Administering Cat and Dog Vaccinations in Evergreen Park, IL

At LePar Animal Hospital, we believe it is important to work together to provide the best vaccination plan for your pet’s needs. Vaccines protect your pet from serious diseases that can have harmful effects on their health. Our doctors will work with you to determine what is the best plan for your pets based on their individual exposure and lifestyle. As a member of the American Animal Hospital Association, we utilize their recommendations for core and lifestyle vaccines for dogs and cats.

Call (708) 423-3200 to request an appointment for your pet!

Your Pet’s Vaccination Schedule

Starting as puppies and kittens, pets are vaccinated in series as maternal antibodies wane. These cat and dog vaccines are started at six weeks and are repeated every 3-4 weeks until 16 weeks of age. This is done to ensure pets are adequately protected. Pets will then receive a booster after one year. After that one-year booster, several vaccines can be boosted every 3 years while others will need to be given annually. Vaccines are important to protect your pet, and people too! Several of the infectious diseases we prevent with vaccination are transmissible to people as well as other pets.

Core and Lifestyle Vaccines for Dogs

We offer essential core vaccines for dogs in Evergreen Park, IL, including:

  • Distemper: Distemper is a very severe illness caused by paramyxovirus. It attacks multiple body systems and is difficult to treat. The virus is highly contagious and can be transmitted through most bodily fluids. Symptoms include cough, runny eyes and nose, diarrhea, high temperature, thickened pads, tremors, and fits. Unfortunately, it is often fatal
  • Adenovirus: Infectious hepatitis (also known as canine adenovirus) affects the liver and other major organs. Dogs can catch infectious hepatitis from an infected dog, from going somewhere an infected dog has been or touching something an infected dog has touched.
  • Parvovirus: Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious virus that affects dogs. It causes severe illness and death by attacking and damaging the lining of the GI tract resulting in severe vomiting and diarrhea. The Virus weakens the immune system by attacking the bone marrow and can even lead to heart failure. Parvovirus most commonly attacks puppies and if untreated has a mortality rate of near 91%
  • +/- Parainfluenza: Canine parainfluenza, a significant contributor to canine cough, is a highly virus that causes respiratory infections in dogs.
  • Leptospirosis: Canine leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that affects dogs and can also be transmitted to humans. It's caused by the Leptospira bacteria, which is shed in the urine of infected animals. This infection can cause kidney or liver failure and is often fatal.
  • Rabies: Rabies in dogs is a fatal viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, although it can also spread through contact with saliva. Rabies is contagious to any mammal, including humans!

In addition to these, other vaccines are just as essential for some dogs based on their lifestyle and risk. These include:

  • Lyme disease: Lyme disease is an infection, spread through tick bites. The bacteria enter the dog's body while the tick is feeding and then migrate through the tissue, usually localizing in the joints, causing acute arthritis, and possible kidney dysfunction.
  • Bordetella: Bordetella in dogs is a bacterium that often causes respiratory disease. It’s one of the most common causes of the disease known colloquially as “kennel cough.”
  • Canine influenza: The canine influenza virus (CIV) is a contagious respiratory infection caused by specific strains of the influenza virus that affect dogs. CIV is highly infectious and most transmitted between dogs via nose-to-nose contact or coughing and sneezing.
Cat And Dog Vaccinations In Evergreen Park Il

Essential Vaccines for Cats

While cats spend most of their time indoors, it’s necessary to vaccinate your cat to protect them from various diseases such as:

  • FVRCP / Feline Distemper: The FVRCP vaccine is a vaccine that protects against Feline Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia. These viruses can cause severe infections that can often be fatal.
  • Rabies: Rabies in dogs is a fatal viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted through the bite of an infected animal, although it can also spread through contact with saliva. Rabies is contagious to any mammal, including humans!

If we determine your cat is at risk for exposure, we may recommend:

  • Feline Leukemia:
    • Feline leukemia (or FeLV) is the leading viral killer of cats. It weakens the immune system, increases susceptibility to other diseases, causes blood disorders and is the most common cause of cancer in cats. This vaccine is recommended based on exposure to other cats.

What to Know About Cat and Dog Vaccinations