Vaccinations

Vaccinating Your Dog or Cat

Pet owners should be aware of the various diseases that can harm their animals and potentially be fatal. Most of these are extremely contagious and quite detrimental to your pets’ wellbeing. It is recommended that your pets are vaccinated while they are still young to prevent them from contracting these life-threatening diseases. Vaccinating dogs and cats are slightly different, below is everything you need to know about both.

Dog Vaccinations

Dogs are generally vaccinated while they are young. However, it is important that they receive annual boosters to keep them safe. It is extremely important that puppies are vaccinated at the right time and receive the full set of vaccinations to ensure that they are protected. While new born and young puppies receive antibodies from their mother through feeding, these diminish over time in the same way vaccines do. Vaccinations and boosters are essential to decrease the risk of your dog contracting certain diseases.

A few after effects of vaccinations can be expected. Your dog may not seem like themselves for a few days, they may also experience pain and inflammation. You can help your dog by ensuring it has food, water and a place to lay comfortably. If any major symptoms occur, you should notify your vet immediately.

The following is a list of diseases the vaccinations aim to prevent:

Canine parvovirus
Canine distemper
Canine hepatitis
Canine cough (commonly known as kennel cough)
Canine coronavirus
Canine leptospirosis

Cat Vaccinations

It is important that your cats have vaccinations against a range of diseases. Calicivirus, Leukemia Virus, rhinotracheitis, chlamydia and feline panleukopenia require at least 2 vaccinations for both kittens and unvaccinated cats. Feline immunodeficiency requires at least 3 vaccinations. It is recommended that you get theses vaccinations done when your cat is 8 weeks of age or older. After the initial vaccines, the cat should get yearly boosters.

You can expect your cat to be a little unlike themselves after vaccinations. The vaccination site might seem tender and inflamed for a short period of time. You can boost the recovery process by keeping your cat comfortable and allowing them a lot of rest. It is also important that you make their food and water easily accessible. If you notice any symptoms that seem unusual, it is recommended that you immediately contact your vet for assistance.

The following is a more in-depth description of the diseases that your cat needs to be vaccinated against:

Panleukopenia is an extremely contagious disease with a high death rate, even more so with younger cats. It also impacts pregnant cats and can lead to miscarriage or having kittens with defects.
Calicivirus is also known as cat flu. This disease can affect cats of all ages. The symptoms include runny eyes, sneezing, coughing, tongue ulcers and nasal discharge.
Feline leukemia causes your cat’s immune system to drop. It may also show symptoms of apathy, diarrhoea, vomiting and appetite loss.
Chlamydia can cause severe conjunctivitis. It often attacks kittens, especially if their immune system is in any way compromised.