Pet Care Should Focus More on Wellness, Less on Shots- Provided
by VetStreet.com Once we “know” something it can be hard to
accept contradictory information. That’s why we still say “an
apple a day keeps the doctor away,” even though it has been
known for years that the catchphrase was the clever work of
apple growers. That’s why the idea of “yearly shots” remains the
baseline for preventive pet care in the minds of many people,
and they often overlook the value of regular physical exams and
testing, which are critical to preventive care and can even be
lifesaving for many pets. An apple a day may not keep you
healthy, but it probably won’t do you any harm. Some shots,
though, can potentially cause problems for a few pets. The
chance that they will is pretty small, but tailoring which
vaccines your pet needs and when can make it even smaller.
Nothing in life is without risk, but we veterinarians used to
think vaccines were safe enough that it was better to vaccinate
whenever we had our doubts that a pet had b