Vaccinations
Vaccinating your pet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they lead a healthy life.
Here are our top reasons for vaccinating your pet:
- Vaccinations protect against preventable diseases
- Vaccinations are substantially less expensive than the cost of vet treatment for the diseases they protect against
- Vaccinations protect your pet from transmissible diseases in boarding facilities, at parks and even when they visit the vet. If your pet has to be hospitalised for any illness, their immune system may already be compromised so you want to make sure they are protected.
Your pet’s health, lifestyle and exactly where in Wauchope you live may affect which vaccinations are necessary, so our dedicated vets will work with you to develop a simple and effective vaccination program for your pet.
Vaccinating your Dog
A puppy’s first vaccinations are at 6-8 weeks, then 10-12 weeks, with the final booster at 16-18 weeks, and annually after that. One week after the second puppy vaccination your puppy is considered vaccinated for socialisation purposes, and can be allowed to go outside and play with other (vaccinated) dogs.
Canine vaccinations are known by the codes C3 (Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis) , C4 (C3 plus Parainfluenza) and C5 (C4 plus Bordatella). In Wauchope we vaccinate for all 5, so our regular vaccine schedule is the C5 vaccine. (Additionally we can vaccinate for Leptospirosis, which is an emerging disease in some parts of NSW.)
- Parvovirus: causes potentially fatal diarrhoea, especially in pups and dogs under 2 years
- Distemper: coughing, diarrhoea and sometimes twitching, seizures, loss of balance and blindness
- Hepatitis: vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and possibly liver failure
- Parainfluenza: a viral disease causing a nasty cough, a component of the Kennel Cough vaccination.
- Bordatella bronchiseptica: bacteria causing a harsh, dry cough and lethargy, the other component of the Kennel Cough vaccination
Vaccinating your Cat
A kitten’s first vaccinations are at 8 weeks, then 12 weeks, and annually after that. Only one week after the final kitten vaccination should your kitten be allowed to go outside and socialise with other cats.
The main feline vaccinations are known by the codes F3 and F4, and common cat vaccinations around Wauchope are:
- Enteritis (Feline Panleukopenia) can be very severe especially in unvaccinated kittens less than 12 months of age. It causes fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, liver failure and sudden death
- Feline Calicivirus is part of the cat flu
- Feline Rhinotracheitis (Feline Herpes Virus) is another part of cat flu and can lead to permanent nasal and sinus infection
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV or Feline AIDS) should be vaccinated against if your cat EVER goes outside. It is a potentially fatal disease spread between cats via bites, for which there is no treatment or cure. It is present around Wauchope.