What side effects can be seen from vaccines?
Many dogs (especially small breeds) and cats will have a mild fever and may be a little quiet and have a decreased appetite for one day after vaccination. If a pet has multiple vaccines given at one time, the likelihood of a reaction may increase. More severe reactions are uncommon and you should watch for:

• Facial swelling or hives
• Lethargy if severe or lasting more than one day
• Vomiting or diarrhea
• Loss of appetite for more than one day
• Severe weakness, collapse or shock - usually occurs within hours of vaccination

What do I do if my dog or cat is having a reaction to a vaccine?
Call the SBHS clinic at 964-4777 between 10 and 5 pm. If outside these hours, contact your regular veterinarian or the CARE emergency pet hospital at 899-2273.

Do you test for heartworm or provide preventative medication?
No, please see your family veterinarian for recommendations on testing and preventative medication for your pet, especially if you travel with your pet. Heartworm has not been common in the Santa Barbara area in the past, but the number of local dogs infected is slowly increasing.

Do you test for worms or provide worming medication?
No, please see your family veterinarian for fecal (stool) testing for intestinal worms and medication, especially if you have a puppy or kitten. People can get intestinal worms from their pets so regular worming, especially of young animals is very important. Over-the-counter medications from pet stores are rarely effective. Please see your veterinarian.

Do you sell flea medication?
Yes, Advantix for dogs and Advantage for cats arc available for sale in the shelter office. You must be a member of SBHS to purchase flea meds.

My puppy has not received all his vaccinations yet; should I keep him isolated at home until he finishes all the puppy shots?
No, but use common sense and be cautious about taking your puppy to areas where lots of other dogs have left their stools since the Parvo and Distemper viruses are picked up when the puppy is exposed to infected stool. Because the first 3 months of a puppy’s life are when sociability outweighs fear, this is the most important window or opportunity for puppies to adapt to new people, animals and experiences. Isolating a puppy away from other dogs and new people can lead to a fearful, poorly socialized adult dog. (See the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior Position on puppy sociiization). Take your puppy outside on a leash for walks around your neighborhood, car rides and puppy classes will other puppies that have all had at least one vaccination and de-worming. Do not take your pup to the beach or dog park where lots of dogs have been until 5-7 days after the final DHPP vaccination in the puppy vaccine series has been given. Socializing with other adult dogs that are fully vaccinated is safe. Socializing with other puppies in a puppy class is fine but avoid play dates with other puppies outside of class until the vaccine series is finished.

Can I take my puppy to puppy classes if he has not finished all of his puppy vaccinations?
Yes, in most cases it is safe to take your puppy to puppy classes after the first vaccination and de-worming, but check with the class instructor to be sure of the vaccine requirements for that class.

What should I do in addition to vaccinations to keep my pet healthy?
The most important thing you can do for your pet to maintain good health is to see your family veterinarian at least once a year for a physical examination. This is especially important for new puppies and kittens and for pets over 7 years old. Vaccinations at SBHS do not include a physical examination. Since our pets cannot speak to us, a careful physical examination can be a very important way to uncover existing medical problems before they become more serious. During a yearly appointment with your family veterinarian you will also have an opportunity to discuss diet, exercise, flea control, intestinal worming and behavior problems with your veterinarian.

Weigh your pet several times a year. Changes in body weight, especially unexpected weight loss can be an early indication of health problems.

Feed high quality pet food. Dogs prefer routine with the same food at the same time each day. Cats may prefer a variety of flavors and studies have shown that canned foods are more beneficial than dry foods for cats (cats are carnivores and as primarily meat eaters, grain based dry foods may be poorly digested and can lead to weight gain).

Use flea control all year round for all pets in the household. Fleas are present in Santa Barbara all year round. Once you notice fleas on your pet, you have 100 times that many eggs and larvae in your environment and it will take several months to get the flea population under control. Topical medications like Advantage and Frontline or oral medications such as Comfortis and Program are the most effective. Flea baths, sprays, powders and dips are very ineffective and can be more toxic compared to thses products.