Vaccinations

Vaccination remains the single most effective method for protecting against infectious disease in healthy animals. Without proper vaccination, your pet is left unprotected.

Vaccines are preventative rather than curative and protect your dog or cat from several highly contagious diseases.

The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines after an animal is vaccinated, periodic revaccination is necessary to remind the immune system to produce enough protective antibodies.

Vaccines are regularly updated to improve safety and effectiveness and protocols have been changed in recent years to minimise the overall vaccine load given to dogs & cats throughout their lifetime. 

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The anti-vac movement, fuelled by social media, has resulted in pet vaccination rates falling below the threshold at which small outbreaks of deadly conditions such as Parvovirus  can be naturally contained. In many ways, vaccination has become a victim of its own success, one of the reasons some people fail to recognise the importance of immunising their pets is because of the perceived diminished risk of disease, which is precisely thanks to historic vaccination efforts in the first place. Many people have no experience with how terrible those diseases can be.

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The core canine vaccines that we use in the UK protect against

• canine distemper virus (CDV)

• canine parvovirus infection (CPV)

• canine infectious hepatitis/adenovirus (CAV-1 & CAV-2)

• leptospirosis

Non-core vaccines protect against

• boredetalla bronchiseptica (part of the Kennel Cough complex)

• canine parainfluenza virus (part of the Kennel Cough complex)

• Rabies - required when taking you pet out of the UK

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Core Vaccination protocol:

Puppy vaccinations are given as two injections 3-4 weeks apart, usually from the age of  8 weeks onwards.

Annual boosters are very important for maintaining your dog's immunity to these potentially fatal diseases. 

All dogs should be given their first annual  booster one year after the completion of their puppy vaccination course, this first booster will contain all the core vaccine components.

Thereafter all dogs should be receive booster vaccinations against leptospirosis every year.

Booster vaccinations against distemper, parvovirus & infectious hepatitis should be given every three years.

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The anti-vac movement, fuelled by social media, has resulted in pet vaccination rates falling below the threshold at which small outbreaks of deadly conditions such as Parvovirus  can be naturally contained. In many ways, vaccination has become a victim of its own success, one of the reasons some people fail to recognise the importance of immunising their pets is because of the perceived diminished risk of disease, which is precisely thanks to historic vaccination efforts in the first place. Many people have no experience with how terrible those diseases can be.

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Non-core vaccinations:-

Kennel Cough is respiratory infection caused by viruses and bacteria acting together. No of the available vaccines can offer complete protection but do protect against the most commonly involved virus (Canine parainfluenza virus, administered in our core vaccine protocol ) and the most commonly involved bacteria (Bordetella bronchiseptica). Kennel Cough vaccines do not guaruntee 100% protection but decrease the severity of symptoms suffered (red eyes, runny nose, sneezing, hacking cough. Protection offered by KC vaccination lasts 12 months.

Most boarding kennels require Bordetella vaccination of all boarders and owners should check how far in advance of their stay their chosen kennels requires the vaccination to be given (varies from 1-2 weeks)

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Rabies vaccine is required by law for all dogs travelling outside of the UK as part of the EU Pet Passport scheme and must be administered at least 3 weeks before the intended date of travel. Owners should check with the relevant authorities in the country of destination as to the exact requirements.