All Vaccinations Are Not Created Equal

Vaccinations are a critical component of protecting animal health. This includes our cats and dogs as well as livestock and poultry in the food industry.

As a pet owner, you may think that all vaccinations are the same, but this is not the case.  Today, vaccines are not all the same even when they protect against the same infectious disease.  Vaccination technology within the veterinary industry is more advanced than human medicine in many aspects.  This is especially true at New Hartford Animal Hospital with our extensive use of recombinant vaccines.

Recombinant vaccines do not need adjutants (additional components to the vaccine which stimulate an immune response) and as a consequence are safer in stimulating a protective immunity.  Recombinant vaccines are produced with the use of bacteria such as non-pathogenic strains of E.coli. In the case of Feline Leukemia and Purevax Rabies vaccinations, the canary pox virus is used because it is less likely to cause a reaction, and therefore safer for your pet.  With cats, we have been using the recombinant Purevax Rabies vaccine since its introduction almost ten years ago.  There are other Rabies vaccines available for cats but they are associated with an increased risk for development of an aggressive soft tissue tumor called fibro sarcoma which occurs at the vaccination site later in life. 

Cost is often a factor when veterinarians choose which vaccine brand and type to use. This often accounts for the difference in vaccination prices between veterinary hospitals.  At New Hartford Animal Hospital we only use the most effective vaccinations with state of the art technology.  Our vaccines may sometimes be more costly than other available vaccines, but at New Hartford Animal Hospital, we will not compromise when it concerns your pet’s health.  Our vaccination decisions are based on infectious disease risks for our specific upstate New York region.  For dogs, we are considered the highest risk area in the United States for a combination of Lyme Disease and Leptospirosis.

Vaccinations given by breeders and in pet stores are often purchased by mail order or from farm stores not directly from the manufacturer like your veterinarian.  Many times they can be ineffective because they have not been properly handled, stored at the correct temperatures or administered properly.  Vaccinations need constant temperature refrigeration from the time they are manufactured until delivery into the animal.  They also must be administered in certain areas of the pet in order to be effective.  Non-veterinary individuals are not always aware of these issues.

At New Hartford Animal Hospital, we understand the importance of providing high quality medicine for your pets. We are honored to help you keep your pet in good health and we take that very seriously. Our entire staff is willing to address any health concern you may have for your pets and I especially enjoy discussing the science behind vaccinations and the strategy for use with your pet.

A healthy pet is a happy pet!