Why do puppies need to have such a long series of vaccines? Owners have difficulty understanding the ins and outs of the puppy (and kitten) vaccine series, and may ask you to explain exactly WHY they can't consider their new pet fully immunized after the first set of shots. Does this have to do with the number of shots or with the timing of the shots? What is so special about 16-18 weeks of age that animals can now start going out in public more? In this webinar, Dr. Jessica Hekman will explain the biology behind the developing immune system and the reason for the complex timing of puppy vaccines. Beginning with the basics of how the mammalian immune system works and how vaccines provide protection from infectious disease, she will explain how the immature immune system differs biologically from the adult immune system. She will describe the reasoning behind giving puppies a series of shots, so that you can better explain the process to owners. She will conclude with a few practical suggestions for balancing the need to socialize young animals with the need to protect them from infectious disease. Webinar Objectives summarize how vaccines provide protection from infectious disease explain how the immature (puppy/kitten) immune system differs biologically from the adult immune system explain why puppy shots are not effective long term when given before 16-18 weeks of age explain why we give puppies repeated vaccinations between the ages of 6-18 weeks even though we do not expect these vaccinations to be effective long term describe a practical approach to balancing the conflicting needs of socialization and reduced exposure to infectious disease during ages 6-18 weeks

Sponsor:Pet Professional Guild
Speaker(s):Dr Jessica Hekman

Contact: Rebekah King
 Email: membership@petprofessionalguild.com
 Phone: 413-648-7246
 Web: http://petprofessionalguild.com/event-2186316