All puppies and kittens need to be vaccinated to protect them
from a variety of devastating but preventable diseases. In
many cases your puppy or kitten may have already had their
first vaccination prior to purchase. If this is the case,
ensure you receive a vaccination certificate from the breeder
at the time of purchase. If no vaccination certificate is
available it is safer to assume that no vaccinations have
been given rather than to rely on information that may be
inaccurate.
Routine vaccinations provide protection against the following
diseases:
Puppies
- Distemper
A virus that causes severe respiratory or neurological disease.
- Infectious hepatitis
A virus that causes fever often associated with severe systemic
disease.
- Parvovirus
A potentially fatal gastrointestinal infection.
- Kennel cough
An upper respiratory tract infection caused by viruses and
bacteria.
Kittens
- Feline herpes virus
- Feline calicivirus
Both of these organisms produce respiratory and ocular disease.
- Feline panleucopaenia
Feline parvovirus, which causes depression, vomiting
and diarrhoea.
- Feline Immunodeficiency Virus
This is the cat-specific virus that causes a syndrome similar
to AIDS.
This vaccine has only recently become available in Australia.
While we do not routinely include this virus in our vaccination
schedule at the moment, we strongly recommend it is taken
up as additional protection for your cat. Please talk to
us about this vaccine if you have any questions.
The standard vaccination schedule for puppies AND
kittens is as follows:
- 1st vaccination – 6 to 8 weeks of age
- 2nd vaccination – 12 weeks of age
- 3rd vaccination – 16 weeks of age
We follow this series with boosters every 12 months for life.
If for some reason your puppy or kitten starts their vaccination
schedule much later than 6 to 8 weeks of age, we may advise
you that 2 vaccinations will provide adequate cover.
PLEASE NOTE – Puppies are not adequately
protected from parvo virus until AFTER they have received
the full course of 3 vaccinations. Infected animals shed viral
particles during their illness and for a period after they
have recovered from disease. Young animals who come into contact
with a contaminated environment may ingest these viral particles
and become infected. For this reason we STRONGLY RECOMMEND
that you keep your new pup at home in your own yard until
7-10 days following their final vaccination.