How to save your pet’s life AKA Vaccination Recommendations
It might surprise you to know that many loving pet parents fail to protect their pet against unpleasant, painful and even potentially fatal diseases.
As your pet’s Veterinarian it’s our job to give you all the help we can to protect them from these diseases. One of the best ways we can do this with the most serious ones is by vaccination.
Even if you take your pet to the Vet regularly, there may be special circumstances where your little one needs additional protection. We understand that there is a lot of information available about vaccines, some of this is valid scientific data and some is speculation. We have provided the following as a guide to summarise the most important information on who needs which vaccine.
If you would like to confirm your pet is protected, please give us a call on 9797 2555 or drop us an email at contact@summerhillvillagevet.com
The curious may read on!
Protecting Dogs
All dogs should be vaccinated against 3 very serious diseases: the “core vaccination”
- Parvovirus
- Distemper
- Hepatitis
The vaccine for these diseases should be given several times as a puppy and ongoing into adulthood. After the first yearly booster is given (usually around the time your dog is 15 months of age) there is an option to continue with yearly boosters OR a 3 yearly booster OR have a yearly blood test to ensure your dog has adequate antibodies. At Summer Hill Village Vet we offer all 3 options, but most people just have the yearly booster with their annual check up.
Any dogs that socialise with other dogs either in the street, through the fence, at the park, in doggy daycare or kennels should be vaccinated against kennel cough. The agents covered by this vaccine are:
- Parainfluenza
- Bordatella
Because our inner west doggies tend to be very sociable we routinely vaccinate all dogs at Summer Hill Village Vet for kennel cough.
If your dog has been given a current C5 vaccine they are protected against all of the diseases discussed so far!
Less common diseases we may also vaccinate against:
- Coronavirus: Very young puppies are mainly at risk of contracting this disease. It does not cause significant disease in adults as most fully-grown dogs have been exposed and are immune to it. We may recommend vaccination against Coronavirus to breeders or for young shelter animals if we think they are at risk. Not needed for all other dogs.
- Leptospirosis: A nasty but not very common disease. We generally won’t include this in a routine vaccination unless the animal is in an environment rife with rats which are the most common carriers of this disease in our area. It can be transmitted in rat urine and is also found in the urine of some farm animals. So, dogs spending time on dairy farms and the like should be vaccinated against this.
- Rabies …not found in Australia!! However, Sandra at Summer Hill Village Vet is registered to administer the rabies vaccination to animals that are travelling to destinations overseas.
Protecting Cats
All cats should be vaccinated against 3 serious diseases:
- Panleucopenia
- Herpesvirus
- Calicivirus
The vaccine for these diseases is a core one and should be given several times as a kitten and ongoing into adulthood. After the first yearly booster is given (usually around the time your cat is about 15 months of age) we continue to give the herpesvirus and calicivirusvaccine every year, and the panleucopeniaone every 3 years. Previous recommendations of 3 yearly vaccines for cats are NOT adequate for herpesvirus and calicivirus!
If your cat has been given a current F3 vaccine they have some protection against all of these diseases!
Other diseases we may vaccinate against:
- Chlamydia: Can be a common cause of flu-like symptoms in cats but is mainly a disease we see in shelters and breeding catteries. We may recommend a vaccine against this to those we think are at risk but it’s generally not included in the yearly vaccine for most cats.
- Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV): Not a common disease but always a fatal one. If you’re acquiring a cat and you are unsure of its history it should be tested for this. We do a simple blood test on the spot to screen for this and the FIV virus. If your cat is negative we then assess if they will be at risk of getting the virus. Cats can be vaccinated yearly for this if indicated. It’s mainly a disease of multicat households including breeding catteries. FeLV is generally not included in the yearly vaccine for most cats.
- FIV (or Feline AIDS): This vaccine should be given to any cat that is at risk of fighting with other cats. This means we recommend this vaccine for any cat this is allowed outside. Strictly indoor cats DO NOT need this vaccine.It has come to our attention that there are many cats receiving only a yearly F3 vaccine whose lifestyle puts them at risk of getting FIV. Please check your vaccine certificate or call us if your cat goes outside. If they are not protected against FIV we would like to get them up to speed as soon as possible!
- Rabies: Not found in Australia!! However, Sandra at Summer Hill Village Vet is registered to administer the rabies vaccination to animals that are travelling to destinations overseas
Protecting Rabbits
Calicivirus: This is a fatal infection that causes sudden death in rabbits. All rabbits should be vaccinated against this. Due to a new strain being released by the government soon to control wild rabbits, it is now important that most rabbits be vaccinated every 6 months instead of every year. Please call Summer Hill Village Vet to check your bunny’s risk status.
Prevention is better than cure! If your pet is not up to date with what they need, or you are not sure what they need please call us on 9797 2555. Animals that are very overdue for vaccination may require extra boosters…
