Vaccinations
One of the most important things you can do to give your pet a long and healthy life is to ensure that they are vaccinated against common and serious infectious diseases.
Your pets mother provides immunity from disease for the first few weeks of life via antibodies in her milk. After that period it’s up to you, with the help and advice of your veterinary surgeon, to provide that protection.
Your pet should be protected against those diseases which are most common, highly contagious and which can cause serious illness or death.
When should my pet be vaccinated?
Dogs
The first vaccination is usually given in two doses, the first dose at around the age of 8 weeks and the second 3-4 weeks later.
Thereafter, your pet will require annual ‘booster’ vaccinations for the rest of their life to maintain protection. If there is too long an interval between vaccinations, your pet may no longer be fully protected.
Some of the diseases we vaccinate dogs against are:
- Distemper
- Parvovirus
- Hepatitis
- Parainfluenza
- Leptospirosis
- Kennel Cough
Cats
Cats may be vaccinated from 9 weeks of age and are usually given two injections 3-4 weeks apart.
To maintain immunity, yearly vaccines are given.
The viruses and diseases we commonly vaccinate against are:
- Panleucopaenia (feline enteritis)
- Feline Herpes Virus
- Feline Calicivirus
- Feline Leukaemia
Canine diseases include Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Infectious Canine Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Infectious Tracheobronchitis (also known as kennel cough).
Feline diseases include two forms of cat flu (Feline Herpesvirus and Calicivirus), feline panleucopaenia and feline leukaemia virus.
Rabbits
Unvaccinated rabbits are at a very high risk of contracting serious, life-threatening illness and should be vaccinated regardless of whether they live inside or outside. The diseases that we vaccinate against can be passed on from wild rabbits through fleas of from infected hay. Rabbits can be vaccinated from 6 weeks of age and require yearly vaccinations thereafter.Rabbits are vaccinated against;
- Myxomatosis
- Viral Haemorrhagic Disease