Additional Vaccines
There are a variety of additional vaccines that are available on the market. Some of these may be appropriate for your pet depending on their lifestyle and risk exposure. For example, the Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi) disease vaccine should be discussed with owners and potentially administered to dogs that travel to areas of the country where the disease is prevalent. Other vaccines, such as the Corona virus vaccine, are not recommended for dogs by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) or Polo Springs Veterinary Hospital as it has not been proven to reduce disease. Also proven to be ineffective, the Giardia vaccine (which was on the market for years but never recommended by the veterinarians at Polo Springs) is no longer in production. For cats, we commonly receive questions regarding the Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) vaccine. This vaccine is available but is not one we recommend. Administering this vaccine to a kitten or cat will cause them to test positive for the disease, even though they are not actually infected with the FIV virus. In addition, there is a Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) vaccine on the market, but it is not very efficacious and therefore not currently recommended. Chlamydophila felis is another vaccine for cats that is only recommended in high-risk scenarios.
In veterinary medicine, as new diseases emerge, and current diseases change (whether by prevalence or mutation) the veterinarians at Polo Springs Veterinary Hospital are committed to staying on top of the most recent advances in vaccine design and technology. We do not believe in a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to protecting the life of your companion. That is why our veterinarians take the time to perform a complete and thorough physical exam on your pet and assess their immune and health status, lifestyle, the likelihood of travel, and exposure risk before recommending a personalized immunization program for them. It’s what you want for your pet, and what they deserve.