Vaccinations

Dog Vaccinations:

Our core vaccine protects them against some nasty viruses; Canine Parvovirus, Canine Distemper, Canine Adenovirus (causing Hepatitis and Respiratory Disease) and Canine Parainfluenza. There is also two other optional vaccinations which will be reccomended on a case by case basis - Leptospirosis and Canine Cough (Kennel Cough).

Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal disease commonly referred to as ‘parvo’. Dogs become very ill with this disease and it can be fatal in puppies and other immunocompromised animals. Symptoms of this disease start off as lethargy (lack of energy) and no appetite. It then progresses quickly to vomiting, severe and often bloody diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating. If your puppy or dog shows any of these signs please contact us immediately as these cases become very severe very quickly. Parvovirus spreads easily from dog to dog and in the environment. An infected dog will shed the virus into the environment, it is very hardy and can remain there for up to 2 years withstanding all weather conditions and can only be killed by specific types of disinfectant.  Treatment of parvo needs to start as quickly and aggressively as possible to give the best chance of a positive outcome. Vaccination against parvovirus is very effective and is our number one tool in preventing this disease and ensuring your dog is protected. We see numerous unvaccinated dogs with parvo every year due to how contagious it is, how easily it is spread and how long it can live in the environment.

Canine Distemper is a viral disease that can affect the respiratory, gastrointestinal, skin, immune and nervous systems. This means that the symptoms can vary widely. It normally starts off as yellow/green coloured eye discharge developing into nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, depression, vomiting, decrease in appetite, diarrhoea and a high temperature. Once the disease progresses dogs can develop tremors, seizures, paralysis, pneumonia and eventually be fatal. Due to widespread vaccination, Canine Distemper is now very uncommon in New Zealand. The last significant outbreak of distemper in NZ was in 1983 where it was unfortunately fatal for many dogs. Due to high vaccination rates, by 1999 only a handful of cases were seen. It is important we keep this protection up by continuing to vaccinate.

Infectious Canine Hepatitis (ICH) is caused by a virus (canine adenovirus-1) that targets the liver. Symptoms of this disease are a high temperature, no energy (lethargic), diarrhoea, vomiting, enlarged liver, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, corneal oedema (fluid build up in the cornea which makes them look like they have a clouded or blue eye), seizures and coma. It is transmitted via direct contact with an infected dogs bodily secretions or in the environment as it is quite hardy and can only be killed with certain disinfectants. Through high vaccination rates ICH is relatively uncommon in New Zealand but cases do still occur. As with Distemper it is important we keep up these high vaccination rates to prevent an outbreak occurring and protect our canine friends from these horrible viruses.

Leptospirosis (lepto) is another virus that dogs can encounter, affecting the liver and kidneys. It can infect a variety of animals including rats and cattle and is also a zoonotic virus which means humans can contract it. It is a bacteria transmitted through an infected animals urine either via direct contact or in the environment especially in waterways. Symptoms of this virus are a high temperature, lethargy, reluctance to move, not eating, drinking and urinating more, vomiting, diarrhoea, yellow tinged mucous membranes (jaundice due to liver damage), nasal discharge and breathing difficulties. Not all dogs are at high risk of contracting leptospirosis, it is dependant on their lifestyle. For example dogs who live in a rural setting are more likely to come in to contact with it due to how it is spread.

Canine cough (kennel cough) is a respiratory infection in dogs caused by a wide range of bacteria and viruses. It is highly contagious between dogs and is spread in the air or by encountering contaminated surfaces. It is normally transmitted in environments where dogs are in close proximity with each other such as kennels, daycares and dog shows. The main symptom you will notice is a dry harsh cough which is likened to a goose honk, followed by gagging and retching. They may also develop a runny nose, sneezing and eye discharge. Symptoms are normally most severe in the first 5 days but it can take up to 20 days for symptoms to disappear. If your dog is showing these symptoms we will ask you and your dog to wait in the car and the vet will examine them outside to prevent spreading the virus. The vet will diagnose canine cough through vaccination history, where the dog has been recently and with a medical exam. Some dogs can recover from canine cough without treatment however others may need help from medications.

Taranaki Vets recommends puppies are vaccinated starting at 6-8 weeks of age; they require 3-4 of the core vaccines 3-4 weeks apart with the last one being at 16 weeks or older. Adult dogs require a yearly booster and then every 2 years to maintain that immunity. Puppies can start the leptospirosis vaccination at 12 weeks of age and require 2 vaccines 3-4 weeks apart. Adult dogs then require a yearly booster to maintain that protection.

Not all dogs are at risk of contracting canine cough so we reccomend you have a discussion with your vet to determine if the vaccination will be right for your dog. To protect them against canine cough generally only one vaccination is needed every 12 months. If your dog is going to be boarding at a kennel they will normally be required to have this vaccination on board, if they haven’t had it within the last 12 months then they will need to have it 2 weeks before their stay to be protected. 

Cat Vaccinations:

Our core vaccine we recommend protects them against Feline Herpes Virus, Feline Calicivirus, Feline

 Panleukopenia +- Feline Chlamydiosis. 

Feline Herpes Virus (FHV) and Feline Calicivirus (FCV) are both respiratory viruses commonly referred to as ‘Cat Flu’ with symptoms including sneezing, coughing, discharge from the eyes, difficulty breathing and conjunctivitis (inflammation of the tissue under the eyelid). They differ by ulcers on the eye for FHV and ulcers in the mouth for FCV. Cats who have a moderate case can develop fever, depression, loss of appetite and swollen lymph nodes. Feline Calicivirus infected cats can progress into a lower respiratory infection leading to pneumonia. In rare severe cases it can become systemic and cause swelling of the head and limbs and crusting sores and hair loss on the nose, eyes, ears, and footpads. Additionally, they can become jaundiced due to liver damage, and cats may experience bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract and under the skin.  Both these viruses are transmitted by direct contact with an infected cat (their saliva or nasal discharge) or by touching a food bowl, toy or other objects that have been contaminated with the virus.  Nearly all cats will be exposed to these viruses within their lifetime and a thing to note with FHV is that once they have this virus it will stay with most cats for life – becoming symptomatic in times of stress.

Feline Chlamydiosis is also another respiratory disease, however it is caused by a bacterium rather than a virus. It has similar symptoms to FVR and FCV, but a course of antibiotics will be needed to treat the infection as well as symptomatic treatment. With treatment the prognosis for this disease is positive, and symptoms won’t return unless exposed to the bacteria again.

Feline Panleukopenia is a very contagious and life-threatening disease. It infects and kills the fast-growing cells in the cats’ body e.g., cells within the intestines, skin and bone marrow – where blood cells are produced, especially white blood cells which are vital to the immune system and used for fighting off infection. Symptoms of panleukopenia are vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dehydration, no energy, depression, no appetite, and weight loss. If left untreated, the virus spreads quickly and is fatal. The Panleukopenia virus is found everywhere in the environment. It is spread via an infected cat onto surfaces it encounters, it can then be carried elsewhere on peoples’ shoes or animals’ paws. It is very hardy and can live for years even withstanding freezing temperatures and certain disinfectants. 

Taranaki Vets recommends kittens are vaccinated starting at 8 weeks of age; they require three of the core vaccines 4 weeks apart. Adult cats require a yearly booster and then every 2 years to maintain that immunity. If your cat is vaccinated and is exposed to the virus, they may still develop symptoms, but it should be mild case as they already have some immunity on board.

Rabbit Vaccinations:

Rabbit Calicivirus (Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus) is a highly contagious, usually fatal disease that affects both pet and wild rabbits. It is very hard to treat this disease as a lot of rabbits that contract the virus will show no symptoms until sudden death within 12-36 hours of infection. Some affected rabbits can show signs of anorexia (not eating), depression, difficulty breathing, foamy and bloody nasal discharge, wobbliness (ataxia), paralysis, opisthotonos (spasm of the muscles causing backward arching of the head, neck, and spine) and cyanosis (blue gums). There is no specific treatment for this disease and mortality rates are very high (90%) so prevention is our best protection.