DOES MY PET NEED A VACCINATION?

What are vaccines? 

Drugs to protect your pet against contagious and often fatal diseases. Your pet will make antibodies after vaccination to protect them against these diseases. 

When does my pet need to start vaccines? 

Ages vary depending on if your pet is a cat or a dog and what type of vaccine is given. In general they are started between 6-8 weeks old (first vaccination) and are repeated between 2-4 weeks (second vaccination) - this is your pet’s primary vaccination course. A booster is given normally 1 year after this. 

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What do we vaccinate against?

Many things can be vaccinated against but some of the main diseases are are: 

canine and feline parvo

distemper

leptospirosis

feline leukaemia

feline and canine rhinotracheitis

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We vaccinate to protect our pets of course, but leptospirosis (lepto for short) can be passed onto humans - another good reason for keeping your pet’s vaccinations up to date. 

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How old should my pet be for their first vaccination?

Puppies 6-8 weeks

Kittens 8 weeks

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And for their second vaccination? 

This depends on the age of the first vaccination and the brand of vaccine given, we can advise you on this. 

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Can my pet be vaccinated if they are unwell?

No, its not recommended and we would need to make your pet better before we can start a vaccine course. 

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What if I don’t know if my new pet has been vaccinated?

Best to assume they've not had any vaccinations and restart. 

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My pet is old now, do they need a vaccination? 

As we get older our immune system can be less efficient so it is a good idea to keep up to date with vaccinations at this time of life.