General Miconceptions about Vaccinations

There is an article online that is spreading misinformation about pet vaccinations. Vaccinations are a vital part of keeping yourpet healthy; however, they must be respected. A broad vaccination protocol is based on current research, but then tailored to your pet’s needs and health status.  


Vaccinations are only for “healthy” pets. And, no,you can’t judge healthy just by looking at the fat, wiggly kitten and judge healthy or not. Often Dr. Morris will find a problem upon exam and choose not to vaccinate that pet-that day-until the medical problem can be addressed. Not every disease on the market that has a vaccination belongs inside your pet. Your pet’s lifestyle is partly what helps us decide what vaccinations it may need-not its body size. Small animals may need to start vaccinations a little later in life or split vaccinations over a longer period of time, butit is ignorant to say something like “My dog is too small to receive X vaccine.”


All unvaccinated pets receive a vaccination series then yearly boosters to protect them. We don't boost the same vaccination every year. It isn’t the number of vaccines that determines when a series is complete, but the age of the pet when it received its last one. Some pet’s health may be too delicate to ever receive a vaccination. Veterinarians don’ t believe that the younger you start a pet on vaccinations the better. We believe that until a period of –age appropriate-vaccination has been achieved your pet should not be exposed to risky elements( parks, pet stores, walking through the neighborhood, many strangers, etc). It would be wrong to take a 3 week old puppy to Petsmart and let a store full of people touch it! You would take a 10week old puppy to a puppy obedience class that requires general good health from its clients. Your pet’s vaccination protocol is something that we take under very careful consideration every time we examine the pet. You may not see it, but there are many factors that go into EVERY injection that your pet receives.