Vaccinations

All puppies and kittens should initially have a course of two vaccinations. We welcome all new arrivals for free 'hello' visits before their vaccines are due. The general protocol is as follows:

• Puppies should be vaccinated and health checked at 8 and 10 weeks of age.
• Kittens should be vaccinated and health checked at 9 and 12 weeks of age. 

Puppies and kittens are fully covered 10 days after their second vaccination. Before this point they should be kept indoors, away from other dogs and cats. Puppies should be carried in public places. Socialisation at this age is important, so we run puppy parties for all puppies from first vaccine until 10 days after their second vaccine.

After the inital course, annual health checks and booster vaccinations are recommended.

If your pet's annual vaccination has lapsed, then another booster course may be required - please discuss your pet's individual needs with the vet.

Feline vaccination protects against:

• Cat flu (calicivirus and rhinotracheitis)
• Infectious enteritis (panleucopaenia)
• Feline leukaemia - not given in all cases. Please feel free discuss your cats needs for leukaemia vaccination with the vet.

Canine vaccination protects against:

• Distemper - potentially fatal cold-like disease.
• Hepatitis - liver disease, can be fatal in young dogs.
• Parvovirus - potentially fatal gastro-enteritis.
• Leptospira - attacks liver and kidneys.
• Parainfluenza - a cold-like syndrome.

Other optional vaccines:

• Kennel cough (dogs) - often required before stays in boarding kennels.
• Rabies - required before travelling abroad. Please see the pets abroad section for more information.

Rabbit vaccination

We strongly advise that all pet rabbits are vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease.