Adult dogs and cats

Every 12 months dogs and cats should receive a booster vaccination and health check. It is said that pets age 7years to our everyone so you can understand that a health check every year is essential.

Valley Farm vet’s will provide you with a written report of your pet’s health check.

If you are not sure of your pet’s vaccinations are up to date please call us and we will check on our system for you.

Why do we vaccinate? 

Everyone knows that puppies and kittens need vaccinations, just like babies. Most puppies and kittens get at least one vaccination but many do not get any other vaccinations during their life. For many pets this is not an issue as they do not get sick but due to the high incident of vaccine preventable diseases in South Africa  we strongly recommend yearly booster especially for pets that go off your property. 

The diseases we can vaccinate dogs against:

1. Parvo Virus – bloody diarrhea, vomiting, fever, inappetence, collapsed. CAN BE FATAL.
   
2. Distemper – Fever, ocular and nasal discharge, behavioural changes, seizures. POOR PROGNOSIS EUTHANASIA OFTEN RECOMMENDED / OR FATAL.
3. Hepatitis – Fever, Loss of appetite, jaundice.
4. Canine parainfluenza virus – cough; pneumonia.
5. Canine adenovirus type 2. Corona virus– Cough; ocular and nasal discharge; high temperature; +/- pneumonia.
6. Bordetella bronchoseptica – Cough; nasal discharge; high temperature.
7. Leptospirosis – Jaundice; high temp; vomiting; diarrhea; bleeding. DEPENDS ON STRAIN BUT CAN BE FATAL
8. Rabies – change of temperament; muscle weakness; difficulty in swallowing. FATAL  CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS.

Cat disease which we can vaccinate against:

1. Feline calici virus – High Temperature; mouth ulcers; anorexia
   
2. Feline rhinotracheitis – Sneezing; high temperature; ocular/nasal discharge
   
3. Feline panleucopaenia virus – anorexia; high temperature; vomiting FATAL IN YOUNG KITTENS.
4. Rabies – change of temperament; muscle weakness; difficulty in swallowing. FATAL CAN BE TRANSMITTED TO HUMANS.
5. Bordetella bronchoseptica – high temperature; sneezing; nasal discharge
6. Chlamydia psittaci – sever conjunctivitis; sneezing
7. Feline leukaemia virus – Diseases associated: anemia; cancers; immunosuppression EVENTUALLY FATAL.

Puppies and Kittens

• When a kitten or puppy is born it has no antibodies / immunity to diseases. 
• The first milk, the colostrum has antibodies from the mother this are called maternal immunity. 
• It essential for the baby to suckle within the first 12 hours to get this benefit. 
• These antibodies only last for +/- six weeks so need to be replaced by antibodies produced by vaccinations.

This is why we give the first puppy / kitten vaccination at 6 weeks of age. This first vaccination primes the body to recognise the vaccination as a pathogen and the body’s immune system then makes antibodies against the disease.  It takes the body’s immune system about 3—4 weeks to make the antibodies. We would recommend that that a puppy or kitten is not re-homed until they are 8 weeks old, so the first vaccination is fully effective before they go out in to the big wide world!

Adults

Adult pets should get a Booster vaccination yearly. 

• This booster vaccination is to refresh the body’s immune response to the disease. 
• The annual booster vaccination for adult pets is essential not only to maintain maximum immunity but during the consultation the veterinarian can give your pet a through health check, answer any questions that you have, clip nails, express anal glands etc