Pukekohe Waiuku Veterinary Centre

We Treat Your Pet As We Would Our Own

When should I vaccinate my pet?

Puppy    – Puppies should be vaccinated at 6, 9 and 12 weeks of age.  They should not be taken to public places (parks, walking on the street, etc.) until one week after their final vaccination.

Annual boosters are required every year after this to ensure they remain fully protected.

Dogs that have missed out on their puppy vaccinations can still be vaccinated, but they will require a booster vaccination 3 weeks after their first one. 

Kitten     – Kittens should be vaccinated at 8, (sometimes at 10 also) and 12 weeks of age. Annual boosters are required every              year after this to ensure they remain fully protected.

 

What does the vaccine protect against?

Dogs      - Leptospirosis

             - Canine Distemper

             - Hepititis

             - Parvo Virus

             - Parainfluenza

Cats       - Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis

             - Calicivirus

             - Panleucopaenia

 

Optional vaccinations

Kennel cough - Kennel cough is a highly contagious virus that is similar to whooping cough, however it is only able to travel short distance, thus it is not normally a problem unless there are lots of dogs in close contact with each other such as at a boarding kennel or the pound.  All dogs going to stay at kennels must be vaccinated for kennel cough, if there is any chance your dog will stay at the kennels ask the vet to vaccinate them against it at the same time as their normal vaccinations

FIV (Feline AIDS) - FIV is transferred through saliva—most commonly from cats fighting.  FIV is similar to HIV in people and compromises the immune system.  FIV vaccine is relatively new and is able to prevent cats contracting FIV, however cats over the age of 6 months must be tested prior to vaccination to ensure they are not already infected.  We also recommend that any cat that is vaccinated against FIV is also microchipped.

 

Will the vaccination make my pet unwell?

Most pets don’t react at all to the vaccination and you would never know anything had happened to them.  Very occasionally a pet will be slightly more sleepy or less energetic the night that it receives the vaccinations, and young puppies may be a bit whiny or tender in the neck area. 

If your pet remains lethargic the following day, or stops eating please contact the clinic for further advise.

 

What about other animals?

 

We are also able to vaccinate rabbits against RCD (Rabbit Calci Disease).

Rats, mice and birds do not require vaccinations.