General Resources

We adore those frosty faces! Once your pet reaches their senior years, they’ll need a little extra TLC—and they’ve earned it! Core vaccines should continue as scheduled, and other vaccines may or may not be needed depending on your pet’s particular circumstances. Just because they’re older doesn’t mean they’re not still at risk for communicable diseases, and age is no reason to discontinue vaccinations. If you’re concerned about vaccinating your older pet, vaccine titers are available for certain conditions. These blood tests determine the level of protection that your pet has to certain diseases and can be used to decide whether a vaccine is needed in an elderly pet. Ask us for more information! 

Animals age at a faster rate than we do, and as a pet grows older a lot of changes can occur in a short amount of time. We recommend wellness exams every six months for our senior patients, as this allows the veterinarian to keep close tabs on their health and address any changes as soon as possible. Annual blood testing is recommended to monitor things like red and white blood cell counts, liver, and kidney function, and more. If your senior pet takes certain medications that can be taxing on their internal organs (like NSAIDs for arthritis), blood work may be needed every six months to make sure that the medication is still safe to give your pet. 

We want to make sure that your pet’s senior years are filled with love, comfort, and happiness. This includes proper diet, appropriate exercise, and the management of those inevitable aches and pains. If you have concerns or questions about your senior pet, don’t hesitate to call us—we’re here to help! 

There are a lot of vaccines that are available for our pets, and it can be confusing to know which ones your pet needs! Your pet’s health care team can provide you with more detailed information about which vaccines are right for your dog or cat, but here’s the basics about the vaccines that we offer:

Dogs

• Rabies vaccine: this vaccine protects against rabies, a fatal disease that can affect any mammal, including humans. In California, rabies vaccinations are required for all dogs over four months of age.
• DA2PP: often referred to as the “distemper/parvo” vaccine, this vaccine protects against distemper, adenovirus type 2 (hepatitis), parainfluenza, and parvo. Distemper and parvo are both highly contagious and extremely virulent, and can be fatal. This is a core vaccine for all dogs.
• Leptospirosis: leptospirosis can be found in soil or water and is spread through the urine of infected wildlife. It can also affect humans, and is strongly recommended for all dogs.
• Bordetella: this vaccine offers protection against the bacteria that causes kennel cough, and is recommended based on a dog’s lifestyle.
• Lyme: this vaccine protects against Lyme disease, a serious tick-borne illness that can also affect humans. It’s recommended based on a dog’s lifestyle.
• Influenza: this reduces the risk of a dog contracting certain strains of canine influenza (H3N8 or H3N2) and is also recommended based on lifestyle. Although they sound similar, this is a completely different disease than the parainfluenza component of the DA2PP vaccine.

Cats

• Rabies: this protects your cat against the rabies virus. While there is no state-wide requirement for rabies vaccinations in cats in California, it may be required in other states, counties, cities, or facilities. We strongly recommend the rabies vaccine for all cats, indoor or out. 
• FVRCP: this is a core vaccine for cats and protects against common upper respiratory ailments—rhinotracheitis (herpes virus) and calicivirus. It also protects against panleukopenia, which is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate.  
• FELV: this offers protections against the feline leukemia virus, which is often fatal and readily transmissible between cats. We recommend that all cats have an initial series as kittens, and then annual boosters as their risk factors warrant. 

The diseases that we commonly vaccinate our pets for are more than just unpleasant. Many of them can result in death. Treatment can be extremely expensive and hard on the pet and may not result in a positive outcome. This is one area where an ounce (or in the case of vaccines, a cc) of prevention is absolutely worth a pound of cure. Got more questions? We’re ready to help! 

Annual wellness exams are key to keeping your adult pet healthy! While it may be tempting to skip those annual visits when your pet seems perfectly fine, it can have some dire consequences down the road. Pets age much faster than we do, and a lot can happen in a year of their lives. After the age of two, one year in a cat or dog’s life equals roughly four to five years in a human life. Think of all the things that can happen in your health in five years, and then imagine if you went that long without seeing the doctor!

Regular wellness checkups allow your veterinarian to conduct a thorough nose-to-tail exam and make it possible to spot any illnesses or issues early on—and the earlier any issues are detected, the better the outcome will be. 

Annual blood work is important for a few reasons: it gives us a baseline of what your pet’s normal organ functions look like, so we have something to compare with if they should become sick. Pets (cats in particular) can be exceedingly good at masking signs of illness, and often won’t show symptoms until things have become dire. Regular blood work also allows us to detect any signs of illness or reduced organ functioning as early as possible, so that we can address it before things are severe. 

Routine dental care is just as important to your pet’s health as it is to ours, so your veterinarian may recommend regular dental cleanings. This is about more than just avoiding that eye-watering breath—a pet with dental disease is at a higher risk for not only infection and tooth loss, but also liver, kidney, and heart issues. Year-round flea, tick, and heartworm medication is strongly recommended for all adult pets. These parasites are much less expensive and difficult to prevent than to treat, and some can cause serious health issues or even death.  

Last but not least, let’s talk about shots! Keeping your adult pets current on their vaccines is crucial to their continued good health. Core vaccines are recommended for all adult pets, while others may only be needed if their lifestyle warrants it.  

Dogs

After their puppy series is complete, here’s the recommended vaccination schedule for an adult dog:

• Rabies:  due one year after the initial vaccine, then every three years after that
• DA2PP: due one year after the puppy series is completed, then every three years after that
• Leptospirosis, bordetella, influenza, and Lyme: annually as recommended for your pet’s lifestyle

Cats 

Once they’re out of their crazy kittenhood, here are the vaccinations that an adult cat needs:

• Rabies: due annually
• FVRCP: due every three years after the kitten series is finished
• FELV: due annually after initial series if risk is present

The best way to deal with a pet’s illness is to keep it from happening in the first place, and that’s what regular wellness exams and preventative care is all about. Plus, we really like to see you. 

Getting a new puppy or kitten is an exciting time. So much fun, so many pictures, and let’s be honest—so much to keep track of! Starting at 8 weeks of age, your new fur baby will need regular vet checkups for the first several months of their life. This allows us to keep tabs on their growth, promptly address any issues that may arise, and answer any questions that you might have. 

A lifetime of good health for your puppy or kitten begins when they’re young, and making sure your furry friend gets the correct series of vaccines in their first few months helps ensure that they stay healthy for life. There are a few core vaccines that are recommended regardless of your pet’s risk factors, and others that may be recommended depending on your pet’s lifestyle. Your puppy or kitten’s schedule might vary a bit depending on their needs and the doctor’s recommendations. In general, here’s what you can expect for the first year of your new friend’s life: 

Puppies 

• 8 weeks
  • DA2PP vaccine (core)
  • Bordetella vaccine (lifestyle dependent)
  • Fecal parasite screening
  • Deworming
  • Begin preventative medications—flea, tick, and heartworm
• 12 weeks
  • DA2PP vaccine (core)
  • Leptospirosis vaccine (strongly recommended)
  • Lyme vaccine (lifestyle dependent)
  • Influenza vaccine (lifestyle dependent)
• 16 weeks
  • DA2PP vaccine (core)
  • Rabies vaccine (core)
  • Leptospirosis vaccine (strongly recommended)
  • Lyme vaccine (lifestyle dependent)
  • Influenza vaccine (lifestyle dependent)
• 7 months
  • Heartworm test
• 6 to 8 months
  • Spay or neuter based on the breed

Kittens 

• 8 weeks
  • FVRCP vaccine (core)
  • Fecal parasite screening
  • Deworming
  • Begin preventative medications—flea, tick, and heartworm
• 12 weeks
  • FVRCP vaccine (core)
  • FELV/FIV test
  • FELV vaccine (core)
• 16 weeks
  • FVRCP vaccine (core)
  • FELV vaccine (core)
  • Rabies vaccine (core)
• 24 weeks
  • FVRCP vaccine (core)
• 6 to 8 months
  • Spay or neuter  

Like small children, puppies and kittens are a lot of work, but so much fun and so rewarding! Making sure your new baby gets regular vet visits when they’re young is crucial—and we’re here to be your partner every step of the way, from basic health needs to more complex issues like housebreaking and litter box training. We can’t wait to share the fun of your new furry family member!

Rabies is a core vaccine for both dogs and cats, which means that it’s recommended (and often legally required) regardless of your pet’s lifestyle. The rabies virus is spread via the bite of an infected animal, and is fatal 100 percent of the time in dogs and cats. Fortunately, it’s easily preventable by regularly vaccinating your pet against rabies!

The State of California requires that all dogs four months of age and older be kept current on their rabies vaccination. While there is no state-wide mandate for cats, it may be required in other states, counties, cities, or facilities. The American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association recommend that all cats be vaccinated against rabies, even if they’re indoor only.

Why is vaccinating my pet against rabies so important?

Vaccinating your pet against rabies is critical not only because rabies is a threat to the health of your pet, but because it also poses a major public health risk. In the US, rabies is most often found in wildlife like bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes. However, any mammal can potentially be infected with the rabies virus—even humans. Once symptoms start to show, the virus is fatal nearly 100 percent of the time in humans, and always fatal in dogs and cats. Keeping your pet current on their rabies vaccines is important to their health, the health of your community, and part of being a responsible pet owner!

Are there still cases of rabies in our area?

Yes. Although there has not been a case of rabies in a dog or cat for more than 60 years in the Bay Area, there are between one to seven rabid bats identified each year. It’s still out there, and it’s still a threat—to both people and animals. The lack of cases in dogs and cats in the modern era is due largely to vaccinations, and it’s crucial that we continue to keep our pets vaccinated against rabies to keep the virus under control. 

How often should my pet get vaccinated for rabies?

Puppies and kittens should get their first rabies vaccine when they are sixteen weeks of age. It should be boostered one year after that, and then every one to three years as warranted or required. For pets with an unknown vaccine history, the vaccine should be boostered one year after the initial dose, then every one to three years after that. 

 If you have any questions or want to schedule your pet’s rabies vaccine, please call us at (415) 429-1202 today!