Vaccinations

Vaccinations are a crucial part of responsible pet ownership. Prevent your pet contracting a painful or fatal disease and get in touch with Eclipse Park Vets today.

Vaccinating your pet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they lead a healthy life.

Amongst the important reasons to keep your pet’s vaccinations up to date are:

• 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 Highfields you live may affect which vaccinations are necessary, so our expert 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, 14-16 weeks, and annually after that. A week after their last final puppy vaccination, they can then go outdoors and to play and socialise with other dogs.

We highly recommend a C5 vaccination to protect your dog from:

• 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
• Bordatella bronchiseptica: bacteria causing a harsh, dry cough and lethargy

Vaccinating your Cat

A kitten’s first vaccinations are at 8 weeks, then 12-14 weeks, 16-18 weeks, and every year after that. Only one week after the final kitten vaccination should your kitten be allowed to go outside (in an enclosed space – check council laws for the latest) and socialise with other cats.

The main feline vaccinations are known by the codes F3 and FIV, and common cat vaccinations around Highfields 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): must 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

For more information about vaccinating your cat or dog, or to book an appointment, contact Eclipse Park Vets.