Dog Vaccinations

Dog Vaccinations

The importance of having dog vaccinations

It is essential that dog vaccinations be regularly carried out whether you have a new puppy or an older dog. Hopefully this page will show you why this is so important.

Puppy and dog vaccinations are an important process to help safeguard the long-term health and well-being of both puppies and dogs in the UK. When puppies and dogs are vaccinated it helps reduce the risk for all dogs in the area, even ones that have not been vaccinated. So having your dogs vaccinated is very important not just for their health ,but also other dogs in the area.

When dogs grow older, their immune system develops and strengthens with their physical development. This helps give them a better chance when it comes to fighting off diseases and conditions, which they could come into contact with. Puppies have a much greater chance of developing illnesses or infections, as their immune system has not had a chance to develop.

Puppies are more susceptible in the first few weeks and months of their life to viruses they may meet.. This is why we advise all puppy owners not to allow them to go outside their homes or have contact with other dogs until all the injections are complete, and the right amount of time has passed for the full protection to have developed.

Puppy vaccinations courses generally consist of two vaccinations between two and four weeks apart. Puppies can have their first course of vaccinations from as early as 8 weeks of age. The second puppy vaccination however, should not be before 12 weeks of age. We do like giving a final or third vaccination at 16 weeks old.

An annual booster injection should be given once every 12 months. This is vital to maintain the immunity against these infections. The annual booster also provides the opportunity for a regular health check.

We are guided by the current World Small Animal Veterinary Association Vaccination Guidelines with additional guidance from BSAVA [British Small Animal Veterinary Association]

Dog vaccination records

Dog vaccination record cards are given out at our surgery for all dog vaccinations. These show all your dogs vaccinations and show when the next booster is due. For dogs which go into boarding kennels or go to training classes, they will ask to see the vaccination card before accepting your dog.

Vaccinations for Dogs

If you have a dog that has not been vaccinated for over 18 months, it will need a course of two injections, given two and four weeks apart to assure protection especially to Leptospirosis.
If you have bought or been given an older dog that has not been vaccinated or you don’t have any history of vaccinations. We would strongly advise that you book it in for its vaccinations. If your dog is not vaccinated it is running the risk of contracting fatal diseases, such as;

Parvovirus
Distemper
Hepatitis
Leptospirosis

we also recommend vaccination against:

Parainfluenza and Bordetella Bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough)