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Vaccinations

Protect your pet from preventable diseases with customized vaccine schedules for every life stage.

Pet Vaccinations: Protecting Your Pet from Preventable Illnesses

Keeping your pet healthy starts with strong prevention—and vaccinations are one of the most important tools we have. Vaccines protect your dog or cat from a range of contagious, sometimes life-threatening diseases. Whether you’ve just brought home a new puppy or kitten or your adult pet is due for boosters, staying current on vaccines is essential to their lifelong health.

Why Are Pet Vaccines Important?

Vaccinations work by preparing your pet’s immune system to fight off specific diseases before they ever come into contact with these diseases. Some of these illnesses—like rabies or parvovirus—can be fatal if left untreated. Others can cause chronic discomfort, extended treatment, or put other animals at risk.

Vaccines don’t just protect your pet—they help protect the broader pet community by reducing the spread of disease.

What Vaccines Does My Pet Need?

Vaccine needs vary based on your pet’s species, age, lifestyle, and local disease risks. Here’s a general breakdown:

For Dogs:

  • Core Vaccines: Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Adenovirus, Leptospirosis

  • Lifestyle-Dependent Vaccines: Bordetella (kennel cough), Canine Influenza

For Cats:

  • Core Vaccines: Rabies, FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia)

  • Lifestyle-Dependent Vaccines: Feline Leukemia (FeLV), especially for outdoor or multi-cat households

Your veterinarian will help you build a tailored vaccine schedule based on your pet’s needs and environment.

What to Expect During a Vaccination Appointment

  • Wellness Exam: We start with a head-to-tail checkup to ensure your pet is healthy enough for vaccines.

  • Personalized Plan: Based on age, health, and lifestyle.

  • Quick and Gentle Shots: Most pets tolerate vaccines well. The process is quick and performed with care.

  • Post-Vaccine Monitoring: Mild soreness or sleepiness is normal. We’ll guide you on what to watch for and when to follow up.

We keep detailed vaccine records to ensure your pet stays on track—and help with things like boarding, grooming, or travel documentation.

When Should My Pet Be Vaccinated?

Puppies and kittens typically begin vaccinations at 6–8 weeks of age, with boosters every 3–4 weeks until about 16 weeks. Adult pets need regular boosters based on the vaccine type—some are annual, others are every 3 years.

Staying on schedule is the best way to keep your pet protected.

Vaccinations are a simple step with a big impact. They prevent illness, reduce long-term costs, and support a longer, healthier life for your pet.

🐾 Looking to keep your pet healthy and happy? Visit us—we’re here to support every step of the way.

FAQs

We have provided some answers to our most common questions.

The Josh Client Assistnace Fund is a reserve of donations established in honor of Whole Pet Veterinary Center's former clinic cat, Josh. While Josh now lives with a graduate of our veterinary intern program, he originally came to us with multiple chronic and life-threatening illnesses that were too costly for his family to manage. We hope that with the creation of the Josh Fund, we can provide financial assistance to a small number of pet parents in need of unanticipated critical vet care. Funds will be used at the discretion of the veterinarian overseeing individual cases, along with that of the practice manager.

At Whole Pet Veterinary Center We accept cash, checks, all major credit cards, and CareCredit.

At Whole Pet Veterinary Center, we are an outpatient clinic. While we do keep patients during the day to perform tests and administer treatments, we do not have overnight/24 hr staff and do not keep pets here unattended. Patients not well enough to return home will be recommended to be transferred to the local Emergency hospital/ICU.

Fear-free vet visits use trained professionals and specialized techniques to reduce stress in pets during veterinary appointments. These visits involve gentle handling, a calm environment with soothing scents and lighting, and the use of positive reinforcement like treats and toys to build positive associations with the clinic. For some animals, a vet may also prescribe anti-anxiety medication or suggest bringing a hungry, food-motivated pet to an appointment for better rewards.

Yes, often. However, we are not an emergency or walk-in clinic, so please call. We save specific time slots in each day for pets needing care more urgently. These do tend to fill up fairly quickly in the morning. If we have reached our capacity for patients for the day, we will need to refer you to the local urgent care or emergency walk-in clinics. While we wish we could serve every patient in need, we also need to make sure that the patients we have for the day have enough staff to adequately care for them.

No, at Whole Pet Veterinary Center, all patient visits are by appointment only.