Vaccination & Your Pets

Should we vaccinate our pets at all?
It's worth remembering that many of the pet diseases we vaccinate against are killers.

Infectious diseases used to kill thousands of pets every year, but these days infectious disease is much less obvious - this is largely due to our safe veterinary licensed vaccination programmes.

Dogs & Cats

Provided their mother is immune, very young puppies and kittens are usually protected against disease as their mother's first milk carries immunity for them. However as they are weaned, this immunity fades.

Vets usually advise puppy and kitten vaccination courses beginning at approximately eight weeks for full immunity and then booster vaccinations every year or so throughout their lives.

There has been discussion recently about pet booster vaccinations. Are they really essential to your pets health? Or are they just a way for your vet to make money? The fact is that for some diseases, vaccine protection is much shorter. For example leptospirosis vaccine in dogs will only give full protection for about 12 months

Rabbits
Vaccinations can be started at 6 weeks of age and booster injections are recommended annually

Ferrets
there is currently no vaccine licensed for use in ferrets, although its worth discussing this with your vet as ferrets can be susceptible to distemper and canine distemper vaccine can provide protection.