Pet Vaccination Guide

The excitement of getting a new pet can quickly turn to worry as you try to determine what vaccinations your new furry friend will need. Vaccinations are one of the most important ways to keep your pets healthy and it can be hard to know what vaccination to get and when to get your pets protected. Steve Regan has a wide range of vaccines that will work for all your furry friends including dogs, cats, and horses. Read on to learn about the best vaccines for pets in Utah, Idaho and beyond.

Vaccination Tips

While you can always take your pets to a veterinarian for their shots, it is very easy to simply give them the shots yourself. Depending on the type of vaccine you are administering, it may need to be administered into the muscle, under the skin, or in the nasal passage. Carefully follow the administration instructions on your vaccine so you give your pets their shots properly. Try to keep the your pets calm during vaccination. If you can stay calm your pets are less likely to get stressed too. Consider using a treat to keep your pet relaxed as well. Follow all instructions for handling vaccines such as keeping them at the proper temperature. 

Common Viruses 

While there are many viruses your pets can get, there are a few diseases that are the most common that you will want to inoculate against. Each pet has a unique set of viruses that you will need to treat.

Puppy Viruses - There are five major viruses to watch for in puppies. These are Canine Distemper, Canine Adenovirus Types 1 & 2, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus. A Five-Way vaccination is an economical choice to protect your puppies from getting sick with these viruses. If you are looking for more comprehensive coverage, give your puppies the Six-Way vaccine that also covers coronavirus.

Dog Viruses - You will want to give your dogs a booster shot every year that also targets Leptospira viruses. You can choose a 9-way vaccine for an economical booster or a 10-way vaccine for more comprehensive coverage. Bordetella is a respiratory disease (commonly called kennel cough) that can cause severe illness - especially in puppies. This vaccine is highly recommended if your dog gets groomed or is around other dogs frequently.

Feline Viruses -  There are three core viruses to watch for in cats and kittens. These are Rhinotracheitis (FVR), Calicivirus (FCV), and Panleukopenia (FPV) virus antigens. All of these viruses are very contagious can cause severe sickness in your cats. Choose a 3-way vaccine to treat your cats. If you have an outdoor cat you will also want to treat them for Leukemia as well.

Horse Viruses -  There are five major viruses that cause harm in horses. These are Eastern and Western encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE) viruses, equine influenza virus (EIV), equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1), equine herpesvirus type 4 (EHV-4) and tetanus. A 5-way vaccine will cover all of these viruses with one shot. You will also want to give your horse a West Nile Virus (WNV) shot every year that you can administer separately or with the 6-way vaccine.

External Parasites -  All of these pets are susceptible to parasites from ticks, fleas and mange. Use a good dewormer to prevent and treat your animals. Check your animals frequently for signs of worms such as weight loss or itching. 

Vaccination Schedule

One of the trickiest parts of vaccinating your pets is knowing what shots to give and when to give them to your animals. Follow this chart to stay on top of your vaccines for your pets. Many vaccines will need to have a booster given later on so it's important to stay on top of your vaccine schedule.

Protecting Your Pets