According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, dog vaccinations have saved millions of animal lives over the years.
If you’re among the 36% of the American population that owns a dog, we hope you’ve given serious thought to vaccinating your pet.
In fact, recent studies show that the immunity to illness and diseases provided by dog vaccinations may last longer than animal scientists and vets thought!
This means that there’s really no reason you shouldn’t vaccinate your dog.
However, if you still need a little more convincing, we’ve created this list of the top 5 benefits of dog vaccinations.
1. It Prevents Serious Disease
Disease prevention is probably the most obvious – and the most important – reason for dog vaccinations.
There are a variety of vaccinations you can give your animal in order to decrease the chances of illness (or eliminate them altogether.)
It’s especially important that you begin the vaccination cycle when your dogs are very young. The younger your animal, the more at risk it is for serious diseases. This is because your dog’s immune system hasn’t yet fully formed and developed – so any extra help it has in fighting off disease, the better.
The vaccination cycle works to build up an immunity over time to certain diseases. These vaccinations encourage your pet’s immune system to create additional antibodies, which will fight off anything that carries the disease.
It’s crucial that, in order for your pet to get full immunity from these dangerous and life-threatening diseases, you complete the entire vaccination series/cycle.
In general, your puppy will get its last vaccination in a series when it’s about 4 months old, and you’ll need to come back every 3 or 4 weeks for another vaccination in the cycle.
Make sure you have the time to vaccinate your animal before you decide to adopt one.
2. You’ll Be Following The Law
In case a love for your dog isn’t enough to convince you to vaccinate, maybe the legal side of things will.
Yes, you read that correctly – dog vaccinations are required by law in every state – no exceptions.
Even if your pet is an indoor animal, keep in mind that it’s still very easy for it to sneak outside or even for a wild animal to sneak inside your home.
Additionally, if you ever plan to board your dog while you go on vacation, or even put it in “doggy daycare” while you’re at work, you’ll often be required to have proof of current, up-to-date vaccinations (especially the Bordatella vaccination, which helps to guard against kennel cough).
If you don’t, you likely won’t find anywhere that will take your pet.
3. It Keeps Other Pets Safe
One of the most fun things about being a dog owner?
The community and friendships you form in the dog park, at meetups with other pet owners, and even just in the street.
But if your dog is a social butterfly (or even if he or she is more of a “fly solo” type of guy/gal) vaccinating him or her is the right thing to do in the eyes of other animals as well.
The reality is that, unless you vaccinate your dog, there’s a huge chance that your pet could make other animals sick. Worse still, an unvaccinated animal could even spread diseases to other people – like young children.
You don’t want that on your conscious.
Also, be aware that even to enter a dog park, you’ll usually need to have vaccinated your animal.
If your dog likes to hang out with other animals, make sure you’ve asked the owners in your neighborhood if they’ve vaccinated their pets. There’s nothing wrong with being the person to start a conversation advocating for vaccination!
You may just save a life.
4. A Financially Smart Decision
It’s not a secret – owning a pet, especially a dog, can get very expensive quickly.
There’s dog food, boarding costs, toys, grooming…the list goes on. But when you get into veterinary costs, those bills can triple and quadruple before your eyes.
While we always suggest having a “pet emergency fund” you can rely on in case something goes wrong with your dog, keep in mind that vaccinations are also a great way to save money down the line.
Vaccines aren’t always cheap, but trust us when we tell you that they cost a fraction of the costs of the medication, treatment, and vet bills associated with identifying and curing serious illness and disease.
Especially if your dog contracts a disease that was easily preventable with a vaccination, you won’t just feel guilty. You’ll also feel the pain of your bad decision in your wallet.
Invest in the health of your pet by taking it in for dog vaccinations.
5. Dog Vaccinations Keep You Safe, Too!
We know you’re willing to do whatever it takes to keep your dog healthy, and hope you’ve learned by now that vaccination is a huge part of that.
However, in addition to taking care of your four-legged friends, vaccinations can also protect you and your family against illnesses, germs, and even diseases that are often carried by pets.
This can even include serious diseases like Rabies and Leptospirosis.
Especially if your pets are frequently around young children, those with weakened immune systems (think: therapy dogs) or the elderly, it’s your social and moral obligation to vaccinate your dog.
Get The Best Dog Vaccinations From Trusted Veterinarians
Now that you know why dog vaccinations are so crucial to the health of your four-legged friends, you’re likely wondering where you can get the best services.
That’s where we come in.
At The Sykesville Veterinary Clinic, we provide care and loving attention for every phase of your pet’s life.
Our experienced vets show compassion for both animals and their owners, and we strive to make working with us as seamless of an experience as possible.
We do everything we can to make sure both you and your animal are comfortable and informed, no matter the service provided.
To schedule a vaccination appointment for your pet, simply use our easy online self-scheduling system.