LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., May 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trinity Pet Hospital in Laguna Hills, CA. is raising awareness about the importance of annual pet vaccinations. According to veterinarian Dr. Maged Kerelos, immunizations are essential to protecting pets against commonly transmitted infectious diseases, including Kennel Cough and rabies. The veterinary hospital provides core and non-core dog and cat vaccinations, as well as the puppy and kitten shot series.
Veterinarian Dr. Maged Kerelos is urging pet owners to keep their pets up to date on all vaccinations. His animal hospital provides both core and non-core immunizations for cats and dogs, including the puppy and kitten shot series.
"Immunizations are the single most important thing that pet owners can do to protect their pets' health," said Dr. Kerelos. "Just like with humans, vaccines help prevent easily communicable diseases from affecting pets. These diseases can be spread between pets at dog parks, grooming salons and boarding, so we recommend keeping pets fully immunized to reduce the risk for illness."
The animal clinic offers core dog vaccines, including parvovirus, distemper, and canine hepatitis. These vaccines are available in the single DHPP shot. The clinic provides core cat vaccines including Feline Panleukopenia, and Feline Calicivirus/Herpesvirus. Rabies is also required for all dogs and cats.
In addition to core vaccines, Dr. Kerelos can discuss the administration of non-core vaccines for dog and cats. These include Bordatella (for preventing Kennel Cough) and Feline Leukemia.
The veterinary clinic recommends the puppy and kitten shot series for young dogs and cats who have been weaned. Due to developing immune systems, these young animals will need a series of shots every three to four weeks starting at the age of six to eight weeks until sixteen weeks of age.
According to Dr. Kerelos, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh any potential risks. "We recognize that many pet owners may have concerns about vaccinating their pets," said Dr. Kerelos. "While side effects are possible, the risk of an allergic reaction occurring is extremely unlikely. In fact, the risk of a pet contracting a serious illness from lack of vaccine protection is far greater. This is why we strongly encourage every pet owner to keep their pets up to date on all vaccines."
Dr. Kerelos cautioned that in order for vaccines to be effective, many require annual booster shots. If pet owners move or lose track of their pet's health records, it is possible for vaccine protection to lapse.
Trinity Pet Hospital provides comprehensive veterinary care services for companion animals, including wellness exams, immunizations, animal surgery, spay and neuter operations, and urgent care. No appointments are required for emergency or urgent care visits.
Dr. Kerelos's fields of interests include pet dermatology, soft tissue surgery, eye surgery and small animal internal medicine. The Orange County pet hospital serves the Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo, Laguna Nigel, Irvine and San Clemente communities.
Pet owners may learn more about the importance of immunization and the animal hospital's services by visiting http://lagunapetvet.com.