Pet Vaccinations

Looking for ‘Pet Vaccinations Near Me’?

Vaccinations are a crucial tool in safeguarding your pets from a range of preventable but potentially fatal diseases and used by millions of pet owners to keep their pets safe. At Rackheath Vets, we recommend vaccinating dogs, cats, and rabbits as an essential part of routine preventive healthcare.

Pets require regular vaccinations to create a biological defence against some of the nasty diseases that can be picked up in everyday life, in the same way that we might be vaccinated against diseases such as tetanus. If your pet is unvaccinated and catches one of these illnesses then the symptoms could be fatal or cause long-term harm, meaning that adhering to a regular vaccination schedule is important.

What diseases can I prevent by vaccinating my dog?

There are several diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

Canine Parvovirus

Commonly referred to as parvo, this is a highly infectious viral disease that often fatal or very debilitating to dogs that contract it. It is still commonly seen in the UK and is is a very stable virus that can survive for up to two years in the environment. This means that your dog does not need direct contact with another dog to contract it.

Common symptoms of parvo virus infection are severe vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, fever, abdominal pain and dehydration, requiring intensive hospitalization to treat it. Vaccination is the best way to protect your dog from this frequently deadly disease.

Infectious Canine Hepatitis

Infectious Canine Hepatitis is a viral disease that affects a dog’s liver, kidneys, eyes and lungs. It can last in the environment for months, and currently, there is no treatment for Infectious Canine Hepatitis. Vaccination is the best way to protect your dog.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection spread through urine, contaminated water and rodents. Active and working dogs are especially at risk if they swim or drink from stagnant pools of water or are bitten by a rat. Symptoms include diarrhoea, jaundice and lethargy and it can be fatal. Rackheath Vets recommend that you have your dog vaccinated against Leptospirosis annually as the protection from the vaccine fades after 12 months. Leptospirosis is a “zoonosis” which means infected dogs can spread it to people, although this is an uncommon route of infection in people.

Distemper

Distemper is a virus that can be fatal for dogs or can cause long-term health problems. There is no known cure for distemper, so vaccination is the best way to protect your dog. Cases are now thankfully rare in the UK, due to vaccination.

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is a highly infectious disease that affects the respiratory system of dogs. Caused by a number of different viruses and air borne bacteria , the most notable symptom is the dry, hacking cough that infected dogs suffer from. In most cases, it’s not usually dangerous, but sometimes it can can cause complications, conditions such as bronchopneumonia. Dogs do not have to have been in kennels to get kennel cough but it is definitely more common where dogs come together. Consequently, good quality boarding kennels, doggie day care centres and training classes will require evidence of annual vaccination before accepting your dog into their programme.

How often should my dog be vaccinated?

Puppies should be vaccinated twice 2 – 4 weeks apart and will not be fully protected until two weeks after the second one. At Rackheath Vets we routinely vaccinate puppies for the major infectious diseases of parvovirus; distemper; infectious canine hepatitis and leptospirosis and give you the option of having kennel cough vaccination.

Adult dogs require annual leptospirosis vaccination. Vaccines for the other major infectious diseases are given routinely every three years. However, as the immunity to these other diseases goes, it is known that individual dogs may often have a varying immune “memory” to the vaccine – with some potentially being covered longer than the three year licensed period. The reason for the three year protocol and is to make sure that (without testing) your pet will have the best chance of being protected throughout its lifetime.

Rackheath Vets offer a simple blood test (VacciCheck) which will tell us whether your dog still remains protected against the three core diseases that we routinely vaccinate against: distemper; hepatitis and parvovirus. If vaccination is not required then we would advise that your pet is tested again one year later. We would always advise vaccinating annually against leptospirosis due to the predictable decline in protection over the year.

Currently the Vaccicheck blood test is £68 and is discounted 25% for dogs on our health plan.

What diseases can I prevent by vaccinating my cat?

There are several diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

Cat Flu

Cat flu is caused by two highly infectious viruses Feline Herpes virus and/or Calicivirus and can be fatal in kittens. The symptoms are often more serious than human flu and include sneezing, coughing, inflamed eyes, loss of appetite, mouth or eye ulcers, nasal discharge, high temperature and lethargy. It can also lead to long-term health problems which can be

debilitating for your cat. Rackheath Vets recommend that both indoor and outdoor cats are protected by vaccination, as it can be spread by indirect contact.

Feline Infectious Enteritis

Feline Enteritis similar to canine parvovirus, in that it is a highly infectious and often fatal viral disease which causes a very severe vomiting and diarrhoea. Some cats die rapidly, often before a diagnosis can be made. Also known as panleukopaenia.

Vaccination is the only effective method we have to control this disease, which is now a lot less common as a result of vaccination.

Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV)

Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) can cause fatal disease in cats and Rackheath Vets recommended vaccination for all cats that go outside or mix with other cats. It can be several years between infection and signs of disease which include anaemia, lethargy and blood cancers. There is no effective treatment once diagnosed.

What diseases can I prevent by vaccinating my rabbit?

There are two potentially fatal diseases that can be prevented by vaccination.

Myxomatosis

Myxomatosis can be spread by rabbit fleas, mosquitos and direct contact with wild rabbits. The classic form of the disease causes swellings around the eyes, other parts of the head and the genitals. Rabbits lose their appetite and most subsequently die. Vaccination is an effective way to control this disease.

Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease

There are two different viral strains that cause this disease which can be transmitted in various ways including through the air. Often the first symptom is death but sometimes rabbits will be seen having fits. Vaccination is essential to prevent this disease.

Book with us

Searching for reliable and convenient ‘pet vaccinations near me’? Look no further than Rackheath Vets, where the well-being of your beloved pet is at the heart of everything we do.

If you need to book your pet for vaccinations or require veterinary advice, don’t hesitate to contact us. Booking your pet with us means you and your pet will benefit from our comprehensive services designed to provide optimal care and support.

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