Why Should I Bother to Vaccinate My Pets?
Why Vaccinate Against Canine Distemper
You and your dog live in a remote area away from other dogs. So why bother to get him vaccinated for distemper?
Other dogs are not your only worry when it comes to distemper. Many wildlife creatures in remote areas can also be carriers of canine distemper.
The culprits are: coyotes, wolves, weasels, foxes, raccoons, badgers, minks, ferrets, prairie dogs, pine martens, and mountain lions. Opossums, long thought to have a body temperature too low for canine distemper to survive, have recently been added to this list. In fact, canine distemper can also be carried by African lions, giant pandas, sun bears, coatis, and certain seals.
It sounds like there are few places in the world where a dog is totally safe from the virus.
Why Vaccinate Against Rabies
"It's just a cat! I can always get another cat."
This is actually a common excuse to not spend money or time to get cats vaccinated against rabies. A lot of people use the same logic for their dogs.
These people do realize that a cat or dog can get rabies from other cats or dogs, and from most wildlife. But, they feel that the pet is easily replaced - and expendable. Most of these same people also have children or live near children. The "expendable" cat could bite a child. It might even bite their own child.
If you don't vaccinate your dog or cat against rabies for the sake of your pet, please do so for the sake of the people your pet comes in contact with.
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