Vet's Voice Kathleen Linpus www.vetcaretauranga.co.nz

Vaccinations are recommended by Veterinarians to help prevent various infectious diseases.

Vets can vaccinate dogs against parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis, kennel cough and leptospirosis. For cats, we have vaccines for the various components of feline respiratory disease (cat flu or snuffles), panleukopenia and the feline AIDS virus. We have a vaccine for rabbit calicivirus. And if your pet is travelling overseas, sometimes the rabies vaccination is required.

Some of these diseases are transmitted in the air from dog to dog, or cat to cat, while others require a bite wound for transmission. Some are spread via a host animal such as rats and others can survive in the environment for many months, just waiting for a susceptible animal to pass by. Your veterinarian can advise you on which vaccinations would be most suitable for your pet.

Vaccines do not cure disease. The vaccine contains a virus or bacterium that has been specially altered so it doesn't cause disease; it stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies that protect against that particular disease in the future.

For most vaccinations the initial dose requires a booster three weeks later. This is partly because young animals receive antibodies from their mother's milk, and these interfere with the vaccine. As the maternal antibodies wane, the two puppy or kitten vaccines are able to provide protection. Also, the booster dose improves the immunity provided by the initial vaccination.

Once your pet has been vaccinated, the protection provided by that particular vaccine will gradually decline, so annual to triennial boosters are usually required.

Kathleen joined VCT in 2005. She completed her Veterinary Degree in 2003 and has a special interest in Ophthalmology (eyes) and Oncology (cancer). She is proud Mum to Manny & Pearl (dogs) and Woof (cat). Ph VetCare 576 9069