Protection & Prevention
At Animal Hospital of Nashua, we focus on preventive care to keep common diseases and disorders from developing in the first place.
Combined with regular wellness exams, pet vaccinations and parasite prevention form the foundation of your animal's routine healthcare.
Preventive care gives your pet the best chance at a long, healthy life. Our team will work with you to create a custom preventive care plan for your cat or dog, tailored to their unique needs.
Benefits of Vaccines
Vaccines are designed to stimulate protective immune responses and prepare the immune system to fight future infections by disease-causing agents. They provide immunity against one or more diseases, which can lessen the severity or prevent certain diseases entirely.
They have been used to save millions of animals from death and disease. Vaccinations protect pets from highly contagious and deadly diseases and improve their overall quality of life.
Four great reasons to vaccinate your pet include:
- Preventing Illness.
- Preventing costly future treatments.
- Preventing diseases from passing from animal to animal or animal to human.
- Preventing common wildlife diseases, such as rabies.
It should be noted that many local or state ordinances require certain vaccinations of household pets.
Potential Vaccine Side-Effects
The majority of vaccine side effects in dogs and cats are brief and generally mild, making them far less dangerous than the illnesses from which the vaccine protects. The following are some of the most common side effects pets experience after vaccination:
- Fever
- Sluggishness
- Loss of Appetite
- Pain or swelling around the injection site
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Facial or paw swelling and/or hives
- Collapse, difficulty breathing, and seizures
Anaphylaxis is the most severe allergic reaction that pets can experience as a result of vaccinations. Contact your vet immediately if your pet goes into anaphylactic shock.
It's important to remember, however, that the risk of your pet experiencing a severe reaction is very small.
Cat & Dog Vaccinations & Reproductive Surgery Schedule
Current dog and cat vaccinations are essential when it comes to protecting your furry friend from a range of contagious, often serious, diseases. Having your pet spayed or neutered not only prevents the birth of an unwanted litter, but these common veterinary surgeries can also help to protect your pet against some serious forms of cancer. They may prevent unwanted behaviors such as howling, scooting, roaming, and animal aggression.
Cat Vaccinations
In their first year of life, kittens need the following shots to protect them from serious diseases.
-
6 to 8 weeks
- Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
-
10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia
-
14 to 16 weeks
- Rabies
- Booster: Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia, Chlamydia
- Feline Leukemia 2
-
5 to 6 months
While the following are not kitten vaccinations, spaying, neutering and microchipping help protect your cat from a number of health issues, and therefore fall under the preventive health care umbrella.
- Spay (females) - Spaying your female cat prevents the birth of unwanted litters of kittens, protects your cat against serious illnesses, and can help to prevent behaviors such as howling and scooting that accompany heat cycles.
- Neuter (males) - Neutering your male cat prevents your pet from fathering unwanted kittens, protects your cat against various illnesses, and can help to prevent territory marking (spraying), roaming, howling, and cat aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a permanent form of identification that is about the size of a grain of rice and placed under your pet’s skin. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they are lost.
Dog Vaccinations
In their first year, puppies need these shots to protect them from dangerous diseases.
-
6 to 8 weeks
- DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
-
10 to 12 weeks
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Bordetella (Optional)
- Leptospirosis (Optional)
-
14 to 16 weeks
- Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Although the following are not puppy vaccinations, spaying, neutering, and microchipping help protect your dog from a number of health issues, and therefore fall under the preventive health care umbrella.
- Spay (female) - Dog spaying will prevent your female dog from mothering puppies, but it can also help to prevent certain cancers and regular heat cycles which can attract roaming males to your property.
- Neuter (male) - Dog neutering can help to prevent your male dog from fathering unwanted puppies, as well as protecting your dog from a number of serious cancers, and helping to reduce the risk of roaming and dog aggression.
- Microchipping - A microchip is a permanent form of identification that is about the size of a grain of rice and placed under your pet’s skin. Pets that are microchipped have a better chance of being reunited with their owners if they are lost.
-
12 to 16 months
- Final Booster: DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus)
- Rabies
- Final Booster: Bordetella (Optional)
- Final Booster: Leptospirosis (Optional)
Parasite Prevention
Parasites pose a serious health threat to people and animals in the Nashua area. Left untreated, parasites can threaten the life of your cat or dog, and in some cases can even be transmitted to other people or pets living in your household. Our parasite prevention products can help protect your dog or cat from the following common parasites:
Fleas
Fleas are external parasites that feed on the blood of birds and mammals. When fleas are left untreated, they can quickly spread throughout your household.
Ticks
These external parasites consume the blood of mammals and are responsible for the spread of a number of serious conditions in people and pets.
Ear Mites
Tiny, highly contagious ear mites reside in the ear canals of dogs, cats and other mammals. These parasites reproduce continuously throughout their lifespan.
Heartworm
This thread-like parasitic roundworm is spread through mosquito bites and makes its home in the heart, lungs and blood vessels of infected animals.
Hookworm
These parasites live in the digestive tract of cats and dogs where they feed on the pet's blood. Hookworms can lead to anemia and other serious conditions.
Roundworm
This parasitic worm lives in the intestine and feeds on partially digested intestinal contents. This parasite can rob your pet of vital nutrients necessary to stay healthy.
Tapeworm
Tapeworms are spread through the ingestion of infected fleas during grooming. These hook-like parasitic worms live and grow in your pet's intestines.
Whipworm
Whipworms are spread through the ingestion of soil that has been in contact with an infected dog's feces. Whipworms pose a serious health risk to dogs.