The healthiest dogs see their vet on a regular basis for their annual check over and vaccination.

This is an excellent opportunity to pick up on any changes in your dog’s health before they become a problem, and for you to ask us about any concerns you may have. Prevention is always better than cure, and every disease is more easily treated the earlier it is picked up!

Your vet will conduct a full nose-to-tail examination, and will give discuss the individual recommendations for your pet based on their stage of life and unique needs.

Vaccination is then carried out against viral diseases which are fatal or difficult to treat if caught by unvaccinated dogs. We follow vaccination protocols based on the most current national and international guidelines, meaning that after a full primary course has been given (i.e. two consecutive years), the full vaccination is then only needed every 3 years, with an annual booster of those recommended just in the UK.

Did you know?

Your annual health check allows us to then dispense prescription-only parasite treatments for a whole 12 months without the need for further appointments!
If your pet is on long-term medication, the inclusive examination at a booster appointment also counts as a recheck to allow ongoing dispensing of that medication for up to 6 months.                                                     

What do we vaccinate dogs against?

Distemper

Also known as ‘hardpad’, this once common disease has been virtually eradicated through vaccination. Distemper affects several body systems, including the intestines, lungs and brain, and can be accompanied by secondary bacterial infections and can present eventual serious neurological symptoms.

Hepatitis

Canine adenovirus A is the most common cause of hepatitis (liver inflammation) in dogs. The liver is very important in many bodily functions, and hepatitis can cause serious acute infection as well as chronic disease in old age.

Parvovirus

Parvovirus is a very distressing disease for dog, owner and vet, with outbreaks often resulting in large numbers of fatalities. The virus attacks the immune system and intestines, causing a bloody diarrhoea. Treatment relies on intensive nursing and is often unsuccessful. It is of particular concern in puppies.

Leptospirosis

This vaccination is given every year, and is actually against a type of organism rather than a virus. It is carried in rat urine, and all dogs are at risk - not just those who go swimming a lot! In humans it is called ‘Weil’s disease’, and all in mammals it can cause kidney and liver failure, either fatally in the short term or slowly in old age.  We use the ‘Lepto 2’ vaccine as standard (against the two most common types) but also stock the ‘L4’ vaccine.

A booster is needed every 12 months for the above ‘core’ vaccinations.  If your pet goes overdue by more than 3 months (or has not been vaccinated before) we need to repeat a primary course of two vaccinations (2 weeks apart) to make sure the protection is enough.

Kennel Cough

Kennel cough is not a fatal condition, but is unpleasant and distressing for both dog and owner, causing a hacking cough that lasts up to three weeks. The vaccination is considered optional best practice rather than core. The disease is highly infectious between dogs, and so any dog going to a kennels (or dog day care, or groomers, or training class) is recommended to have it.  This vaccine is a liquid that goes up the nose, and needs one dose every 12 months, although if it goes overdue it does not need restarting.

Did you know?

We have designed our Platinum Health Plan to help you spread the cost of vaccinations and preventative parasite treatments over the year, reducing the overall cost. It also gives you TWO full health checks a year, and 10% off all other services we provide!

See the Practice Plan page for more details on the savings this could give you, or call into the practice to pick up a sign up form.