Dog Vaccinations
All of our animals have their vaccinations whilst with us if possible. Vaccine contains harmless forms of the viruses and bacteria which cause the diseases that your cat or dog needs to be protected from. Following vaccination, your pet’s immune system generates a protective response which will prevent the dangerous forms of these infections making your pet ill.
Vaccines are initially given from 6 weeks old in puppies and 8 weeks old in cats. They then have a second vaccine 2-3 weeks after the first. They have immunity a week after the second vaccination.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOUR PET RECEIVES A YEARLY BOOSTER TO KEEP HIS/HER IMMUNITY UP TO SPEED.
What do we vaccinate against?
Canine Distemper
This virus targets a number of areas such as the gut, respiratory tract and nervous system. In some instances, the foot pads and nose can become cracked. Distemper is often fatal and has a long incubation period so it is usually too late to vaccinate after the outbreak has begun.
Infectious Canine Hepatitis
This is a disease which attacks the liver, kidney, eyes and lungs of dogs. The disease is rapid and causes death within 24-36 hours. Some dogs can recover and then shed the virus for many months posing a threat to other dogs.
Canine Parvovirus
Parvovirus was first around in the 70’s killing thousands of dogs. Many affected dogs die despite veterinary treatment.
Coronavirus
is a common virus. It causes diarrhoea and other upsets of the digestive system. In addition, Coronavirus has been shown to increase the severity of disease caused by other viruses.
Leptospirosis
This is caused by a bacterium. We vaccinate routinely against 2 different forms of leptospirosis. One is picked up from watercourses contaminated with the urine of infected rats. Dogs can encounter this when swimming or drinking. This form of the bacterium attacks the liver and kidneys and is often fatal. It can also be transmitted to humans. The second form is caught from the urine of other infected dogs. It targets the kidneys and damages them. Sometimes the damage only becomes evident as the dog becomes older and develops kidney failure.
Canine Parainfluenza
Several infectious agents passed on through airborne droplets from one to another cause this disease. The main signs are a harsh hacking cough with gagging and retching which gives the appearance of having something stuck in the throat.