Posts Tagged: Pet Vaccinations

While almost everyone has heard of rabies as a disease, most of us have some dramatized concept of what it actually is. In honor of World Rabies Day on September 28, Leon Valley Veterinary Hospital would like to share a little bit about this devastating disease and why rabies vaccination for puppies and kittens (and adult animals as well) is so very important. 

Vaccinations have garnered a lot of media attention lately, and there is quite a bit of misinformation being driven by the negative attention. Because of this, there is an array of general misconceptions among pet owners about whether or not certain pet vaccinations are necessary, or whether vaccinations compromise the health of their pet. Unfortunately, this kind of misinformation can create health risks for unvaccinated pets.

By ensuring your pet’s vaccination protocol is met, you provide protection against many diseases, such as leptospirosis, rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and more. Some of these diseases are highly contagious and sometimes fatal to our pet and other animals exposed to the disease.  Some are also zoonotic diseases, meaning that they can also be transferred to humans, as in the case with rabies and leptospirosis. Continue…

You may have heard of parvo before, but do you really know what it is?

Parvo (also known as parvovirus) is a deadly virus that strikes dogs (mostly puppies), primarily during the summer months. The disease was not recognized prior to the 1970s, but since then veterinary hospitals across the country have become all too familiar with this terrible condition.

The good news is, parvovirus in dogs is completely preventable. However, in order to protect your pet, it is essential to understand what parvo is and where it comes from.

What Parvo Does

When an animal is infected with parvo, the virus invades the bone marrow where the cells that fight infection are produced. This causes the body to be unable to fight off the infection effectively. The virus also invades cells in the intestine and causing severe Continue…