Vaccinations are Vital

We are now seeing the end of lock-down for Melbourne (yay!), during this time we saw many people choose to postpone their pets annual health check and vaccination. Now is the time to ensure your pet's vaccinations are up-to-date and ensure they remain well protected.

In Australia, dogs should be vaccinated as a minimum with the C3 vaccination – this protects against parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis. We also recommend protection against Canine Cough which is highly contagious, and still very common. The combination of these two vaccinations is called a C5.

Cats are recommended to receive at least the F3 vaccination – this helps protect them against cat flu and feline panleukopaenia. If your kitty ventures outside then they also need to be vaccinated against FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus).

Sadly, we occasionally see cases of these particular diseases, with the vast majority occurring in unvaccinated pets. Episodes of these illnesses generally require at least a veterinary consultation and treatment to get your pet feeling well again, so to avoid this, just ensure that your pet is always up to date with their vaccinations.

Unfortunately, some of these diseases (such as parvovirus) can require your pet to have intensive care treatment in the vet hospital, and sometimes these diseases can even be fatal, especially in puppies, kittens or older animals.

Annual booster vaccines are recommended for most pets.

Thereafter, it’s best for your pet to have a health check annually, where our vets can assess your pet’s general health and discuss which vaccines are required each year to maintain their protection.

We recommend senior pets have health checks every six months to ensure we catch disease processes commonly associated with ageing, as early as possible to ensure the best outcome possible.

Dogs or cats that go into daycare or boarding are always required to be up-to-date with annual vaccines.

If you are unsure whether your pet is up-to-date with their vaccines, give us a call and we can let you know!