Vaccinating your pet should not be taken lightly. Vaccinations given at the appropriate age and at the appropriate intervals will greatly benefit your pet and protect it against some life threatening diseases.
Every patient that receives a vaccine must be healthy at the time, so a thorough examination is essential. This means that your pet’s whole body is checked, including teeth and skin, and anything you are concerned about can be discussed. Often we give the annual Heartworm injection at the same time.The vet who sees your pet will then issue a written report and a vaccination certificate, that is required if going to dog obedience classes or boarding kennels. Microchipping can be done at this time. Also worming and any flea problems can be addressed. You will receive an ANNUAL REMINDER for you pet’s Health Check, Vaccination, and, for dogs, Heartworm Injection.
At Peninsula Veterinary Surgery we recommend a vaccine regime for dogs that protects against the following 5 diseases: Canine Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza, and Bordetella. If all these vaccines are given together in the same injection, we call this a 5-in-1 vaccine. Not all of these diseases need to be given every year. We vaccinate according to the latest recommendations and that’s why some years your dog receives a full 5-in-1 booster and sometimes only a 2-in-1, after their initial puppy course.
At Peninsula Veterinary Surgery we recommend a vaccine regime for cats that protects against the following 3 diseases: Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calici virus (both involved in Cat Flu) and Panleukopaenia (Feline Enteritis). We give these annually as a booster after the initial course, usually as kitten. There are vaccines available for Feline Leukaemia and Feline AIDs but we only recommend these for certain cats after considering their risk of exposure.
Puppies and Kittens receive a series of vaccinations at 4 week intervals in order to insure that they are developing a protective immune response. While nursing from their mother, antibodies in the first few days of milk, will give the young one a temporary immunity that may interfere with the response to the vaccine. This temporary immunity can persist in some puppies and kittens for as long as 20 weeks.
