Vaccinations

Every dog and cat should be vaccinated annually. These vaccinations are vital to maintain immunity against easily transmissible life threatening diseases. A puppy or kitten course does not maintain lifelong immunity, nor do infrequent boosters.

Core dog vaccinations include parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, distemper (these cause severe systemic disease and are often fatal) and 2 causes of kennel cough (a virus and bacterium). The viruses are particularly clever, and can survive for years in the environment. Therefore your dog does not need to be in direct contact with other dogs to be infected. For example, in February 2006 an outbreak of

parvovirus occurred in the inner city and eastern suburbs in dogs without recent vaccinations.

Core cat vaccinations include feline enteritis, herpesvirus and calicivirus. Feline enteritis is similar to canine parvovirus.

The other two cause respiratory problems, which once infected can persist for life.Other vaccinations available for cats in at risk groups are Feline Leukaemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

One year in the life of a dog/cat is roughly equivalent to 7 human years.

Therefore health checks are vital components of the visit when pets are vaccinated annually since this is rather like seeing your GP just once every 7 years. A thorough history and physical examination can detect early or subtle signs of disease, which can affect the quality or length of the pet’s life. As important members of the family the value of this cannot be underestimated!

Some pet health insurance companies subsidise vaccinations in addition to accident/injury or illness cover.

Adverse reactions to vaccinations are not common, are generally mild, and do not outweigh the benefits of immunity.

Studies have found reported adverse events to be in the order of 4 in 100,000. In the unlikely event of a suspected adverse reaction, Gladesville Veterinary Hospital reports the event with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) to help maintain vigilance of these figures.