{"id":240,"date":"2022-01-09T13:00:30","date_gmt":"2022-01-09T13:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ledburyvets.co.uk\/news\/?p=240"},"modified":"2022-01-10T17:44:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-10T17:44:23","slug":"theimportanceofvaccinations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ledburyvets.co.uk\/news\/theimportanceofvaccinations\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of vaccinations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you ever wonder why your pet needs its annual boosters?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at why <\/span><\/b>annual visits are important for your pet.<\/span><\/b>\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re probably aware that when you get a puppy or kitten, you\u2019re going to need to visit the vet for vaccinations, flea and tick prevention and other treatments. However, to maintain your pet\u2019s health and wellbeing, regular trips to the vets are recommended. Annual vaccinations or boosters are important to protect your pet against preventable diseases and discomfort. Here we explore some of the common questions, and myths, around the annual visit for vaccination\u2026\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

My pet only had its primary vaccines, <\/span><\/b>is that okay<\/span><\/b>?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a misunderstanding amongst some pet owners, that following the vaccination, pets are protected against diseases for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, that isn\u2019t the case and can cause the expense of their puppy or kitten\u2019s health and, in extreme cases, the loss of a pet.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some clients may have the misconception that an annual vaccination is <\/span>just for the commercial benefit of the pharmaceutical company or vet<\/span> – a<\/span>gain, this <\/span>isn\u2019t true.<\/span> Your pet should be vaccinated as a puppy and then get regular boosters throughout their life.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do vaccines work?\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you know, vaccines<\/span>\u202f<\/span>do<\/span><\/b>n\u2019<\/span><\/b>t<\/span><\/b> actually<\/span><\/b>\u202ffight diseases themselves<\/span>?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Vaccines stimulate the immune system of pets to produce antibodies. Then, if your pet <\/span>comes into contact with <\/span>a virus or disease, it will be recognised by its immune system and protected against infection by the antibodies the vaccine produced.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The body will produce different levels of protection for varying lengths of time, and therefore the response to individual vaccines will vary hugely. As an example, the Leptospirosis vaccination provides one year of immunity, which is much shorter than the Distemper vaccination that delivers three years of immunity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Due to varying immunity periods, not all aspects of the core vaccines are included each year. Some parts are included annually, every three year<\/span>s<\/span> or even every five years, which is why the annual vaccination is <\/span>recommended<\/span>.<\/span> Pet owners must not worry about \u2018over-vaccinating\u2019 an animal – vets <\/span>vaccinate <\/span>according to the treatment they had the previous year.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What do vaccinations protect my pet from?\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are four main diseases that pets are vaccinated against. These are:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n