Vaccinations and their benefit is something we feel strongly about at Hout Bay Veterinary Hospital. We see animals from all walks of life and it is our opinion that many unfortunate animals may have been saved if they had been vaccinated appropriately.
Vaccinations schedules for pets and how they are implemented is very much a function of where you live. For example, if you live in a high rise flat in town and your cat never goes out or has no contact with other animals, its vaccination requirements will be very different to a cat living in Hout Bay on the edge of the mountain or an animal that travels to rural areas, like Transkei.
Dog vaccinations
Dogs are routinely vaccinated with the following vaccines:
- 5in1 – contains canine Parvo virus, canine Distemper virus, canine Adenovirus type 2 and canine Parainfluenza virus
- rabies vaccine
Kennel cough and Leptospira are two additional vaccines that may be administered on request of the owner. Typically, if dogs go to a kennel then Kennel cough vaccine is required.
The following is our recommended vaccination protocol for puppies and adult dogs:
Puppies:
- first vaccination with 5in1 between 4-8 weeks, depending on vaccination status of mother
- second booster vaccination with 5in1, 4 weeks after first vaccination
- third booster vaccination with 5in1, 4 weeks after second vaccination
- first rabies vaccination at same time as third booster 5in1 vaccination (must be older than 12 weeks)
- second booster rabies vaccination 4 weeks after first rabies vaccination
- thereafter annually on date of first rabies vaccination
Adult dogs:
- annual vaccination with 5in1 and rabies
Cat vaccinations
Cats are routinely vaccinated with the following vaccines:
- 3in1 – contains feline Herpes virus, Calici virus and Panleukopaenia virus
- rabies vaccine
Feline leukaemia virus vaccine is an additional vaccination that we strongly recommend for all cats (see previous blog entry) as we are seeing a lot of it in Hout Bay.
Our recommended vaccination protocol for kittens and adult cats are as follows:
Kittens:
- first vaccination with 3in1 between 4-8 weeks, depending on vaccinations status of queen
- second booster vaccination with 3in1 and first Feline leukaemia vaccination, 4 weeks after first vaccination
- second booster Feline leukaemia vaccination and first rabies vaccination, 4 weeks after second vaccination
- second booster rabies vaccination, 4 weeks after first rabies vaccination
- thereafter annually on date of first rabies vaccination
Adult cats:
- annual vaccination with 3in1, rabies and Feline leukaemia virus
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you feel your pets’ vaccinations are out of date or if you would like some more information about the different vaccinations available for your pet. We see all of these diseases in the Hout Bay area and we cannot overemphasize just how important the vaccinations are.
