Vaccines are some of the most important preventive medicine we offer, preventing diseases that used to kill thousands of pets every year. But not every pet needs every vaccine, and the right protocol depends on your pet's age, lifestyle, and exposure risk. We don't over vaccinate at Ramtown. We don't under vaccinate either. We vaccinate appropriately.
Core vs. Lifestyle Vaccines
Veterinary medicine divides vaccines into two categories. Core vaccines protect against diseases so dangerous, so contagious, or so prevalent that essentially every pet should be protected. Lifestyle (or non-core) vaccines protect against diseases where the risk depends on what your pet does, since a Manhattan apartment cat has different exposure than a Howell hunting dog.
Dog Vaccines
Core Vaccines for Dogs
- Rabies - required by New Jersey state law
- DHPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza) - a combination vaccine that protects against four serious viral diseases
- Leptospirosis - now considered a core vaccine for all dogs due to widespread exposure risk. Lepto is also a zoonotic disease, meaning it can transmit from dogs to people
Lifestyle Vaccines for Dogs
- Bordetella (kennel cough) - recommended if your dog goes to boarding, daycare, grooming, training classes, or dog parks
- Lyme disease - recommended in NJ because of our high tick population, especially for dogs that hike, hunt, or spend significant time outdoors
- Canine Influenza - recommended for dogs in boarding or daycare situations during outbreak periods
Cat Vaccines
Core Vaccines for Cats
- Rabies - required by NJ law for cats too, even indoor only ones
- FVRCP (Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, Panleukopenia) - protects against the major upper respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses
Lifestyle Vaccines for Cats
- FeLV (Feline Leukemia) - strongly recommended for any cat with outdoor access or contact with other cats. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends it for all kittens
Puppy & Kitten Schedules
Puppies and kittens need a series of vaccines because the maternal antibodies they're born with gradually wear off. We start vaccines at 8 weeks of age and boost every 3 to 4 weeks until 16+ weeks.
Why the full series matters: Skipping doses doesn't just leave a temporary window where your puppy can get sick. It can render the entire vaccine series ineffective. Maternal antibodies interfere with vaccine response unpredictably, so each dose in the series is what makes sure protection actually develops. An incomplete series means your pet may never develop the immunity you thought you were paying for.
Vaccine Safety
Vaccine reactions are uncommon but do happen. The most common are mild, like a sore spot at the injection site or lower energy for 12 to 24 hours. Rarely, more serious reactions occur within minutes to hours of vaccination, which is why we want vaccine appointments scheduled when you'll be available to watch your pet for a few hours afterward.
If your pet has had a reaction in the past, tell us. We can adjust the protocol by spacing vaccines out across multiple visits, premedicating with antihistamines, or skipping nonessential vaccines entirely to minimize the risk while still keeping your pet protected.
