Pet Vaccinations
As responsible pet owners, we know you would like to ensure that your pet is vaccinated against preventable diseases.
Both cats and dogs can catch diseases which may in the worst cases be fatal even with supportive therapy. The benefits of vaccination and its complementary health check far outweigh the potential costs and consequences of any disease that may be preventable.
The importance of booster vaccinations is seen in animals of all age ranges. A primary course of injections when a puppy or kitten will require booster pet vaccinations to protect your animal for the rest of its life.
Dog vaccination
Routine vaccination for dog’s usually include protection against Leptosporosis, Distempter, Parvo Virus, and Hepatitis. Additional cover may be provided in vaccinating with kennel cough vaccine, which is instilled into the nasal cavity and is usually required before your pet is admitted into a kennel at least 3 days but ideally 10 days before. Leptosporosis can even be passed on from your dog to you, with serious health consequences. Your dog may not meet may other dogs, but these diseases can be carried on items of your clothing or shoes without you knowing.
Puppy vaccination
It is possible to partially vaccinate puppies from 6 weeks old, but more normally this occurs at 8 weeks old, with the second dose being given at 10 weeks old. A puppy from a bitch who has had her vaccinations kept up to date will initially have some immunity but this soon wains as the puppy develops. An adult dog whose vaccinations have lapsed would have two vaccinations 2 weeks apart. We would recommend that animals that have finished a primary course of vaccination are not taken out for walks or meeting other dogs until 10-14 days after their second primary vaccination to allow immunity to develop.
Dog booster vaccinations
Primary pet vaccinations do not provide immunity for the rest of your pet’s life, regular annual booster vaccinations are required. The annual health check that is included with the vaccination can sometimes highlight areas of concern with your pet, or may simply reassure of your pets good health. Early detection of some diseases may bring benefits and a quick check to ensure your pets microchip is working can bring peace of mind. Serological testing is available to check vaccination status but usually cost more than the vaccine, and does not guarantee ongoing protection. If you have concerns regarding vaccination, please ask us for advice.
At New Lodge Veterinary Centre, we use a vaccine regime that maximises the vaccination component duration of immunity intervals. For instance, the Leptosporosis protection in current vaccines needs repeating every year – even a small amount of rat urine can infect your dog with Leposporosis which can cause kidney failure. The estimated incidence of lepto has increased by 29.9% in the last 6 months alone (CICADA Survey). The incidence of other diseases such as distemper, parvovirus and infectious canine hepatitis are seen to be rising (CICADA Survey) especially as owners may chose not to vaccinate their pets. Some of these pets have litters and can lead to a population of pets with no resistance to these diseases at all.
Cat vaccination
There are a number of highly infectious and potentially fatal diseases which can affect your cat. If your cat lives in a multi-pet environment they may be at particular risk. For many conditions there is a simple protection in the form of pet vaccinations. Ensuring that your cat receives a course of pet vaccinations and then receives booster vaccinations is important if you want to keep your cat fit and healthy.
Kitten vaccination
It is possible to vaccinate Kittens from 9 weeks old, with the second dose being given at 12 weeks old. An adult cat whose vaccinations have lapsed would have two vaccinations 3 weeks apart. We would recommend that animals that have finished a primary course of vaccination are not let outside until 10-14 days after their second primary vaccination to allow immunity to develop. Our kitten vaccination course comes with a complimentary health check for complete peace of mind. During the appointment, we also discuss nutrition, general health care, parasites, neutering and insurance cover.
Cat booster vaccinations
Primary pet vaccinations do not provide immunity for the rest of your pet’s life, regular annual booster vaccinations are required. The annual health check that is included with the vaccination can sometimes highlight areas of concern with your pet, or may simply reassure of your pets good health. Early detection of some diseases may bring benefits and a quick check to ensure your pets microchip is working can bring peace of mind.
At New Lodge Veterinary Centre, we use a vaccine regime that maximises vaccination component duration of immunity intervals. For instance, some of the components in the Cat Flu, Enteritis and FELV in vaccines needs repeating every year as immunity does not last for the lifetime of the pet. Some of these unvaccinated pets have litters and this may lead to a population of pets already infected with these preventable diseases, such as Cat Flu and FELV. Kittens can be severely affected in infected with cat flu, leading to growth deformities, loss of vision and death.
Rabit vaccination
Myxomatosis is a viral infection that is spread by fleas, mosquitoes, and directly via infected rabbits. House rabbits, although at lesser risk than outdoor rabbits, may still have exposure to fleas bought indoors with bedding material or other pets. Fleas can survive for many months in hay. Myxomatosis can cause runny eyes with swollen lids, swollen genitalia, high fever, pneumonia and abcesses in the skin and body. If an unvaccinated rabbit catches myxomatosis, death usually occurs within 1-2 weeks. Treatment is supportive including syringe feeding, antibiotics and lots of TLC and is not always successful.
Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD) is a virus that is highly infectious and causes sudden death, often with few or no clinical signs. VHD is well established in the wild rabbit population in the UK. VHD is transmitted through food, clothing or footwear contaminated with infected wild rabbit droppings. It can also be transmitted by birds and insects or even on the wind. This highly resistant virus can survive in the environment for many months.
All rabbits, including house rabbits, can be infected by Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). Both these diseases are invariably fatal. Fortunately, vaccinations are available and these are the only effective methods of protection. An essential component of the vaccination is a complete physical health check from nose to tail to ensure they are healthy before vaccination and ensure that any concerns you may have about your rabbit’s health are addressed.
A combined vaccine against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease can be given from 5 weeks of age and gives immunity to both these disease for up to twelve months. Annual vaccination is recommended to maintain adequate protection throughout your rabbit’s life.