Feb 28, 2014

Post Grammys Macklemore Speaks About His Issues Of Addiction

Seattle based rap sensation Macklemore, along with his partner Ryan Lewis, was a runaway hit at the 2014 Grammys, topping off a whirlwind year with a handful of Grammys, including best new artist, and sending the media into a whirlwind by using his performance as a means of marrying thirty three couples during the broadcast.

Macklemore has been dubbed by many individuals both in and outside of the industry as a “conscious rapper,” because of the fact that he often raps about social and personal issues that are close to him. Although Macklemore has long used his music to speak out about a variety of issues, many people did not realize until recently that the break out recording artist has a history of drug abuse and a strong personal reason for fighting the crusade against addiction.

Close Friend Lost to Addiction

In a recent interview for a new program launched by MTV called “Half of Us,” which is designed to help college students fight prescription drug addiction, Macklemore relayed the heartbreaking story of a younger friend with whom Macklemore had known when he was younger and gone through twelve step meetings with.

Like Macklemore, the young friend was also an aspiring recording artist who struggled with prescription drug addiction. When that friend was only twenty years old, he died of a drug overdose just hours after Macklemore had seen him for what would be the last time. The tragedy had a huge impact on Macklemore.

Macklemore “Walks That Line”

Macklemore continues to be heavily impacted by his young friend’s death for a number of reasons, not least of which is the fact that the rapper says he “walks the line” between sobriety and drug use all the time, regardless of how successful he has, and that he always will.

He explained that if it were not for the fact that he surrounded himself with a sober community that helped to support him and his health, he would be in grave danger of succumbing to addiction in the same way that his friend did. This position supports what has long been known by recovering addicts and recovery professionals: that there is no cure for addiction and that staying sober is a lifelong process that requires a strong support system.

Advice On Giving Advice

Macklemore also urged friends who are concerned about a loved one to give advice in the form of a question, suggesting that many of the pieces of advice that a friend may want to give are thoughts that already exist within the mind of the person. The person they are worried about could already be thinking that and asking thought provoking questions can help someone who is going through a difficult time come to important realizations about whether they are really happy and fulfilled and whether there are any steps they can take to improve their lives and the ways in which they are working toward their dreams.

Giving advice in this way may be much more effective and have a much lower chance of making a person angry or defensive.

Justin Levin is a licensed Family and Marriage Therapist from Milwaukee, WI. As a Clinical Services Manager he is focused on providing teenagers with the addiction treatment they need at Adolescent Growth.

Image Credit: 1.

Feb 23, 2014

Celebrity Style: Kaley Cuoco

2014 so far has already had some of the biggest A-list celebrity bashes and awards ceremonies, from The Golden Globes, to the SAG Awards and topping the charts of best dressed and best hair has to be The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco.

Kaley has a very signature look yet manages to mix it up for every event - with her cascading blonde ombre waves, to her very dramatic eye makeup. Now to get the look at home:

 

Step 1: Start by adding I&K clip in dip dye hair extensions. This will create beautiful volume and length for Kaley’s wavy hairstyle. Ombre and dip dye hair has been one of the most popular styles for hair over the last year and it’s here to stay, taking on a subtly ombre effect. Kaley keeps her roots a natural dark blonde, which gradually fades into a baby blonde. If you’re a brunette, you’ll find colours that go to a more golden blonde which will also look beautiful.

Dip Dye hair extensions are also a great way to not only get long locks but also to try the ombre trend without damaging the ends of your hair with dye – perfect!

Step 2: Next, spray your hair with a heat protector (this will stop damage to the extensions through heat) and start by loosely curling large sections of your hair together with the extensions using a large barrel curling wand, leaving the root straight. Hair straighteners will also work great for this style – keep the heat lower to create less defined curls for this look.

If the curls are still a little defined, gently run your fingers through to split some of the large curls. Finish with a spritz of high hold hairspray to keep it in place.

Step 3: Kaley’s makeup is always defined with a dramatic eye whilst keeping everything else like the base, cheeks and lips very natural. A fantastic foundation for this look would be Daniel Sandler Invisible Radiance – it comes complete with a matching concealer too and is on the right side of luminous to give a beautiful glow at the same time as looking like a second skin.

Keep the cheeks quite neutral too so that the focus is always the eye. A colour such as Daniel Sandler Crème Rouge Blusher in soft pink is perfect – it will give a hint of a flush and add a little dimension to the face. Choose a nude lipstick too such as New CID in Nudity. Here you can either leave it with just a lipstick or add some gloss. A good tip is to only go one to two shades lighter than your natural lip colour to avoid looking too washed out.

Step 4: Finally, for the dramatic eyes try using navy shades instead of black. This will give a dramatic smoky eye without being too harsh – especially if you have fair hair and skin tone.

Daniel Sandler has a brilliant eye liner for this look in the colour Blue Velvet. It’s soft enough to smudge but is very long lasting.  To create the dramatic eye use the eyeliner to line the water line and another tip is to line the top lash line as close to the base of the lashes as possible to make them look thicker and fuller.

For the rest of the eye you can use any colour you would like – champagne’s, beige, even silvers. Take the eyeliner under the bottom lash line too, and use a smudge brush to make the line smoky and less harsh. You could even turn it into a slight flick on the upper lid too.

Finish with lashings of your favourite black mascara.

Featured images:
  •  License: Image author owned 

Laura is a hair and beauty writer with extensive knowledge in Beauty, Makeup and hair care.

Feb 18, 2014

The Real 'Jerry Maguire' Leigh Steinberg Seeks To Make His Way Back From Alcoholism


Tom Cruise was the star of the major hit film Jerry Maguire that was released in 1998. The movie also served as the launching pad for the career of then unknown actress Renee Zellweger, who played the love interest. Jerry Maguire was about the life of a sports agent who has a nervous breakdown and seeks to rebuild his life by exposing the dishonesty in his business. It’s based on the life story of real life sports agent Leigh Steinberg. While the film has a happy ending, in real life finding a happy ending is not always so easy. Recently, Leigh Steinberg has revealed that he has struggled greatly with an alcohol addiction.
Alcoholism Can Affect Anyone
Leigh Steinberg was considered a “Super Agent,” a sports agent who dealt with millions of dollars and high-profile people. But even he struggled with alcoholism throughout his life. Alcohol addiction is a great equalizer, in that it is a disease that people across all economic groups and age ranges suffer from. At his peak, Leah Steinberg’s clientele offered a veritable who’s who of sport stars, such as:
Steinberg reportedly made over 100 million dollars in his storied career, which surely seems enough to have been enough money for anyone to live on. But a decade later, Steinberg was broke, divorced, and a hardcore alcoholic.
Giving Up
What characterized Leigh Steinberg’s severe state of alcoholism was completely giving up on everything in his life, and spending hours drinking. Recently divorced, he would spend countless hours drinking, even being arrested for public drunkenness and floated through different rehab centers in fruitless attempts to recover his sobriety. He was also millions of dollars in debt, owing back rent, and money to a laundry list of people, including the IRS. People who are severe alcoholics are known for disappearing days at a time, usually to feed their addiction without anyone to stop them. This is often because the alcoholic is trying to escape from the realities of a life that he finds unbearable to face on a daily basis.
Seeking Sobriety
To Leigh Steinberg’s credit he says that after hitting the lowest point in his life personally, professionally, and financially, he has achieved sobriety for two years. He found success by attending a sober living program, and has focused solely on becoming sober. This was a tremendous achievement in itself, and once again shows how sobriety can be achieved when an individual is dedicated to a program of care for recovery.
Hopefully now, Leigh Steinberg can focus on pulling the rest of his life together. He wants to start a career comeback, which means becoming certified again as a sports agent, which he had allowed to lapse. This also means starting to pay back the debts he has accrued to various people. And most of all it means trying to re-connect with his children again. He has already overcome a giant hurdle in reclaiming his sobriety, after finding a treatment program that worked for him.
Featured images:
Cindy Nichols is an addiction treatment counselor helping people recovery from alcoholism at Recovery Now TV.

Jan 3, 2014

Michael J Fox Opens Up About Alcoholism

And other celebrities who have battled alcoholism and made it through.

The 50 year old star admits he’s had his struggles in the last few decades. He says when first discovered he had Parkinson’s disease in 1990, he didn’t know how to cope. His immediate response was to drink heavily - he had always been a drinker but things began to get worse. Fox began abusing alcohol as a substance that could numb the feelings of fear and confusion that came from knowing he had Parkinson’s disease.

The day came when Fox knew his drinking had gone out of control. With the support of his wife and family, Fox was able to quit drinking and has remained sober ever since. His career has continued on over the decades, with film roles and a new television series in 2013. Fox’s activism for Parkinson’s Disease awareness is another important aspect of his career.

Other celebrities have spoken publicly about their struggles with alcohol abuse in hopes that their stories will help inspire others to choose recovery. Here are a few celebs who have battled and ultimately won the struggle with alcoholism and addiction. Hopefully their tales can prove to be an inspiration to people who are currently struggling with addiction.

1. Elton John

The British singer began abusing drugs and alcohol early in his career to deal with emotional issues and feelings of insecurity. For a long time, he kept his struggle hidden from everyone except those who were closest to the singer. When the addiction began taking its toll, John went into treatment and has been sober ever since. He has drawn from his struggles to help other celebrities, like fellow British singer Robbie Williams and even rapper Eminem, overcome their alcoholism.

2. Anthony Hopkins

The celebrated British actor also had a drinking problem early in his career. His wake up call finally came after finding himself confused and alone in an unknown location after a night of particularly heavy drinking. Drinking had also caused Hopkins to isolate himself from the friends and family who cared about him. The actor admits that it was a 12 step program that helped him stop drinking and put his life and relationships back together.

3. Steven Tyler

The Aerosmith lead singer says that his battle with alcoholism lasted for decades and had its ups and downs. He admits that it was the rock star image that first made him want to take up a lifestyle of heavy drinking. Tyler thought that in order to be a proper rock star, one had to smoke and drink heavily. Today he’s sober and still able to do the rock star thing.

4. Eminem

The Detroit rapper’s alcoholism began with the use of prescription drugs. He would often combine the two to achieve a more intense high. Soon enough, he found himself addicted to both alcohol and pills and things began to spiral out of control. With the help of fellow entertainer Elton John, Eminem was able to kick his habit and stay drug and alcohol free.

John Lloyd is a recovery specialist and works helping people addicted to drugs and alcohol, learn more about the work he does for Seasons Malibu an addiction treatment center.

Image Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Dec 27, 2013

5 Urban Style Icons To Look Up To

If you are looking for a fresh new look then going with a bit of the urban style is a really good idea. This is a very relaxed style that is going to ensure that you are on top of the trends and look fresh in 2014. To help you create a good urban look here are five style icons you should look up to. There are icons in this list for both men and women to find inspiration for their own style.

1. Rihanna

The undisputed urban style icon for women has to be Rihanna. She is a big trendsetter that has influenced many women that have entered the music industry after her.

She is very experimental and brave with her style. She likes to mix and match her style, which is great because it keeps the look fresh. For all the brave urban women out there Ri-Ri is definitely someone to look up to.

2. Tinie Tempah

One man you should look up to if you like the urban style is Tinie Tempah. He is a British musician who has added some geeky chic trends to urban style. He has made showing off that inner geek stylish and brought a lot of fun to men’s urban style.

Fashion Beans article points out that he is very good at mixing old and new, and smart and casual. This makes his style truly ground-breaking and fresh. You can’t really ever guess what he is going to wear to awards shows or gigs but you know there will always be something exciting in his style.

3. Pink

For people who love to add a bit of rock ‘n roll to their look Pink is the perfect style icon to follow. Her style has changed a lot over the years and it feels like she has finally hit upon the right type of combination between bold pieces and normal pieces.

Just like her music, Pink’s style is very much out there and really shows that she doesn’t care what you think. She is still good at showing a softer and more feminine side and is a good role model for all women out there.

4. Nick Grimshaw

Another good urban style icon for men is Nick Grimshaw. This radio celebrity who now also appears on TV has had a great influence in adding some gentleman-like style to the urban trends.

He is great at looking really gentleman-like while still adding bold colours and patterns to his look. He is a lot of fun to watch if you are into fashion and there are many tips that you can take for your own everyday look.

5. Rita Ora

A new urban style icon is Rita Ora. Her style could closely be associated to that of Rihanna’s but there are some subtle differences. This was especially seen at the start when miss Ora hit the scene and was much more street.

The thing about Rita Ora’s style is that it often mixes some boyish trends in and is a really good combination of feminine and masculine styles.

Doris loves to follow fashion and she is always hunting for new ideas from UK-based urban clothing websites. When she isn’t browsing fashion blogs for new ideas she likes to go to gigs with her friends.

Image Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Nov 28, 2013

Defining Pet Popularity One Celebrity At A Time

In the modern world it’s common to have pets. It’s part of our culture. A pet brings a sense of companionship that you can’t get anywhere else since they have an unconditional love. They fill a gap or hole in your life. If an individual lives alone or if everyone is gone and you’re the only one home, then having an animal makes you feel less lonely. They help you to be less fearful of being alone. Plus, depending on the animal, they can be a source of entertainment. With so many attributes it almost seems like you can’t go wrong with owning a pet. People go out of their way to take care of their pets or to bond with their pets.

Many famous celebrities have a pet they adore. Some obsess over them more than others. But pets are someone they can trust since there are so many sick people that would use a celebrity for their popularity. Here’s a hefty list of celebrities and how they put their pets on a pedestal:

Miley Cyrus

The most dramatic woman in Hollywood right now is a dog lover. She is known for rescuing dogs and often poses with her Husky Mix Floyd.

Hugh Jackman

Being Wolverine and having such broad shoulders and sculpted muscles you’d think Hugh Jackman would have a masculine dog. But with charm and class comes expensive taste. And Hugh Jackman is owning expensive taste like Chuck Norris, with his favorite pet, Dali, a French Bulldog.

Ryan Gosling

Every woman’s dream man is even dreamer when you find out what he did for his dog. Carry him up the stairs! If he treats his dog so well you can only imagine how he would treat his women.

Sandra Bullock

The Oscar-Winning babe that has starred in numerous hit movies is known to carry around her pups Ruby, Poppy, and Bebe. It’s pretty adorable huh? She’s a really blunt and bold woman but she enjoys the innocence of her two dogs.

George Clooney

Talk about weird. George’s best bud was a potbellied pig named Max. Although, the pig died in 2006 after sharing eighteen wonderful years with Clooney. Even though George is a well-renowned bachelor he would let a potbellied pig into his bed, let along into his heart? Talk about priorities. What does that say about a woman? Nothing good can come from that! But we all have to bond with someone

Adam Sandler

This man should be known for his bulldog and not just his comedy abilities. Adam’s ring bearer at his wedding was his furry little friend Meatball the bulldog. Meatball dressed up for Adam’s wedding, donning a tuxedo. Adorable. The bulldog also had a funeral service with more than one hundred guests present.  

Why put pets on a pedestal? What is so significant about a relationship with a pet? Here a few suggestions why George Clooney would share his bed with a pig, or why Adam Sandler would have a large funeral service for Meatball.

An animal’s love is unconditional

Animals are very grateful

Your nurturing and caring side is strengthened

Emotional relationship

Gives you an opportunity to stay active

Pets lower stress rates/ make you feel calmer

Pets protect you

Animals help you to feel less lonely

Entertain you

Always there to cheer you up (unless it’s a cat)

Overall you are the only life that little or big animal knows. Their lives revolve around you and how you take care of them. We love them because they love us, even if we are flawed. They don’t care. All they know is if you love them. They may not be able to talk but they can feel. They know when their master/ friend loves and cares for them.

George Clooney enjoyed his pig because he made a strong bond with him. He looked forward to coming home to his pig. And Adam Sandler shared the same relationship with his dog Meatball. Adam just simply did what Meatball would have done if he was a human, and that his make Adam his ring-bearer. These celebrities are simply reciprocating the unconditional love their pets are giving them. They are returning the love. So don’t take your pets for granted!!! And enjoy the time you have with them! 

Featured images:

Rachael Largent is a content creator who enjoys writing about animal care and putting pets on pedestals.

Nov 27, 2013

Most Successful Top Models Of 2013

1. Gisele Bündchen

Gisele can be proud of her 2 ft. tall legs as well as an inconceivable $42 million a year from modelling activities. Bündchen's main source of income is her lucrative merchandising partnerships as well as contacts with the likes of Pantene, Oral-B, Sky HDTV, and Chanel beauty.  In the future we may see the Brazilian supermodel turning her focus on business ventures, such as her eco-friendly Sejaa Pure Skin Care company.

2. Miranda Kerr

Australian beauty Miranda Kerr is known as Victoria’s Secret Angel, Orlando Bloom’s sweetheart and a budding entrepreneur too. Although her professional contract and blissful marriage recently ended, Kerr has the reputation benefits of her name and some million dollars to console her. Besides her contracts with various clothing retailers, Miranda is also massively popular in Asia and runs her own cosmetics company.

3. Adriana Lima

It is only fair for the longest-serving Victoria’s Secret Angel to hold the most lucrative modelling contract in the company. Apart from the famous lingerie retailer, Lima has seen huge earnings from collaborations with Miu Miu, Mavi Jeans and Donna Karan.

 4. Kate Moss

Yes, there is still only one Kate in London. Starting her career as Calvin Klein’s muse in early 90s, Moss has been an exemption to the golden rule of models’ short shelf life. Moss, at 39, is still the heroine of fashion chic, with contracts including Rimmel, Versace and Vogue Eyewear.

5. Liu Wen

This 25-year-old is definitely one to watch: Crowned China’s first supermodel, edgy Liu is also the first Chinese model to catwalk for Victoria’s Secret. In her long list of campaigns we meet some of the biggest names in fashion including Calvin Klein, H&M and Hugo Boss.

6. Hilary Rhoda

Rhoda owns her success to her versatile image: regular catwalk fixture for Victoria's Secret, athletic enough for Nike and high-profile muse for the likes of Ralph Lauren and Gucci. Her contract with the cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, counting already 7 years, is only expected to get more lucrative as it matures.

7. Carolyn Murphy

All-American Murphy started her modelling career in her hometown in Florida and managed to become one of the most recognizable women in the world of fashion. She is currently the host of Project Runway: All Stars, but has also inked contracts with Coach, Ann Taylor Loft and Carlo Pazolini.

8. Joan Smalls

Smalls’ career kicked off in 2010 when she was chosen to walk exclusively for Givenchy. Since then she has posed for Chanel, Lacoste, and Balenciaga and covered Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and GQ. Despite her young age, she is a newcomer to FORBES’ list of the highest-paid top models of the world.

9. Candice Swanepoel

Gorgeous Candice was first discovered in a flea market in South Africa at the tender age of 15. Her resume includes endorsements from Versace and Juicy Couture, Vogue covers, advertisements for Tommy Hilfiger and catwalks for numerous designers. However, like most “Angels”, Swanepoel’s biggest paycheck is her contract with Victoria’s Secret.

10. Lara Stone

Gap-toothed Dutch model Lara Stone is routinely opening shows for Givenchy, Prada and Marc Jacobs. Her big success story though is Calvin Klein’s “crush” with her: Lara has an exclusive deal with Calvin Klein Jeans, ck Calvin Klein and Calvin Klein Collection, appearing in ads for all three of them. 

Featured images:

Katerina is an avid blogger with a real appreciation of beauty. She is currently blogging for vixenandblush.com  about hairstyles and fashion.

Nov 13, 2013

Obsessed Celebrities: How Much Surgery Is Too Much?

Plastic Surgery & Body Dysmorphic Disorder

There are some stars that just never seem to age. Then again, there are other stars whose appearances begin to look stranger, rather than younger. They may be suffering from a condition called "Body Dysmorphic Disorder," or BDD, which means “ugly body syndrome.” About 1 percent of the population in the U.S. has this disorder.

No matter now minor a perceived imperfection, the body dysmorphic insists that they are seriously defective because of it. These stars, seen by the public as the ultimate in beauty, are utterly convinced they are horribly ugly.

A recent study in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery found a 33 percent incidence of BDD in patients who ask for nose jobs. Legitimate plastic surgeons refuse any patient they feel may have this disorder, leaving the patient to find surgeons or others who are not so careful.

BDD can even become deadly. It can lead persons, mostly women, to think that they are obese, although they are not. They may diet so severely and for so long that they may literally starve to death.

The stars who underwent multiple plastic surgeries looked good before the surgeries. Most would agree that the plastic surgeries made their appearances worse. The following is a list of some of those celebrities. 

Pete Burns

Pete Burns is a British singer who, when he was younger in the early 80s, performed as the front-man for “Dead or Alive.” Burns’ experiments on his own face included hundreds procedures involving plastic surgery, permanent makeup, tattoos, injections, fillers and tissue reconstruction. He is now completely unrecognizable after 20 years of plastic surgery.

Although he is an extreme case, celebrities like Janice Dickinson, Melanie Griffith, Barry Manilow, Bruce Jenner, Joan Rivers and Carrot Top are among dozens of other celebrities who have had too much plastic surgery.

Jocelyn Wildenstein 

Jocelyn Wildenstein was nicknamed by the press “The Bride of Wildenstein,” a reference to the Bride of Frankenstein. She has currently spent more than $4 million on various plastic surgeries trying to look like a lioness. She said she had the surgeries to please her husband who liked big cats.

She and her husband had a bitter divorce after a long marriage. Wildenstein received $2.5 billion in the settlement, but the judge stipulated that she could not use the money for any plastic surgeries or other related procedures.

Hang Mioku

Hang Mioku, a 48-year-old woman from South Korea, is also a BDD chasing perfection. A model and up-and-coming singer, she became obsessed with silicone injections. Her procedures have turned out disastrously. Mioku even went as far as injecting cooking oil into her own face.

Korean TV told Hang’s story and viewers donated the cost of corrective surgery. It took 10 operations to remove 60 grams of silicone, cooking oil and other substances from her face. The surgeons removed another 200 grams from her neck. Her face is more appropriate for her tiny body now, but she is still scarred for life.

Silicone injections are dangerous, but many people take the danger so lightly that they throw silicone injection parties in their homes. The attendees then have the silicone injected, sometimes by untrained persons, into their faces, necks, buttocks or other body parts. The cost is low, so people who cannot afford plastic surgery often pursue this method.

The best defense for these people are the legitimate surgeons who refuse the surgeries and law enforcement to arrest the unqualified.

Peter Wendt is a writer from Austin, Texas. He recommends his readers interested in plastic surgery to visit this website and learn more. 

Image Credit: 1, 2.

Nov 9, 2013

Holistic Health Care For Dogs

To many people, having a dog as a pet means putting out food and water, and occasionally taking him for a trot around the block.  Later, they seem surprised and outraged by enormous vet bills, and wonder if they could have done something differently to prevent the disease their pet is suffering from.  Or, perhaps they don’t wonder.

One great thing you can do for your pet is talk with your veterinarian in depth about preventing disease, and make sure you are on the same wavelength as far as a holistic approach.  You may get lucky and find a vet who believes in combining western and eastern medicine to treat your beloved pets.  Prevention is the key to wellness, but treatment of existing issues should also be looked at with an open mind.  Dogs can benefit greatly from chinese herbs, supplements, acupuncture, and acupressure.

Nutrition

We humans are learning more and more about preventing disease through proper nutrition and the fact is, it is the best way to keep your pets healthy too.  Ideally, you and your pets should be eating unprocessed, whole, fresh food.  Whether you decide to feed your dog a raw meat diet, a vegan diet, or something in between, the food should be good quality.  Sprinkling random kibble into a bowl every day, or opening a can of the cheapest thing you could find, is going to cost you big in the long run.

It has recently come to light that some of the ingredients in cheap commercial dog food are highly questionable.  The ingredient “meat and bone meal”, may in fact be ground up dogs and cats that have been euthanized at shelters, as well as the parts of livestock that are too nasty to even be included in hot dogs.

Depending on your dog’s current health, he may also need vitamins, probiotics, or enzymes.

Vaccinations

It used to be that pet owners were always told that their dogs or cats needed to be vaccinated annually for a number of things.  Now we hear contradictory data about the annual booster shots.  Vaccinations are a money maker for veterinarians, so many haven’t changed their policy, but some vets say that most of the shots last years longer than originally thought, and that annual boosters will certainly result in health issues.  Many animals suffer serious side effects or allergic reactions to vaccinations.  Long term chronic diseases and health issues are often triggered by vaccinations, including arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome, skin allergies, epilepsy, leukemia, and other forms of cancer.  Behavioral changes such as aggression is often noted after getting boosters.  Autoimmune disorders are being seen more and more as well as cancer in younger animals.


It’s a good idea to discuss your particular situation with your vet when decided which vaccinations your pet needs and at what age.  Puppies and kittens should not be vaccinated before they are 12 weeks old.  Their immune systems are not fully developed and can be overstressed by vaccines.  Determining factors include whether your pet will be exposed to other animals, the health of your pet, and whether he has had reactions to vaccines in the past.  If your vet suggests a booster shot for your dog, ask for a blood test to determine if there are still enough antibodies present to resist infection.

Dr. Andrew Webber is a retired veterinarian and writer who is passionate about promoting pet health and safety through his written works online.

Image Credit: 1, 2, 3.