10/14/2026
There are a few different aspects when it comes to preventative veterinary care for your pets. We will divide these between dogs and cats.
Vaccinations are at the top of the list for preventative care for your pup.
💉 Core vaccinations
🦠 DHLPP: Protects against distemper, leptospirosis, adenovirus/hepatitis, parvovirus, and parainfluenza.
🦠 Rabies: given initially as a 1 year vaccination, then it is given again every 3 years.
💉 None core vaccinations ( depends on life-style )
🦠 Lyme: While the lyme vaccination is not categorized as a core vaccination, it is strongly recommended. We have seen a very large increase in lyme positive cases in dogs over the past few years. This also ties into our next topic on preventative care; flea and tick preventatives. Dogs may get lyme disease from a tick bite and it just takes one to create a big problem, especially if the disease goes untreated.
🦠 Bordetella: The bordetella vaccine is recommended for those that go to the dog park, groomer, or boarding facilities. This vaccination protects against kennel cough. We carry two different forms, intranasal and injectable.
🦠 Influenza: Not to be confused with parainfluenza, this vaccination is recommended for dogs that go to dog parks, boarding facilities, are very social or travel.
Another topic that ties into Preventative veterinary care is parasite prevention.
💊 Year round flea, tick, and heartworm prevention is vital, even if your pet spends most of their time indoors. Untreated flea, tick, and heartworm infestations can create many health concerns for your dogs.
🩸 Flea allergy dermatitis is an allergic reaction to flea saliva that can cause severe itching, hair loss, redness, and hotspots from constant itching and biting. Left untreated, this can turn into flea anemia. Flea anemia occurs when a large amount of fleas bite a pet continuously, draining their blood faster than the pets bone marrow can produce red blood cells. This causes extreme lethargy, pale gums, rapid heart rate and heavy breathing. If you think your pet may have flea anemia, DO NOT WAIT. Get your dog seen immediately.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria called borrelia Burgdorferi. It only takes one tick that is a carrier of this bacteria to bite your dog and transfer the disease. Left untreated, this can cause severe kidney disease, known as lyme nephritis. There is also another tick borne illness called Anaplasmosis.
🦟 Heartworm disease in dogs is a very serious and potentially fatal condition caused by foot-long parasitic worms called Dirofilaria immitis that live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. Mosquitoes play a large role in the life cycle of heartworms, and also play a part in the transfer from pet to pet. Left untreated, it causes severe damage to the blood vessels, lungs, and heart.
🐕 ❤️ Is your dog up to date on vaccinations and prevention? Give us a call to schedule an appointment to keep your furry friend protected! 330-627-4898. 🐕 ❤️
