Pet Vaccination FAQs

At Pershing Animal Hospital, serving Chicago IL, we know that your pets are an important part of your family. Therefore, we are committed to providing them with high quality health care so that they can enjoy a long healthy life with you. Vaccines are an important part of this comprehensive approach to health. Keep reading to find out what you need to know about your pets’ vaccinations. 

Why Are Vaccinations So Important?

For your pet to live their healthiest life possible, it will be necessary to have them vaccinated. Vaccinations are an important aspect of any health plan. As your veterinarian in Chicago, Hyde Park and surrounding areas, we are here to better educate you on this important topic.

The key reason that vaccines are important is because they are the main system in place to protect your pet from dangerous diseases. On a larger scale, vaccines also help to protect the entire animal population in which your pet lives. Even if your animal is considered an inside pet, the chances are they will at some point meet other animals. If your animal is properly vaccinated it will protect them as well as other animals.

How Vaccines Work

For many pet owners’, vaccines seem like a scary and mysterious topic. Understanding how the vaccine works may help to set your mind at ease. During a vaccine, a very low dose of a pathogen is administered to your pet. This will give the animal’s immune system an opportunity to learn how to fight it. This process allows the animal’s immune system to begin creating the antibodies required to fight the disease.

These antibodies will then live on in their bloodstream. In the future, if your animal meets the pathogen again in the natural world, its system will be able to successfully fight it off.

Do Vaccines Work 100% of the Time?

Vaccines are amazingly effective at building your pet’s immune system against dangerous pathogens.  No vaccine provides 100% immunity however, but rather they work on decreasing the chances of your pet getting sick.

Vaccines also work to provide herd immunity to animals within a certain area. This means that if most animals in an area are vaccinated it helps to decrease the chances of the other unvaccinated animals to get sick.  

It takes all the pet owners working together to increase the herd immunity in an area such as Chicago or Hyde Park.  

Are Vaccines Safe?

Vaccines today are very safe for your pets. If you still have concerns about your pet receiving vaccinations, you can discuss these questions with our team. If you are looking for an experienced vet, we would love to hear from you. 

Call Pershing Animal Hospital Today!

You can call our office at Pershing Animal Hospital, serving Chicago IL today for further information. (773) 288-8888