Vaccinations
Very young animals receive antibodies against many diseases through their mother's milk, but the level of these maternal antibodies decline within the first few months of life. Young animals should be given vaccinations, as early as 6 weeks of age, against preventable diseases and a program will be tailored at your pet's first visit to suit your needs. Adult animals require regular health checks and booster vaccinations to maintain immunity against disease.
The following diseases are preventable by regular vaccination:
Dog Vaccinations
Canine Parvovirus. A potentially fatal viral disease that affects dogs of all ages. It infects the intestines and causes uncontrollable vomiting and severe diarrhoea. Treatment involves intensive care and IV fluid therapy and is not always successful. Outbreaks occur regularly throughout Australia.
Canine Distemper. A highly contagious viral disease that can affect dogs of any age with young puppies being at highest risk. It affects the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems and can result in a variety of clinical signs including fever, coughing, sneezing and nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhoea and depression. Muscle spasms, seizures and coma occur later in the disease. Treatment is usually ineffective and recovery is rare. Dogs that do recover may have permanent brain damage. Canine Hepatitis. An extremely contagious and often fatal viral disease which affects the liver. Dogs of any age can become infected, however severe cases are rare in dogs older than two years of age. Symptoms include high fever, depression, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. In severe cases death can occur within 24 to 36 hours. Dogs that do recover may develop long term liver problems. Canine Cough. A condition caused by several highly infectious airborne diseases, which can easily be spread wherever dogs congregate, such as parks, obedience schools and boarding kennels. Affected dogs have a loud hacking cough which can persist for several weeks. Vaccination against the two most common agents, the bacterium Bordetella bronchiseptica and the canine virus Parainfluenza are available. Heartworm Prevention. Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes and occurs throughout Australia. Heartworms can be up to 25cm long and live within the heart and blood vessels of the lungs, interfering with circulation and damaging tissues, ultimately resulting in heart failure and death. A variety of prevention options are available. In addition to vaccinations, a regular intestinal worming and flea control program should be followed. |
Cat Vaccinations
Feline Enteritis (Panleucopenia). A highly contagious and potentially fatal viral disease that attacks the intestines causing severe vomiting and diarrhoea, especially in young cats. Pregnant cats may lose their young or give birth to kittens with abnormalities, including brain damage.
Feline Respiratory Disease (Cat Flu). Most cases are caused by feline herpesvirus and/or feline calicivirus. It affects cats of all ages, and is highly contagious. It causes sneezing and nasal discharge, coughing, runny eyes, loss of appetite and mouth ulcers. Affected cats can take a long time to recover and potentially remain lifelong carriers, relapsing into illness again if they become stressed. Feline AIDS or Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). Similar to HIV in humans, it affects a cat's immune system leaving them susceptible to other infections. FIV is transmitted by bite and fight wounds so outdoor cats are potentially at risk. Currently there is no treatment available. FIV cannot be caught by humans. In addition to vaccinations, a regular intestinal worming and flea control program should be followed. 
Rabbit Vaccinations
Calicivirus. A virus that causes severe haemorrhagic disease and ultimately death in all rabbits that become infected. There is no known cure and it is nearly always fatal. We now have the new Filavac vaccine which is protective against both the RHDV1 and RHDV2 strains of disease.
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