Copthorne VetsWhy Vaccination is important?
We know that you care for your pet and want to ensure that it remains happy and healthy throughout its life. One easy way in which you can help to ensure that your pet is protected from infectious diseases is to ensure that it is vaccinated when young and regularly throughout its adult life.
Puppy and Dog
Regular vaccination can protect your dog from infectious diseases such as canine parvovirus, canine distemper, canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, canine parainfluenza.
Kitten and cat
Regular vaccination can protect your cat from cat flu and feline Leukaemia.
Rabbit
Regular vaccination can protect your rabbit from Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhage Disease (VHD)
Why you need to vaccinate regularly
Primary Vaccination
For the first few weeks of life animals are usually protected against disease from the immunity they receive in their mothers’ milk. However, this maternal immunity may also neutralise any vaccine given at this time. Gradually this protection decreases, and the maternal immunity declines to a sufficiently low level for the animal to no longer be protected. This also allows the animal to respond to vaccination and so at this stage it is possible to start the vaccination programme.
We will suggest a programme of vaccinations to fit in with your pet’s particular needs and the local disease pattern.
Annual Vaccination or Booster
Many people believe that if they have their pet vaccinated when they are young the immunity they receive will protect them for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately this is not the case. After the last injection, the immune level reaches a peak and then begins to decline. After a year, the level of protection offered to your pet may no longer be sufficient.
Re vaccination stimulates the immune response so that protection is maintained for another year. Without these yearly vaccinations, your pet´s immune system may not be able to protect it from serious, often fatal disease.
Myxomatosis boosters need to be administered every six months.
