Vaccines are an important part of preventative medical care for pets. When an animal receives a vaccine, it gets a very small, inactivated dose of a virus or bacteria. This allows the immune system to see the disease without causing infection. The animal’s body will respond by making antibodies against the disease. One dose of vaccine is likely not enough to allow an animal to develop immunity for life. Animals often need boosters in order for their body to mount a sufficient immune response. In the United States, vaccines are licensed for the minimum duration they are expected to last. Although theoretically a vaccine may last longer than labeled, we do not know this data for sure. To be safe, and allow full protection for your pet, we must follow manufactures recommendations for how often to administer a particular vaccine.
Not every animal is at risk for the same set of diseases. For example, indoor and outdoor cats have different risk factors for encountering viruses. Likewise, dogs that are out hunting, hiking, or encountering wildlife may be at risk for a different set of diseases than a dog that stays primarily indoors and in its own backyard. Some diseases may be more prevalent in certain age groups and less of a risk as animals get older. At Plantation Animal Hospital, we believe that the vaccine protocol should fit your pet’s lifestyle and age group. We take these factors into consideration when deve loping your pet’s vaccine schedule.
Here are a list of the vaccines we may give and a description of the diseases they protect your pet against.
“DAP” – Protects against Distemper, Adenovirus, and Parvovirus.
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Distemper is a viral disease that starts as a respiratory infection, and then affects the gastrointestinal tract and finally the brain. Some dogs can recover from Distemper with proper supportive care. However, this disease is often fatal —especially if it progresses to the neurologic phase.

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Aden ovirus is also called “Canine Hepatitis” is a rare viral disease in which clinical signs may start off similar to distemper (fever, pneumonia, etc.) This disease can progress to liver failure and neurologic disease. Depending on the severity, some dogs may recover but the disease can easily be fatal.
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Parvovirus is a gastrointestinal virus of young dogs. The virus attacks the intestinal cells and bone marrow causing clinical signs like diarrhea and vomiting, dehydration, infection, and death is common. Some dogs can overcome the virus with aggressive fluid therapy, antibiotics, and medical support.
“Kennel Cough” – Protects against Bordetella and Parainfluenza
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Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterial organism that colonizes the surface cells of the respiratory tract. It commonly causes a “honking” cough and is can be spread from dog to dog. Some infections are mild and self-limiting while in other cases may lead to pneumonia.
 Canine Parainfluenza is another cause of “kennel cough” in dogs. Parainfluenza is a
“Lepto” viral pathogen that can be spread between dogs. Infection with this virus is usually mild; however, it may predispose the dog’s respiratory tract to secondary bacterial infection.
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Leptospirosis is a disease caused by the bacteria “ leptospires .” This disease can infect humans and animals. The disease is passed in the urine of infected animals (often wildlife and rodents). It can survive in moist soil and water for weeks to months. Animals become infected through their mouth, skin, etc. Leptospirosis is very rarely found in cats.
Clinical signs are very non-specific and the disease can sometimes be difficult to diagnose. It may start with a fever and lethargy and severe cases can progress to renal failure and death. Not every animal is at ris k for this disease. Please discuss your dog’s risk factors with us and we can help you decide if this vaccine is right for your dog.
“Rabies”
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Rabies is a rhabdovirus which is a serious disease that can infect mammals. Wildlife is the most common reservoir of the virus. Rabies causes serious damage to the nervous tissue and the brain that result in neurologic disease and death. Vaccination of domestic animals has been the best means of preventing risk to humans. Any person who is bitten by a wild animal or unvaccinated animal should seek immediate attention from a physician. It is very important to keep pets current on their Rabies vaccine to safeguard humans from this fatal disease.

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