Neil Lang, age 11, of Edison, New Jersey, for his question:

Why do animals need distemper shots?

Next week, Santa is sure to bring pets to some of us. So, just in case you get a Christmas puppy, be ready to check on his medical record right away. Human children are prone to mumps and measels. Puppies are prone to a very ghastly disease called distemper. This is not the time to go into the horrible details. But unless treated, most infected puppies die a painful death. And, as usual, the best treatment is prevention.

Just as children should get shots to protect them from polio, measles and such, puppies should have shots to protect them from distemper. The injection is a special vaccine that makes him immune to the distemper germ. Cats can be infected by a different strain of distemper, so the Christmas kittens should get shots of the right vaccine to protect them. If Santa happens to bring, a pony, he deserves a shot of still another antidistemper vaccine. This saves him from a sickness called the strangles. Let's be ready to tend to these important details, just in case.