Vaccines – critical for preventive medicine

2015-08-26


Currently we are focusing on educating our pet owners as well as our Lawndale team members about vaccinations.  While we could get bogged down in the details of all the different diseases we have the ability to vaccinate against, it may be a good idea to step back for a moment and look at the big picture.

Vaccines are a critical component of preventive medicine. Said another way, there are many diseases out there that your dogs and cats do not develop because they receive vaccines that prevent those diseases. Keeping your pet’s vaccinations current is therefore a core component of preventing illness in your pet.

From another perspective, vaccines should not be a ‘one size fits all’ approach (except for the Rabies vaccination which is legally required for all dogs and cats!). When we evaluate your dog or cat for vaccination, we look at the whole picture to make the best decision for individual patients. A pet’s vaccine history, medical condition(s), age, physical exam findings, and risk of disease exposure are many of the things we consider. We also use professional guidelines (such as the American Animal Hospital Association and American Association of Feline Practitioners guidelines on vaccination) and our cumulative professional experiences to guide our recommendations. From a safety perspective, we take the time to regularly review our vaccines to find the best safety profiles and the best vaccine strategies to minimize the potential for adverse outcomes.

At Lawndale, we place tremendous value in the role of vaccines in preventing disease. We also do our best on a daily basis to balance the importance of vaccination with the overall health and needs of each individual patient. We encourage you to visit our ‘Paws to Protect’ section on vaccinations or give us a call to learn more!

Author: Dr. C. Noureddine, DVM, MS