The importance of vaccinations

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Vaccinations have become commonplace for dogs today, as they can effectively prevent potentially serious canine diseases like distemper, rabies and hepatitis. Not only can regular vaccinations protect your pet's health, they can also keep the human members of your family healthy as well--some canine illnesses can be transferred to humans.

While annual vaccinations have been the general rule for some time, recent studies have shown that canine vaccinations may be effective for longer periods of time than originally thought. As vaccinations have become safer and better customized to each individual dog, it is becoming more common for veterinarians to recommend less frequent vaccinations that are tailored to your dog's specific needs.

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released a set of vaccination guidelines in 2003 which was revised in 2006 to help vets determine how often vaccinations should be given to dogs, and which were most important to include. These guidelines were developed by many professionals in the field of canine health care, including veterinarians, immunologists, infectious disease specialists and researchers.

The first guideline states that every dog is different, so every immunization schedule should be individually tailored to a dog's specific needs and risk factors. The factors that should be considered include health status, breed, age, lifestyle, environment and travel habits.

Risks for various types of diseases will vary from city to city across the country, and may even fluctuate within different areas of the same city. This is why it is so important to work closely with your veterinarian to determine which immunizations are important for your dog, and how often he should have them.

Health risks associated with vaccinations

Some pet owners worry that vaccinating their dogs will carry health risks as well. While any medical procedure, including vaccinations, do carry some degree of risk, the risk is generally much greater if you do not have your dog vaccinated at all.

If you are concerned about the potential side effects that the vaccinations can bring, you can talk to your veterinarian about what is best for your pet. Keep in mind that your vet is there to protect your dog, and will not bring unnecessary risks in his health care. He will base his  [Continued]

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