Dog vaccinations begin with primary vaccinations for puppies, which helps to overcome the remaining anti-body protection that they still have from their mothers and ensures reliable protection at an early age.
The first dog vaccination is usually given at 8 weeks old, followed by a second two to four weeks later (no earlier than 10 weeks old), allowing for an early socialisation programme. At the second vaccination appointment we will provide you with your certificate of vaccination.
Dog Vaccinations in Guildford
Vaccinating your puppy is an essential job in the first few weeks of owning your dog. The first time they are vaccinated they have a course of two injections, usually at eight and 10 weeks old. The Vet also will give your puppy a full check over to make sure they are healthy.
The dog vaccination will not work immediately, so it’s important to confirm with the Vet when you are ok to let your puppy socialise with other animals. They then require a booster pet vaccination at 6 or 12 months of age. As your puppy grows, you must ensure you regularly keep up to date with annual injections as the initial immunity may fade leaving them at risk.
What Diseases do Dog Vaccinations Protect Against?
- Canine Parvovirus - a virus that can survive for long periods - it is usually fatal.
- Canine distemper (hard pad) - a severe, usually fatal disease, rare in the UK in recent years due to vaccination.
- Infectious hepatitis - still exists in the UK (although rare due to vaccination) and is often fatal.
- Leptospirosis - contracted from the urine of rats and/or other dogs. Canals and rivers can be contaminated, and forms of the disease are widespread in the UK. Can also cause severe disease in humans (weils disease).
- Kennel cough/Parainfluenza - an extremely unpleasant harsh, dry cough, highly contagious disease of the respiratory tract, usually transmitted in places where dogs gather (kennels, shows, parks where lots of dogs are walked). Dogs of all ages can be affected; it is caused by several bacterial and viral agents. The coughing can last for some weeks and during this time serious complications such as pneumonia may arise, especially in puppies or older dogs, these complications can occasionally be fatal.
- Rabies - a fatal disease not found in the UK. Vaccination is required if your dog is travelling abroad.
Contact Alder Vets for Dog Vaccinations
Dog Vaccination FAQs
Do Dogs need to be vaccinated?
Vaccinations are essential for providing your dog with adequate protection from life-threatening and debilitating diseases. There is the option of Titre testing, which involves blood samples to determine your dog's immunity. Unfortunately, this is not always 100% reliable, it is costly to perform and leptospirosis would still need to be vaccinated against. This is why we would recommend core vaccinations on the whole.
Is it OK to not vaccinate my Dog?
As veterinary professionals, we would always recommend vaccinations; the risk is not worth taking when it comes to the harmful diseases.
What vaccines do Dogs legally need?
It is not a legal requirement to have a dog vaccinated, but it is highly advisable. Some kennels, dog trainers and day-care require vaccinations for all dogs to use their services. Insurance can also be invalidated if dogs are not vaccinated.
At what age do you stop vaccinating your Dog?
Dogs require annual booster vaccines throughout their lives; this is to ensure maximum protection against life-threatening diseases. We base our choice of vaccines on the lifestyle of the dog rather than age.
Can I vaccinate my Dog myself?
Under UK law, only veterinary surgeons can prescribe medications; vaccinations fall into this category. Your vet is required to health assess a pet before prescribing and administering the vaccine. Like many drugs, vaccines can have mild side effects, which is why a health check prior is essential to ensure your pet will be fit and well after the vaccine is administered. Veterinary professionals are trained at administering these vaccines; this wouldn't be advised for a member of the public to administer themselves. Also, the vaccination bottles, needles and syringes require correct disposal. Some diseases such as diabetes require owners to inject their animal at home, but correct monitoring, training and equipment is essential.
If your dog is anxious or nervous, you can speak to the team at any time and we can make a plan to reduce as much stress as we can. For example, after a discussion between the owner and the team, some of our nervous dogs have a minimal health check and the vaccine may still be administered. This is carried out when an owner or we feel a health examination will be too stressful.
What vaccinations does my Dog need?
Annual boosters usually cover leptospirosis and kennel cough (can be given every six months). However, distemper, parvovirus and canine hepatitis are usually needed every three years. Therefore, a dog would need a vaccine every year to have maximum protection against diseases.
Because of yearly vaccinations, this is why our health plans are popular – they break down these costs into monthly payments. The plan also covers various preventative treatments, including flea treatments, worming treatments and anal gland expressions - if you haven't already signed up - click here to find out more.
What do vets use to deworm Dogs?
There are many ranges of worming treatments that we can prescribe, including tablets, liquids, granules and spot-ons. The products can vary with the latest recommendations, we would advise contacting us to discuss our various products so we can give you the most appropriate recommendation. Flea treatment and worming regimes are not a one size fits all, so it's best to speak to us.
What is the best worming treatment for Dogs?
There are many products available as well as new products emerging each year. We are here to help with selecting the best-suited protection for you and your dog. We have the most up to date advice and treatments available. We dispense prescription-only parasite treatments which are more effective than over the counter treatments and are often combined to tackle other parasites in one medication.
Under UK law, only veterinary surgeons can prescribe prescription medications as they are required to health assess a dog before prescribing them. For flea and worm treatments, vets usually require a health check every 12 months, which can fall under your pet's annual booster health check. Please note other classes of medications vary with the frequency of health checks required.
What do Dogs do when they have worms?
Worms (excluding tapeworm) are rarely seen, so it is difficult to know if your dog does have worms. Therefore, prevention is much safer for your dog. Tapeworms can appear as rice-like grains around the anus or in faeces. It is essential that you give regular treatments, especially if you have children. Puppies are also at a higher risk of worms. Worms are zoonotic meaning they can pass from animals to people.
Symptoms usually occur in high levels of infestation – these symptoms include:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Swollen Abdomen
- Lethargy
- Nutritional Deficiences
- Dehydration
- Cough (in roundworm and hookworm infections)
- Pneumonia (in serious cases of roundworm)
Find out more here.
If you would like to discuss a worming treatment plan with our vet, you can contact us, and we can provide the most up to date and evidence-based recommendations.
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