Terra Nova Village Veterinarian

Vaccinations are an essential step towards a healthy immune system for your pet. Vaccines help prevent the spread of deadly and highly contagious diseases.

To protect your pet from contagious diseases, keep essential vaccinations up-to-date. This is important even if your pet is kept mostly indoors. Many contagious diseases are airborne and your pet could easily be exposed through an open window. There is also always a risk that your pet could accidentally slip out the door.

Boarding kennels, dog parks and grooming salons are all areas where your pet is likely to be exposed to contagious diseases so be sure to consult with your veterinarian before taking your pet to any of these places

It is also important to keep in mind that vaccinations take a few days to a few weeks to become effective.

Vaccination Side Effects:

Immunizations mildly stimulate an animal’s immune system in order to create protection from specific infectious diseases. Most dogs show no ill effect from vaccination. Vaccine reactions may be minor and short-lived. As with any medical procedure, there is a small chance of side effects. In most cases, the risks are much smaller than the risks of disease itself.

Adverse Vaccination Reactions:

Side effects that require immediate care from a veterinarian:

-Facial swelling and/or hives

-Lameness

-Difficulty breathing

-Seizures

It is best to schedule your dog’s appointment so that you can monitor him for any side effects following administration of the vaccine.