Vaccinations

• Rabies — Puppies receive this vaccine at 16 weeks of age. Then, at the dog’s one-year appointment, they are vaccinated again. After the first adult vaccines, this vaccine is given every three years. Rarely seen in our pets, rabies can be fatal once contracted. This vaccine is usually required to obtain a license for your pet.
• DA2PP — Canine distemper-adenovirus type-2 parainfluenza, parvo vaccine. This is a very important vaccine in the Reno area. We do this vaccine yearly to ensure that our patients are protected from this serious virus. Parvo is very commonly diagnosed in Reno and Sparks, and it can be fatal if untreated. Distemper is a serious but rare disease that can be fatal.
• Bordetella (kennel cough vaccine) — This is a two-series vaccine during the first round of injections, and then the vaccine is delivered every six to 12 months, depending on your dog’s risk level. Bordetella, also known as kennel cough, is infectious bronchitis. It usually sounds like a dog trying to cough something up, with the cough’s quality being harsh and hacking. Sometimes the infection is brief, but it can progress to life-threatening pneumonia if left untreated.
• Rattlesnake — This vaccine slows down the dangerous spreading of venom from a rattlesnake bite. Fairgrounds Animal Hospital highly recommends this vaccine for all active, outdoorsy dogs. We recommend starting the booster series in February and getting the second injection in the series in March. Please remember a rattlesnake bite is always an emergency, even in a vaccinated dog.
• Lyme — This vaccine isn’t commonly administered here in Reno. It is a good idea to have your dogs vaccinated if you are hiking in California or traveling to the East Coast. This is a two-series vaccine, regardless of your pet’s age when the series begins, and it is given yearly thereafter for protection.

We proudly administer only Merial vaccines to our feline patients because we believe in using the safest products available for our patients. These vaccines help protect your cat from a very rare but serious possible cancer at injection sites.

• Rabies — Kittens receive this vaccine at 16 weeks of age. Then, at the cat’s one-year appointment, they are vaccinated again. After the first adult vaccine, it is given every year. Rarely seen in our pets, rabies can be fatal once contracted. It is spread through bite wounds or contact with a pet’s saliva. This vaccine is usually required to obtain a license for your pet.
• FVRCP — Stands for feline viral rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, panleukopenia (feline distemper or feline upper respiratory). It is a three-series vaccine administered to kittens, and at one year of age, cats receive the vaccine for this with a booster given annually.
• Feline leukemia — Outdoor cats and those at risk of escaping to the outdoors, traveling cats, or cats living in a neighborhood with a high number of infected cats should be vaccinated annually for feline leukemia. Kittens receive the two-vaccine series. We recommend this vaccine to all kittens, regardless of lifestyle. After the initial series of vaccines, we will help you determine if your cat needs it annually.