National Immunization Awareness Month

Take Your Best Shot!

August is National Immunization Awareness Month, created to remind people how important it is to keep their vaccinations up to date. But that advice isn’t just for humans—it’s vital for pets as well.

Vaccinating your pet is a relatively inexpensive but hugely important way to protect their health. In addition to preventing many life-threatening illnesses, vaccinations can prevent diseases prevalent in wildlife and those that can be passed to humans.

While any medical treatment involves some degree of risk, in the case of vaccinations, the benefits far outweigh any potential side effects. Adverse reactions are rare, and when they do occur they are usually mild and short-term.

It’s also important to note that all cats and dogs—even those that live primarily indoors—should be vaccinated. At Crossroads Animal Hospital, we offer several core vaccines:

For dogs:

• Rabies (legal requirement)
• DA2PP (distemper)
• Bordetella (kennel cough)
• Lyme (tickborne disease)
• Leptospirosis (zoonotic disease, meaning it can be passed to humans)

For Cats:

• Rabies (legal requirement)
• FeLV (feline leukemia virus)
• FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus)

For more information or to make an appointment, call us at 540-317-3635 or schedule an appointment online.