Pet vaccinations - why do it?

Vaccinating your pet has long been considered one of the easiest ways to help him or her live a long, healthy life.  Vaccines protect your pet from highly contagious and deadly diseases.  They are designed to trigger protective immune responses and, in turn, prepare an animal to fight future infection.  They can lessen the severity of diseases and certain vaccines can even prevent infection altogether. 

All dogs should receive a canine distemper vaccine.  You may often see this abbreviated \"DHPP.\"  This vaccine protects against the distemper virus, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza. Cats should receive a feline distemper vaccine, often abbreviated FVRCP.   It protects against herpes virus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia.  All animals, dogs and cats, should also receive a Rabies vaccination. We strongly encourage you to have your pet vaccinated to provide protection against these deadly diseases. If an unvaccinated pet develops one of these diseases, treatment can become very expensive and many of these diseases can be fatal despite aggressive treatment. 

These core vaccines are offered at regular public vaccine clinics hosted by the Wisconsin Humane Society - at both the Milwaukee and Racine Campuses. Please see their website for the official schedule!