Vaccinations – What Are They For?

Dogs

When our dogs are puppies they receive 2 vaccinations. These are their primary vaccines and they are given 4 weeks apart. After this, they will only require one annual booster vaccine to keep their immunity topped up! 

So what do these vaccines protect them against?

Distemper – Distemper is a virus that affects the respiratory system, nervous system and gastrointestinal system and can cause symptoms such as: cough, runny eyes and nose, diarrhoea, high temperature, thickened pads, tremors and fits. It is spread through the air, through contact with infected dogs and on items they have touched. Distemper is a very serious illness that is sadly, often fatal.

Canine Infectious Hepatitis - Canine infectious hepatitis is a viral disease that primarily affects the liver, but can also impact other organs. Symptoms include high fever, lethargy, vomiting, and eye inflammation. This can be spread through bodily fluids like urine, saliva, and faeces and unfortunately severe cases can be fatal.
Parvovirus-  This is a virus which attacks the cells in a dog’s intestines and stops them from being able to absorb vital nutrients from their food. This results in weakness and severe dehydration. Symptoms include severe gastrointestinal upset, fever, collapse and sadly the mortality rate for dogs who are diagnosed with parvo is very high. 
Leptospirosis- Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection which causes serious illness by damaging important organs such as the liver and kidneys. It is most commonly spread through urine and can live in water or soil for months. Lepto is most commonly found near waterways such as rivers or streams where rats, a common carrier, can be found.

Kennel cough – this is an additional vaccine but one that we would highly recommend. Despite its name, this can be caught anywhere that an infected dog has been. It is therefore now more commonly know as Canine Contagious Cough. Symtoms include: Fever, continuous dry hacking cough , wretching or gagging and discharge from the eyes. Kennel cough is highly infectious and is one of the more common infectious diseases that we see due to lower vaccination numbers. 

Cats

When our cats are kittens they receive 2 vaccinations. These are their primary vaccines and they are given 4 weeks apart. After this, they will ony require one annual booster vaccine to keep their immunity topped up! 

So what do these vaccines protect them against?

Calicivirus - Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a highly contagious virus that is one of the major causes of upper respiratory infections (Cat flu) in cats. Symptoms can include: sneezing, discharge from the nose and eyes, conjunctivitis, tongue ulceration, lethargy and tiredness, loss of appetite and fever. Calicivirus is spread through direct contact with saliva or discharge from the eyes or nose. This can be through sharing contaminated food bowls and litter trays or through airborne droplets from sneezing. Whilst not often fatal, Calicivirus can be complicated by the addition of other health concerns. Good hospital care can often treat the disease but is none the less a nasty infection for our cat friends!

Rhinotracheitis (Feline herpesvirus) – this is a highly contagious infectious disease which is caused by infection with feline herpes virus. Cats who contract Rhinotracheitis will have a lifelong infection that will likely remain inactive unless the cat is exposed to a stressful event. Additionally, affected cats are also at risk for respiratory problems, long-term eye problems, and secondary bacterial infections. The virus can spread through: saliva, eye or nasal discharge and sharing food bowls, water bowls, or litter trays with an infected cat.

Panleucopenia virus – Panleucopenia is the feline version of parvovirus and is also called feline infectious enteritis. It is a nasty virus that attacks the guts and immune system and causes symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, dehydration, fever and inappetance. It can be spread from cat to cat through fluid contact and can pass to kittens in the womb. Unfortunatley there is no cure but treatment involves supporting your cat in hospital with fluids and medicines while their body fights the infection.

It is worrying to think that these infectious diseases are still present in the UK today. By keeping your pet up to date with their vaccinations you can prevent them from contracting such diseases. Thankfully, due to vigilant vaccine programmes case numbers of these infections are low. If you have further questions about your pet’s vaccinations please let us know!