In my travels, I have the opportunity to chat with a lot of dog and cat owners. One thing that comes up frequently in our conversations is the topic of preventive care — things like vaccinations and choices in heartworm and flea and tick preventives. .

The dialogue spans a wide range, from those who are great at keeping up on all of that, to those who don't feel comfortable with their pet being administered vaccinations.

Despite any controversy over giving vaccinations, one thing is obvious: they have allowed the cat and dog population to live longer, just as giving heartworm preventive has.

My piece on the The State of Pet Health 2013 Report compiled by Banfield detailed how preventative care plays a part in helping pets to live healthier lives, and it was interesting to see how pets across the nation are faring.

Vaccinations provide protection against diseases, like feline leukemia, feline immunodeficiency virus, leptospirosis, bordetella, rabies, coronavirus, distemper, parvovirus, and more. Some of these diseases are highly contagious and can kill an animal quickly — others can cause the animal to develop lasting damage to organs.

For those wary of vaccines because of possible adverse reactions, you should know that they are rare. I recommend to my clients that worry about overloading a dog's immune system with multivalent (multiple vaccines in a single shot) inoculations can ask their veterinarian to get monovalent (single) vaccines and give the shots at different times.

Some owners have their animals tested to determine a level of immunity and make vaccination decisions based on the results. The test is done by drawing blood and checking it for titers, a measurement of the antibodies present in blood serum. A titer must be run for each disease, and you should know that the tests are far more expensive than the vaccination. Titers quantify the pet's reaction to the vaccination but do not necessarily indicate that the dog would be protected against an active incidence of disease.

Many pet owners note that they are concerned about allergic reactions with regard to their pets' shots. The type of vaccine largely plays a role in reactions — whether it is a viral (the majority), or a bacterium-based shot. Allergic reactions are indeed rare. I highly recommend that if a pet owner has questions or concerns with the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, or any other topic regarding their pets' wellness, please schedule a consult with a veterinarian so that they can give you the facts on a pets' needs.

Heartworm prevention was a large focus of the study, and with preventatives available, it is easy to keep pets from contracting it. Treating it is challenging, it takes time and the disease can have secondary effects in the body.

But the fact is, some people find it challenging to afford preventive care for their pets in the current economic climate, and don't know what to do short of forgoing it altogether.

Their situation is certainly understandable, but all is not lost. For more information on getting preventive care for your pets like core vaccinations, heartworm test and preventative — (even microchipping!) from the Humane Society of Huron Valley at a more affordable rate this weekend, click here.

Lorrie Shaw leads the pets section for AnnArbor.com. Catch her daily dog walking and pet sitting adventures or email her directly and subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.