Don't worry; just make the appointment and get in as soon as you can.

Yes, your cat will need boosters. So when kittens come to us, we're going to give them a series of kitten boosters because they need more to mount that long-term immune response. But then after that, cats are going to be vaccinated annually. Certain vaccines are annual, and we can spread some out as they age a little bit, but for the most part, every cat needs to come into the veterinary office at least once a year to have an update of their vaccine. Cats also require a health assessment and parasite control, and so many other things that it's vital to come once a year.

Yes, it is safe. And because I know most cats don’t enjoy car rides very much, the preference is to go ahead and get them all at one time. A rare cat doesn't feel well after a vaccine, just like a person who receives a flu vaccine. And in those instances, we can discuss splitting them apart, but I think that the benefits of getting them all done at one time for a cat way outweigh the multiple trips that would be required for them to come in.

No. Really, we don't want your puppy missing vaccines because we don't want them to be exposed. But for the most part, we just start back up every three weeks until they're four months. So, again, there's not a specific number of vaccines you're supposed to get. It's just staying on that series.

If somebody found a puppy at three months of age, we're not going to go back and start vaccinating as if they were eight weeks. It's going to be every three weeks until they're four months. So if they get one under four months, let's say 15 weeks, I'm going to recommend they get an additional booster to make sure they're safe for the next year.

Titer testing is a way of checking whether your dog has antibodies for distemper or parvovirus. As dogs age and they've been vaccinated thoroughly through puppyhood and at their one-year appointment, some dogs can mount a long-term immune response. Some dog owners don't want to vaccinate them in these cases, or there's occasionally a medical reason we don't want to. However, we want to make sure that those dogs have adequate titers, meaning that they can respond if they were exposed.

And that's the purpose of doing annual titers on dogs who are not being vaccinated, because if they do Diplo, then we're going to have another conversation about the importance of keeping them up on those vaccines because those diseases are terrible.

99.9% of all dogs tolerate all the vaccines at one time, just like kids do. Just remember, when you have babies, they get numerous vaccines when they're brand new infants, which to me is amazing. But dogs tolerate it. There's an occasional dog that's a little more sensitive to vaccines, and we may pretreat or spread them out for that dog in particular, or if clients have specific concerns.

For the most part, every puppy needs the core vaccines every three weeks until they're four months, and then the rabies vaccine some time between three and four months. That's pretty standard, but some dogs are going to be exposed to different things. If your dog is boarding a lot or going to daycare, we highly recommend the flu vaccine for dogs as well because it's transmitted via aerosol. Bordatella is not considered a core vaccine, but it is essential if your dog is out and about. Then there's leptospirosis, which is another essential vaccine. It depends on the dog’s lifestyle.

In general, most dogs should have an update of some vaccines once a year. Some boarding facilities require bordetella every six months, so we may need to see you mid-year. But for the most part, once a year is adequate for most dogs. And even some of the vaccines, we can extend the time a little bit after a year. Rabies can go to three years in some states, and I think it’s annual in other states. It’s crucial to check in with your veterinarian once a year and make sure you're up-to-date on all your vaccines.