Why do animals need vaccines?  What is their function?  Why do kittens and puppies need more vaccines than they do as they become cats and dogs?

Vaccines are a way of immunizing animals from common ailments, much like the shots you get from the doctor.  The idea is that your body and the bodies of cats and dogs fight diseases in their own way, but can be more efficient if they are already fighting off the disease by giving them a form of the virus or bacteria that will not have deleterious effects on the body.

 Antibodies are the soldiers in your body that attack viruses and bacteria.  They are released in the presence of these foreign bodies.  Vaccines provide the presence for the soldiers to react upon, so that in the case of the actual bacteria or virus reaching its host, they will quickly be eliminated.

At about eight weeks of age, puppies and kittens are given their first vaccinations.  The soldiers are then released for attack.  However, not enough soldiers are produced.  Without a vaccination, the soldiers will increase in number, but then revert back to no soldiers.  At a criticle time four weeks after the first vaccination, the booster shot is administered.  This increases the soldiers fighting off the virus to the point where, if the actual disease came along, they would be able to stop it from wreaking havac on the body.  After this, the vaccine can be administered once or twice a year for full effectiveness.

For cats and dogs, vaccines are very important.  See your local vet to see which vaccines you require in your area.  Some areas have a higher risk of certain diseases than in other areas.