Why do I need to vaccinate my dog?
There are several diseases which your dog can get – and any one of them can be fatal – for which we can administer vaccines. These vaccines are very effective at preventing infection should your dog be exposed to these diseases and can thus save their life. Prior to the availability of the vaccines thousands of animals died every year. Now thanks to widespread vaccination of dogs we see only small numbers of animals dying from these disease.
Furthermore all good boarding kennels will not admit your pet without their vaccines being up to date.
At what age can your puppy be vaccinated at?
Puppies need to receive a course of several vaccination to ensure that they are fully protected.
The first injection can be given at 6-8 weeks of age for puppies followed by a second injection 3-4 weeks later. Your puppy has to be at least this age before the vaccines will be effective so there is no point in giving the vaccines any earlier. It is highly recommended that puppies receive vaccines every 3-4 weeks until they reach 20 weeks of age.
What if I have an older dog that has never been vaccinated?
If you have an older dog that has never been vaccinated, we just administer a full vaccination course as we would to a puppy. It is never too late to vaccinate your pet – just because they have never picked up one of these diseases does not mean they will not in the future. If in doubt, just pick up the phone and have a chat with one of our office team.
What is needed in the years after the first vaccinations?
Because the immunity your dog gets from their first vaccinations does not last longer than a year for some of the diseases he/she will need annual vaccinations to ensure they continue to be fully protected.
We do not need to vaccinate for every disease annually but we do need to vaccinate for some diseases every year. Exactly what your dog receives depends on what they received in the previous years and what age they are. We discuss this with you at the time of the visit but rest assured your pet receives only those vaccines needed to maintain protection. Our primary objective is to use the minimum number of vaccine components necessary while at the same time ensuring optimum protection.
What if my dog hasn’t been vaccinated for years?
If your dog hasn’t been vaccinated for years, then they may now have little or no immunity to any of the disease we vaccinate for and can thus catch these diseases and become ill. However there is no problem – we can get them back on track very quickly and ensure they are safe. Depending on how long ago it has been since the last vaccine we will need to either administer one or two shots to get the immunity back up to where it need be. We will discuss this when you are in and make the decision that is best for your dog.
Are the vaccines safe?
Yes they are. As with any drug there is always the possibility of an adverse reaction. But it is so very rare that our vets have seen any severe reactions to vaccinations. Furthermore the risk of not vaccinating is far higher than any potential risk from administering the vaccines.
In summary we have seen plenty of dogs get very ill and die from not having been vaccinated but we have seen no deaths or severe illness from being administered vaccines.
