Pet Health Insurance Company

I found a very informative article in a pet health insurance company web site that helped me understand much better the complexities of my pet's immune system. The immune system is a very broad and complicated subject that can baffle the mind as you delve into the complexities of the system. Thankfully the basic concepts are fairly straight forward and the below should give you some understanding as to why you need to look at your pet's health from their point of view and not yours! By vaccinating your pet, you challenge the immune system. The first vaccination makes the immune system aware of the potential threat and allows it to prepare and train its defenses. The second and subsequent vaccinations allow the immune system to test that preparation by activating the defense mechanisms it has readied. It also serves as a reminder to the front line troops as to which intruders they need to be on the lookout for. Ironically, in some cases the immune system can work against a happy outcome. Organ transplants are an example. Here, although the new organ is obviously vital for the survival of the recipient, the immune system will go all out to get rid of it because it is perceived as being an intruder! So there is then a need for a host of drugs to suppress the immune system and allow the new organ to function in the new body. But of course, the immune system is then operating less efficiently and this opens the door for other dangerous elements to invade the body. As you can see the immune system is a complex, amazing system that we and even the veterinarians still do not understand fully. However, that doesn't mean we can't do our best to ensure that it is in the best possible shape throughout a pet's lifetime by applying sound basic pet health principles.