Vaccinations & Wellness -

Are vaccinations necessary?

Vaccines keep your pet healthy and prevent serious diseases. We highly recommend annual wellness exams and a comprehensive Preventative Care Plan for all of our client’s pets. These programs include, vaccinations and parasite protection, as needed.

Neighborhood Veterinary Hospital requires current rabies vaccines for all pets being seen at our hospital.

How often does my pet need a Rabies vaccination?

The first Rabies shot your pet receives is good for one year. Subsequent canine Rabies vaccinations immunize your pet for three years. Dogs are required by California State Law to be vaccinated for Rabies at 16 weeks of age. For cats, we use feline exclusive Rabies vaccines which are given annually.

How often does my pet need a Rabies vaccination?

The first Rabies shot your pet receives is good for one year. Subsequent canine Rabies vaccinations immunize your pet for three years. Dogs are required by California State Law to be vaccinated for Rabies at 16 weeks of age. For cats, we use feline-exclusive Rabies vaccines which are given annually.

Why does my dog need a blood test before purchasing heartworm prevention?

Dogs could get sick (vomiting, diarrhea, and/or death) if placed on heartworm prevention when they have heartworm disease. Even if they have been on heartworm prevention year-round there is always the possibility that the product may have failed for various reasons (your pet spit out the pill, did not absorb the pill appropriately, topical medicine was not applied properly, forgot to administer medication on time, etc.). The earlier we can treat your pet for heartworm disease the better the prognosis. When starting heartworm prevention, it is important that you perform an initial heartworm test.

My pet never goes outside so does it really need heartworm prevention?

Yes. Heartworm disease is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito and all mosquitoes can get into houses.

How can I prevent fleas?

We recommend that all dogs and cats be given a monthly flea preventive regardless of lifestyle. Not only are these year-round pests uncomfortable for your pet, fleas also carry diseases, such as tapeworms. There are many medications for the treatment and prevention of fleas. Some medications are in a combined form with the monthly heartworm medication. Not only is this convenient, but it reduces the cost of two medications.