By Dr. Michael Skarie, DVM
Veterinarian and Owner of Hess Ridge Animal Hospital
When people think about a pet wellness visit, vaccinations are often one of the first things that come to mind.
And vaccines are important.
But a good preventive care plan should be about more than simply looking at a calendar and deciding which shots are due.
At Hess Ridge Animal Hospital, one of the biggest questions we ask is: What kind of life does your pet actually live?
Does your dog spend most of the day at home, or are they hiking in the mountains every weekend? Do they go to daycare? Visit dog parks? Board frequently? Travel with you? Spend time around wildlife?
For cats, we want to know whether they are strictly indoors or regularly go outside.
Those details matter because not every pet has the same exposure to disease.
There are vaccines that we consider core recommendations, and there are other vaccines where lifestyle plays a much larger role in determining whether they make sense for an individual pet. That is why our goal is not to simply give every pet every available vaccine. We want to understand the patient, look at the risks, and make recommendations that fit that animal’s life.
Vaccines Are Only One Part of a Wellness Visit
A vaccination appointment and a comprehensive wellness examination are not necessarily the same thing.
At Hess Ridge, we don’t want to treat a wellness visit as a checklist of vaccines that need to be administered as quickly as possible.
We are looking at the pet as a whole.
During an examination, we may notice how your dog is moving around the room, whether they are favoring a leg, whether their breathing sounds normal, or whether they are shaking their head. We may learn something from the conversation with you before we even begin the hands-on portion of the examination.
That matters because your pet cannot tell us when something feels slightly different.
They can’t explain that their knee has been bothering them.
They can’t tell us that their energy has slowly changed.
They can’t tell us that something doesn’t feel right internally.
A thorough wellness visit gives us the opportunity to look for those things while your pet is still feeling well.
Vaccines are part of that process, but they are not the entire purpose of the appointment.
How We Decide Which Vaccines a Pet Needs
The simplest answer is lifestyle.
At Hess Ridge, we divide vaccines into core vaccines and vaccines that are more dependent on a pet’s individual exposure and lifestyle.
For dogs, Dr. Skarie describes rabies and the distemper combination as core vaccines that are recommended broadly for dogs.
Then there are vaccines where the conversation becomes more individualized.
For example, a dog that spends a lot of time outdoors, hikes in the mountains, visits dog parks, interacts with other dogs, or has wildlife frequently around the home may have a different risk profile from a dog that spends most of its time indoors or in a private yard.
That doesn’t mean one dog is “healthy” and the other isn’t.
It simply means their environments expose them to different things.
Preventive medicine works best when it accounts for those differences.
What Are Core Vaccines for Dogs?
Core vaccines are those that Hess Ridge recommends broadly because of the diseases they protect against and the general importance of that protection.
Dr. Skarie identifies rabies and distemper as core vaccines for dogs. The distemper combination discussed in the transcript covers several important diseases, including parvovirus and adenovirus.
These recommendations are not based on whether a dog happens to visit a dog park.
They are part of the basic preventive care discussion for dogs.
Rabies is also an especially important vaccine because of the seriousness of the disease and its broader public-health implications.
When we recommend a core vaccine, we are not trying to add something unnecessary to your pet’s medical plan.
We are looking at the potential consequences of leaving a pet unprotected and weighing that against the benefits and risks of vaccination.
Why Lifestyle Matters for Non-Core Vaccines
The conversation becomes more individualized with vaccines that are strongly influenced by exposure.
Take leptospirosis as an example.
Dr. Skarie discusses leptospirosis as a significant consideration for dogs in the local area, particularly because of wildlife and the active outdoor lifestyles many dogs have. Dogs that hike, spend time around wildlife, visit dog parks, or spend a lot of time outside may have different exposure risks than dogs that rarely leave home.
This is why we ask questions.
Your dog’s daily routine can tell us a lot.
A vaccine recommendation should make sense for the life your dog actually lives.
What About Bordetella?
Bordetella is another example of a vaccine where dog-to-dog exposure is an important part of the conversation.
A dog that regularly interacts with other dogs has a different exposure profile from a dog that rarely encounters other animals.
Some examples include dogs that:
- Go to daycare
- Are frequently boarded
- Visit dog parks
- Regularly hike or walk with other dogs
- Attend activities where many dogs are present
- Frequently interact with unfamiliar dogs
Dr. Skarie specifically describes Bordetella as being more associated with dog-to-dog interaction and lists activities such as daycare, boarding, dog parks, walks, and hikes as examples where exposure may be relevant.
Again, the point isn’t that every dog needs exactly the same plan.
The point is that exposure changes risk.
Does Your Dog Need Canine Influenza Protection?
Canine influenza is another vaccine that may be appropriate for particular dogs rather than something automatically recommended for every patient.
Dr. Skarie describes it as something Hess Ridge uses for a more select group of patients, particularly dogs with substantial exposure to other dogs. That can include dogs attending daycare frequently, show dogs traveling through different circuits, dogs involved in frequent fostering, veterinary professionals who regularly encounter sick dogs, and dogs that travel frequently and are exposed to many other dogs.
That is a good example of why a veterinarian needs to know what your dog does.
If we only looked at your dog’s age and breed, we would be missing an important part of the picture.
Two dogs of the same breed and age could have completely different exposure risks because they live very different lives.
What Vaccines Do Cats Need?
Cats have their own vaccination recommendations.
Dr. Skarie discusses rabies and FVRCP as vaccines Hess Ridge recommends for cats broadly. He also identifies feline leukemia as a vaccine specifically recommended for cats that spend time outdoors.
This is another situation where lifestyle matters.
An indoor-only cat has a different exposure pattern from a cat that goes outside.
If your cat spends time outdoors, that information should be part of the wellness conversation.
It is also important to remember that “indoor cat” doesn’t automatically mean “no preventive care needed.”
Indoor cats still require routine veterinary care, and your veterinarian can help you determine which vaccines and preventive measures make sense for your individual cat.
Why Puppy and Kitten Vaccinations Are Scheduled in a Series
Puppies and kittens require additional attention during their early months.
At Hess Ridge, Dr. Skarie describes a typical 8-, 12-, and 16-week vaccination protocol for puppies and kittens, although recommendations can vary based on factors such as size, breed, and lifestyle.
Those early appointments are about more than vaccines.
Young animals are still developing, and their immune systems are not as mature as those of adult pets. Dr. Skarie notes that puppies and kittens are more likely to become sick and that Hess Ridge sees concerns such as diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, and young pets eating things they shouldn’t.
That makes these early visits valuable opportunities to discuss more than vaccination.
We can talk about nutrition.
We can talk about behavior.
We can talk about what your puppy or kitten is doing at home.
We can talk about what you should watch for.
And we can continue building a baseline for what is normal for that individual pet.
What If You Are Worried About Vaccines?
It is normal for pet owners to have questions.
Vaccines are medical treatments, and responsible pet owners should want to understand what they are giving their animals.
At Hess Ridge, Dr. Skarie’s approach is to make those conversations data-driven and evidence-based rather than dismissing concerns or simply telling families what they should do.
That means talking through both sides.
What are the potential benefits?
What are the potential risks?
What diseases are we trying to prevent?
How likely is this particular pet to be exposed?
What does the pet’s lifestyle look like?
What are the consequences of remaining unprotected?
Those questions can lead to a much more useful conversation than simply saying that vaccines are either “good” or “bad.”
There is no responsible reason to claim that every vaccine is completely risk-free. Dr. Skarie specifically explains that he does not tell families vaccines are 100% safe because that would not accurately represent the situation. Instead, the goal is to look at the available information and weigh the risk of vaccination against the risk of leaving a pet vulnerable to disease.
That is what informed preventive care should look like.
Be Careful With Vaccine Information on Social Media
Pet owners have access to more information than ever.
Unfortunately, access to information does not always mean access to accurate information.
Breeder groups, Facebook groups, online forums, and social media pages can contain strong opinions about vaccines. Some of those opinions may be based on personal experiences rather than scientific evidence.
Dr. Skarie discusses seeing misinformation about vaccines in breeder communities and emphasizes the importance of separating opinion from evidence.
That doesn’t mean you should ignore someone’s personal experience.
It means you should put that experience into context.
One person’s experience does not necessarily tell us what is most likely to happen to your pet.
When you have questions about something you read online, bring it to your veterinarian.
We can talk about what is known, what is uncertain, and how the information applies—or does not apply—to your particular dog or cat.
What About Vaccine Titers?
Titers are another topic that sometimes comes up when families are looking for ways to make vaccination decisions more individualized.
A titer is a blood test used to measure antibody levels against certain diseases.
Dr. Skarie is supportive of titers as an option for families who are interested, particularly because they can provide information about whether a dog has antibodies that may indicate protection. However, he also points out that titers are not a legally recognized replacement for rabies vaccination in Colorado, so the legal requirements need to be considered separately from the medical discussion.
That distinction is important.
A medical test and a legal requirement are not necessarily the same thing.
If you are interested in titers, talk with your veterinarian about what information the test can provide and how it applies to your pet.
Why Your Dog’s Lifestyle Should Be Part of Every Wellness Conversation
Think about everything your dog does in a normal month.
Maybe you take them hiking.
Maybe they spend weekends at the dog park.
Maybe they attend daycare several times a week.
Maybe they travel with you.
Maybe they are boarded when you go out of town.
Maybe they spend most of their time in the house and only go outside for walks.
Each of those lifestyles creates a different pattern of exposure.
This is why a veterinary team should ask questions instead of assuming every dog lives the same way.
At Hess Ridge, the goal is to select vaccines specifically for the patient so that we are not simply giving recommendations without considering the individual.
That same individualized approach applies to the rest of preventive medicine.
Nutrition.
Weight.
Parasite prevention.
Bloodwork.
Dental care.
Exercise.
Behavior.
A wellness plan should reflect the animal in front of us.
Wellness Care Should Change as Your Pet Changes
Your pet’s lifestyle isn’t necessarily going to stay the same forever.
A puppy may eventually start going to daycare.
A previously indoor dog may become your hiking companion.
A family may begin traveling more.
A cat that was once strictly indoors may begin spending time outside.
A dog may develop a health condition that changes what activities are appropriate.
That means vaccine recommendations should be revisited as circumstances change.
The question isn’t simply, “What vaccines did my pet get last year?”
It is also, “What does my pet’s life look like now?”
That is a much more useful question.
A Wellness Visit Should Give You More Than a Vaccine Record
When you bring your pet to Hess Ridge Animal Hospital, we want the visit to be about more than checking boxes.
We want to understand your pet.
We want to hear what you’ve noticed at home.
We want to know what they eat, where they go, who they interact with, and what has changed since their last visit.
The wellness transcript describes how the Hess Ridge care team gathers information about travel, food, coughing, sneezing, vomiting, diarrhea, current concerns, vaccine status, and medication needs before the veterinarian reviews the history and addresses the concerns with the family.
That conversation is part of preventive medicine.
Sometimes the most important information comes from something you almost didn’t mention.
“He’s been scratching a little more.”
“She’s sleeping more.”
“He doesn’t want to go up the stairs anymore.”
“She has started drinking more water.”
Those details can help guide the next step.
Vaccines are important, but the larger goal is to help your dog or cat live the healthiest, most comfortable life possible.
The Right Vaccine Plan Is the One That Fits the Patient
There is no reason to make vaccination more complicated than it needs to be.
At the same time, there is also no reason to treat every pet as though they have exactly the same risks.
Core vaccines provide an important foundation of preventive care.
Lifestyle-based vaccines allow us to account for exposure.
Puppies and kittens need appropriate early protection while their immune systems are still developing.
Adult pets need recommendations that continue to reflect their current lives.
And families who have concerns deserve clear information and an honest discussion about benefits, risks, and alternatives where appropriate.
That is the difference between simply giving vaccines and practicing preventive medicine.
At Hess Ridge Animal Hospital, our goal is to look at the whole pet—not just the vaccination record—and work with each family to determine what makes sense for that individual dog or cat.