Christmas is almost here… before we know it, we will be rushing around doing last minute Christmas present shopping, getting food organised for the good ol’ aussie Christmas banquet and packing our bags for our much awaited Christmas holiday. Sigh.. I can feel the stress just writing about it!… We all know Christmas is a TREMENDOUSLY busy time and often things are missed. Have you thought about your four-legged friends? Are they coming along to enjoy the Christmas holiday or will they be spending their Christmas trip in a doggy and kitty hotel aka. Boarding kennel/cattery??
Did you realise most boarding kennels require cats and dogs to be vaccinated prior to boarding? Vaccinations are extremely important when it comes to boarding our furry family members to ensure your own four-legged friends safe as well as their fellow boarders. Nonetheless, boarding is not the only reason we should make sure are four-legged friends are vaccinated!
Why vaccinate?
Vaccinations are one of the most important tools we have available to keep our furry family members healthy. Vaccinations are safe, have limited side effects and they work!
- Vaccinations protect against preventable disease – Prevention is always better then cure. If a horrible disease can be prevented with a simple vaccination, why not vaccinate!
- Vaccinations protect your pet from transmittable diseases– Obvious…. we know, but our pet’s can be at risk of contracting a disease even if they are not in direct contact with another animal. Most of the preventable diseases such as, Canine Parvo virus and Canine Parainfluenza virus in dogs, and feline herpes virus and Feline calicivirus in cats, are environmental and airborne diseases. This means the diseases can be carried between our pets on clothing, footwear or in the environment. When visiting parks, going for walks and staying at boarding facilities this risk of our pets catching a disease increases.
- Vaccinations save money! – Anything that saves money is great, right?! Vaccinations are substantially less expensive than the cost of treatment for the disease they prevent.
- Boarding – If you ever plan to board your furry companions, they must be up to date with vaccinations – what would happen if you had a family emergency and boarding was the only option? Allow a minimum of 2 weeks after vaccinations before placing your pet into boarding to ensure they are fully covered.
- Vet clinic overnight stays – When our pets are sick, there immune system may be compromised.
What does my pet’s vaccination protect against?
‘Vaccination’ is a confusing topic and I am sure you have heard the words ‘C3’, ‘C5’ , ‘F3’ and ‘FIV’ tossed around by your pooch or kitties Vet. What do they mean, you ask? Hopefully we can make this easier for you….. let’s start with the pooch!
At Murray Bridge Veterinary Clinic we use two main vaccinations for dogs, what we call a C3 and a C5. The difference between the both is the disease they cover.
C3 – Covers three main disease:
- Canine Parvo Virus – Is a severe gastroenteritis that causes severe vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. This disease is extremely common especially in unvaccinated puppies, is highly contagious and often fatal. To read more about parvo virus see our clinic handout
- Canine Hepatitis – a severe liver disease which can be fatal. It is uncommon now due to the widespread vaccination against it but ongoing vaccination is required to keep it this way.
- Canine Distemper Virus –a severe neurological disease that can result in a slow death. It is also uncommon now due to the widespread vaccination against it but ongoing vaccination is required to keep it this way.
C5 – Covers five main diseases:
- Canine Parvo Virus – Is a severe gastroenteritis that causes severe vomiting and bloody diarrhoea. This disease is extremely common especially in unvaccinated puppies, is highly contagious and often fatal. To read more about parvo virus see our clinic handout
- Canine Hepatitis – a severe liver disease which can be fatal. It is uncommon now due to the widespread vaccination against it but ongoing vaccination is required to keep it this way.
- Canine Distemper Virus –a severe neurological disease that can result in a slow death. It is also uncommon now due to the widespread vaccination against it but ongoing vaccination is required to keep it this way.
- Canine Parainfluenza &
- Bordatella Broncyseptica – These two diseases are part of the canine cough (also known as kennel cough) disease. In most cases canine cough is a irritating cough that lasts a few weeks however in server cases it may lead to pneumonia which can be fatal.
Now our feline friends!…
At Murray Bridge Veterinary Clinic we use two main vaccinations for cats, what we call a F3 (tricat) and a FIV.
F3 (Tricat) – Covers three main diseases:
- Feline panleukopenia infection – this is now an uncommen disease that causes a severe and often fatal gastroenteritis.
- Feline herpes virus &
- Feline calicivirus – these two disease are often know as Cat flu. These are common diseases in our feline friends which can cause long term problems including chronic and severe gum problems, chronic snuffling and permanent eye damage.
FIV: Covers Feline immunodeficiency virus: Also known as FIV or feline AIDS – This infection is transmitted either through breeding or more commonly via a bite from an infected cat. It is extremely common and is prevalent in the stray cat population around Murray Bridge. This virus effects our kitty’s immune system in over a period of time which then leads to all sorts of other infections.
What is involved in the vaccination appointment?
It is important to not only have our furry companions vaccinated but also checked over by a veterinarian at least once a year. Having routine health examinations with our team of friendly Veterinarians and Nurses can help detect problems at their earliest so treatment or prevention can begin straight away.
While your pet is here we can give them the full pampering experience….. Just let us know what they need!
- Nail clip
- Anal Glands expressed
- Puppy and kitten pack
- Dental check
- Parasite control advice and administration
- Urine dipstick analysis
We hope this blog helps clear up a few questions about vaccinations. We know… Vaccinations are confusing! Don’t worry we have your pets records and vaccination history on file so we will often know what they are due for even if you don’t. We wish you all the luck preparing for the busy period…just remember if you are planning to board your pet over the Christmas holidays avoid the rush and make sure their vaccinations are up to date! Call us at the clinic to make an appointment or you can now book online!