put together all three and you have an FVRCP shot.
Non-core vaccinations include shots for illnesses particular to a pet's lifestyle or the region where it lives. Regarding location and pets that spend lots of time in wild areas, one non-core example would be a vaccination for tick-borne Lyme disease.
Bordetella is a non-core shot that veterinarians usually recommend for dogs and cats that spend time in commercial kennels. Similar to parinfluenza, it causes respiratory trouble and is often called kennel cough.
Timing & Side Effects
You may wonder how often to get your pet vaccinated. The timing between shots depends on the duration of each vaccine. Some are necessary in less than a year or once a year. Others may last for more than a year.
If you have a puppy or kitten, vaccination begins when it is about 8 weeks old. Booster shots follow at about every four weeks until your pet is 20 weeks old. At Rosemarie Pet Hospital, we will help you keep track of your pet's vaccination schedule.
As to side effects, a brief period of fatigue and reduced appetite are common along with some soreness at the injection site.
Hours & Appointments
Our clinic is open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To set an appointment, please feel free to call us at 209-957-8387 or send us an email. We look forward to meeting you as well as your cat, dog and any other pets in your family!