There is nothing worse than having a sick pet. It is distressing for both you and your animal but in many cases this can be avoided with a proper vaccination regime.
Cats should be vaccinated from nine weeks of age to safeguard against flu, enteritis and leukaemia. This involves a course of two injections three weeks apart followed by a yearly booster to ensure your cat is kept fully vaccinated at all times.
Puppies are usually vaccinated against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis at 8 weeks, 10 weeks and 12 weeks old. Full immunity will be present at 14 weeks, however, the puppy can be taken out for socialisation at 11 weeks old, as long as stagnant water is avoided, this is because the leptospirosis part of the vaccination is not fully complete. A separate vaccination for Kennel Cough will be offered at 10 weeks old, this gives immunity for Bordetella and parainfluenza.
Annual vaccinations are important, as the vet will perform a complete health check before the vaccination is given. Often problems are picked up early, so treatment can be instigated, and is likely to be more successful. As a year in a dog’s life is equivalent to 7 years in human terms, this is the equivalent of seeing your doctor every 7 years!
We use the new Leptospirosis vaccine covering 4 different types, this is given yearly, the Distemper, Hepatitis and Parvovirus vaccine only needs to be given every 3 years. These are known as the core vaccinations, an additional annual vaccination for Kennel Cough is recommended especially if you are considering putting your dog into kennels, using a dog walker service or you encounter a lot of other dogs on a regular basis.
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