Whether your pet is a baby or a fully grown canine or feline friend, staying updated with their vaccination schedule is essential. If you're unsure about which vaccinations your pet needs, staying current with at least their core vaccinations is a good place to start.
These are common infectious diseases worldwide that can potentially cause severe illness or even death. For cats, the core vaccinations comprise the F3 Vaccine, which protects against feline panleukopenia and two common causes of cat flu (feline herpesvirus and calicivirus).
In dogs, the core vaccinations make up the C3 Vaccine, which protects against canine parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, and distemper. Additional non-core vaccinations in both species are recommended case-by-case, depending on your pet's lifestyle and the areas they visit.
These include the kennel cough and leptospirosis vaccines in dogs and the chlamydia and feline leukaemia virus vaccines in cats.
Most veterinarians will recommend kittens and puppies receive three sets of vaccinations: One at 6-8 weeks old, 10-12 weeks old, and 16-18 weeks old. Depending on your pet's particular risk factors, your vet may recommend they receive an additional vaccination at six months old.
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After that, your pet will require a vaccination every 1-3 years to stay up to date with their vaccinations, depending on the vaccines in use.
Your puppy or kitten should have completed their primary course of core vaccinations before going out into public places, like the dog park or taking them on a walk.
Keeping them confined to your property until all 3 vaccinations have been given is important to reducing their risk of encountering other animals or an environment that could be a source of an infectious disease.
Should your puppy or kitten miss a vaccination during their initial triple vaccine series, they may need additional vaccinations to achieve a sufficient immune response, but this would be at the discretion of your veterinarian.
If your adult dog is overdue, having them vaccinated as soon as possible to get them up to date is essential. If your pet goes into a boarding kennel during holiday periods, always remember, vaccines should be current 2-4weeks before your pet enters the boarding facility to be effective.
