I discussed in a previous article the problems with vaccines for dogs and cats today and the confusion that many pet parents face. Should you give vaccines to your cat or dog, and if so, how often, and what diseases should you vaccinate for?

If you listen to the advice of most conventional veterinarians, the answer would be “vaccinate for (nearly) all diseases, and give booster shots annually”. However, I do not advocate this approach.

With the evidence as clear as it is, most veterinary schools are now advising alternate vaccine protocols - fewer vaccines and less often. Newer research is showing that vaccine immunity lasts much longer than previously thought. In some cases, a vaccine given at 1 year of age may provide lifelong immunity. The analogy can be drawn to people and Tetanus vaccine - it only needs to be boosted every 10 years (or perhaps longer), and this may be similar in dogs and cats.

Vaccines do help prevent serious illness and disease, in truth. But they should be used with caution - never take the issue lightly. Before you decide to vaccinate your pet, consider the risk. For example, if your cat is an indoor-only cat and will never be exposed to other cats or non-vaccinated animals, the risk of infection is quite low. But if you have a dog who is often boarded at the kennel or is frequently at a busy dog day care, then he may have a high risk of exposure to many diseases.

The Vaccine decision is an individual one, and it should be guided by your personal research on the subject before you make the trip to your veterinarian. Talk with local veterinarians and other people in the pet health field, along with pet owners, and find out which diseases are common and what your dog or cat may be exposed to.

If you would like to know more, visit one of my sites - see the resource box below for a link to VeterinarySecretsRevealed or TheOnlineVet - and send me an email with the request. I’ll send you my Vaccine Report, with my recommendations. In the meantime, all the best wishes to you and your furry children!