Vaccinations

Vaccinations protect pets from a number of potentially dangerous diseases.

Vaccines contain harmless (either weakened or dead) variants of the viruses and other infectious agents. When an animal is vaccinated the immune system in the body responds by generating a protective mechanism through the formation of antibodies.

If the animal then becomes exposed to the actual disease at a later date, those antibodies will prevent the disease from developing.

The type of vaccines IVET Services recommends will be based on your pet’s lifestyle, risk factors and current guidance. Modern vaccines give protection to multiple diseases with just one or two injections. It is important to remember though that vaccines don’t give lifelong immunity and that is why regular booster vaccinations are recommended. It is also an excellent opportunity for your pet to have a full health check.

 

Are there any side effects?

It is rare for a vaccination to be associated with severe side effects. While your pet may seem quiet, under the weather, or off their food for a day or two after their injections, this is short-lived and they should be back to their normal selves quickly.

We will be able to assess the individual needs of your pet based on their age, overall health and lifestyle to ensure they receive the right vaccinations.

 

Dogs

Vaccinations play an important role in protecting your dog from dangerous and potentially fatal diseases like parvovirus, canine hepatitis and kennel cough.

Vaccines work by giving your dog a small amount of the bacteria or virus to be vaccinated against; this is usually a modified or dead strain, which is completely harmless.

Doing this exposes their immune system to the virus or bacteria and trains their system to recognise and attack it. This means, should they ever encounter it in the future, your dog’s immune system will be able to successfully fight it off, keeping them safe and healthy

We recommend that your dog is vaccinated against:

• canine parvovirus
• canine infectious hepatitis
• distemper
• leptospirosis
• kennel cough
• rabies (if you plan to travel abroad with your dog).

We will assess your dog’s individual lifestyle and environment to decide which vaccines are essential to keep them safe and healthy.

 

Vaccinating your puppy

Puppies are vulnerable to serious diseases like parvovirus and canine distemper, so it’s vital to get them vaccinated at the correct times:

• In puppies the initial course of two vaccinations is administered at 8 and 10 weeks of age..
• Your puppy shouldn’t mix with unvaccinated dogs until they’ve had all their injections and are fully protected. This is usually two weeks after their second injection.

 

Booster vaccinations for dogs

Your pet will need regular booster injections throughout their lifetime to maintain their level of protection. Some boosters for dogs are needed every year and others are needed every three years; this is because the protection they offer becomes less effective over time.

Dogs require:

• boosters for distemper, parvovirus and canine hepatitis every three years
• boosters for leptospirosis and kennel cough every year.

 

 

Cat Vaccines

Vaccinating your cat helps to protect him or her against several serious and/or life-threatening diseases.

A vaccine is usually given by an injection under the skin and it is a preparation designed to provide protection against a specific infectious disease through stimulating an immune response that will protect the cat if it is subsequently exposed to the infection.

The availability of different vaccines will vary between different countries, because some diseases are not present everywhere, and because vaccines are not necessarily licensed (and therefore available) in every country.

The most commonly available vaccines are used to provide protection against the following infections:

• Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV, feline infectious enteritis; feline parvovirus)
• Feline herpesvirus (FHV-1, cat flu)
• Feline calicivirus (FCV, cat flu)
• Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)
• Rabies
• Chlamydophila felis
• Bordetella bronchiseptica

 

Core Vaccines

The core vaccines are considered essential for all cats (including indoor-only cats) because of the widespread and/or severe nature of the diseases being protected against.

 

Feline neutropenia

Feline panleucopenia virus (also known as feline parvovirus or feline infectious enteritis) is a severe and frequently fatal cause of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Outbreaks of infection with this virus are common and a high proportion of affected cats can die.

Vaccines for feline herpes virus (FHV-1) and feline calicivirus (FCV) are always combined, as these two viruses together are the main causes of upper respiratory tract infections in cats (cat flu).

Rabies is an important disease and although it is more common in dogs (and more commonly passed from dogs to humans than cats to humans) cats can be infected and can be a source of human infection.

 

Non core vaccines

Non-core vaccines are only given to cats if there is a genuine risk of exposure to the infection and if vaccination would provide good protection.

 

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)

FeLV is an important disease that can be spread through fighting, through mutual grooming, and through sharing of food/water bowls and litter trays. Kittens may also acquire infections from the queen before birth.

FeLV is an important disease, causing a wide variety of problems in persistently infected cats including immunosuppression, anaemia, and lymphoma. Most persistently infected cats will die as a result of their infection.

* Decisions regarding the requirement for non-core vaccines may be based on the cat’s age, lifestyle and contact with other cats.

 

Kittens and adult cats

All kittens should receive their core vaccinations and any others that are agreed between you and your vet. The initial vaccine course is often started at 8-9 weeks of age, with a second injection 3-4 weeks later.

A first booster vaccination should be given 12 months later to ensure a good level of continuing protection. However, after that, the frequency of booster vaccinations may be only every 1-3 years depending on the vaccine, disease and risk of with the individual cat.

Cats that stay at a boarding cattery will generally require an annual vaccination (or booster vaccine before the cat goes into the cattery) as this is a higher risk situation.

Adverse effects from vaccines are very rare, especially in view of the millions of doses that are administered every year. The most common side effects are mild and include lethargy, inappetence or tenderness at the injection site, usually lasting no longer than a few days. More marked side effects may include vomiting, diarrhoea, lameness, fever, signs of respiratory tract infection, or lumps at the site of injection.

The side effect that has received the most attention in recent years is fibrosarcoma – this is a type of malignant tumour that can develop at the site of vaccination. It is now well recognised that this is a very rare occurrence (probably less than 1 in 20,000 vaccines administered) and it seems that both vaccines and other injectable products can carry a small risk of inducing this in cats.