Vaccinating your pet is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they lead a healthy life. At Victoria Point Vet Hospital we use tailored vaccination protocols specifically designed for your pet.

We use special puppy vaccinations which allow your new family member to be fully vaccinated – and fully protected – at an earlier age. For adult dogs, we offer and recommend special, long lasting parvo vaccinations, with a program tailored to offer best protection with least stress to your dog. We tailor your cat’s vaccination protocol to his lifestyle – basic flu vaccinations for indoors cats, with feline AIDS vaccinations for those cats venturing outside.

Here are our top reasons for vaccinating your pet:

1. Vaccinations protect against preventable diseases

 2. Vaccinations are substantially less expensive than the cost of vet treatment for the diseases they protect against

3. Vaccinations protect your pet from transmissible diseases in boarding facilities, at parks and even when they visit the vet. If your pet has to be hospitalised for any illness, their immune system may already be compromised so you want to make sure they are protected

Your pet’s health, lifestyle and exactly where you live may affect which vaccinations are necessary, so our expert vets will work with you to develop a simple and effective vaccination program for your pet.

Vaccinating your Dog

A puppy’s first vaccinations are at 6-8 weeks, then 8-10 weeks, 10-12 weeks, and annually after that. Only one week after the final puppy vaccination should your puppy be allowed to go outside and socialise with other dogs.

Canine vaccinations recommended for dogs in this part of Queensland cover five diseases:

• Parvovirus: causes potentially fatal diarrhoea, especially in pups and dogs under 2 years
• Distemper: coughing, diarrhoea and sometimes twitching, seizures, loss of balance and blindness
• Hepatitis: vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and possibly liver failure
• Canine Cough: also known as Kennel Cough, but NOT only a risk if your dog is boarding
• Parainfluenza: a viral disease causing a nasty cough
• Bordatella bronchiseptica: bacteria causing a harsh, dry cough and lethargy

At VPVH we use the latest long-lasting vaccines for Parvo/Distemper/Hepatitis which are administered every third year in adult dogs.  Adult dogs still receive a vaccine against Canine Cough (Parainfluenza and Bordetella) at their annual check-up.

Vaccinating your Cat

A kitten’s first vaccinations are at 8 weeks, then 12-14 weeks, 16-18 weeks, and annually after that. Only one week after the final kitten vaccination should your kitten be allowed to go outside and socialise with other cats.

The main feline vaccinations recommended for indoor cats are:

• Enteritis (Feline Panleukopenia) can be very severe especially in unvaccinated kittens less than 12 months of age. It causes fever, vomiting, diarrhoea, liver failure and sudden death
• Feline Calicivirus is part of the cat flu
• Feline Rhinotracheitis (Feline Herpes Virus) is another part of cat flu and can lead to permanent nasal and sinus infection

In addition, for indoor/outdoor cats:

• Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV or Feline AIDS) must be vaccinated against if your cat EVER goes outside. It is a potentially fatal disease spread between cats via bites, for which there is no treatment or cure.