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DOG VACCINES

Your dog (s) should be annually vaccinated against the main viral diseases of Parvovirus, Distemper, and Hepatitis as a bare minimum. We also provide vaccines against Canine  cough, Bordetella and Parainfluenza. Vaccinating your dog now could save you money in the long run and ensure the good health of your best friend.

When a pet visits the Balgownie Veterinary Hospital for their annual vaccination he or she is not just given a needle and pushed out the door. Our objective is to check your pet thoroughly and make sure there are no health problems and answer any queries you may have.
When we administer a vaccine to a pet, it is usually contains a basic minimum of 3 viruses (see table below)

	Dogs	Cats
Basic Vaccines	Distemper	Feline Enteritis
	Hepatitis	Herpes
	Parvovirus / Canine cough	Rhinotracheitis
Additional Vaccines	Coronavirus	Feline Aids (FIV)
	Leptospirosis	Feline Leukaemia (FeLV)

Annual Health Checks are Very Important to Your Pet

Pets age at a considerably faster rate than humans, approximately 7 pet years to 1 of ours. Hence, annual health checks are vital to a pet's health.

What we check when examining a pet at its annual health check

The price your vet charges for an annual health check and vaccines is composed mainly of the consultation fee for his/her expertise in examining your pet.

What your vet checks in a 15 minute annual health check
Teeth & Gums Loose/rotten/broken teeth Gums Tartar Tumours	Ears Fly bite dermatitis Infection Parasites e.g. ear mites Deafness	Eyes Cataracts Eyelids Glaucoma Ulcers
Skin Allergies Cancer Infection/inflammation Parasites: fleas, mites	Glands Lymph nodes not swollen Mammary gland cancer Prostate not enlarged Testicles same size	Body Condition Weight loss or gain since previous visit
Heart Murmurs Irregular rhythm Heart rate normal	Lungs Crackles or wheezes Chest not dull on percussion	Temperature Elevated may mean an infection or inflammation
Circulation Gums good colour- not anemic or bleeding Refill time good Doppler Blood Pressure	Urine Analysis No blood No sugar (i.e. diabetes)	Nails Healthy toes Nails not too long
Abdomen Kidneys normal No tumours e.g. large spleen tumours	Joints Cruciate ligaments Patella (kneecaps)	Anal Glands Not blocked

There are hundreds of possible health issues that your vet is checking.  That's why it takes so long to become a vet. Early detection of health problems is in both the pet's and owner's interests.

Canine Parvovirus (CPV)is a contagious virus affecting dogs. The disease is highly infectious and is spread from dog to dog by direct or indirect contact with faeces. It can be especially severe in puppies. The virus causes sudden vomiting and diarrhoea of watery blood, severe shock, acute abdominal pain and sometimes death within 24 hours.

Survival rate depends on how quickly CPV is diagnosed and how aggressive the treatment is. Treatment usually involves extensive hospitalization, due to the severe dehydration and damage to the intestines and bone marrow. A CPV test should be given as early as possible if CPV is suspected in order to begin early treatment and increase survival rate if the disease is found.

All dogs should receive an annual booster to protect them from CPV, see the above table for a bare minimum.

Canine Distemper is a very serious viral disease most commonly associated with domestic animals such as dogs. Symptoms vary but can include fever, sneezing, nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and depression. Muscle tremors, fits and paralysis occur later in the disease. Treatment is usually ineffective and for those that do survive, there is risk of permanent brain damage.

All dogs should receive and annual booster to protect them from Distemper, see the above table for a bare minimum.

Canine Hepatitis is a very serious viral disease affecting the liver of dogs. Symptoms include high fever, depression, and loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea and acute abdominal pain. In severe cases, death can occur within 24-36 hours. Dogs that recover may develop long term liver and kidney problems.

All dogs should receive an annual booster to protect them from Hepatitis, see the above table for a bare minimum.

Canine Cough, is a contagious respiratory disease of dogs. Canine cough transmission is most commonly associated with large gatherings of dogs such as as boarding kennels and dog shows. However, Canine Cough can be passed from an infected dog to your dog at the park, at the beach or at the groomers.

Canine cough is commonly caused by a combination of bacteria (Bordetella bronchiseptica) and a virus (Parainfluenza). Both Bordetella and Parainfluenza are preventable by use of vaccines.The vaccine may be given under the skin or by nasal delivery. Both methods of delivery are not painful but if your pet is head shy, we do not use the nasal delivery.

Coronavirus causes severe bloody watery diarrhoea, shock, abdominal pain and vomiting. There is variable mortality amongst puppies and older dogs. Signs appear very suddenly. The diarrhoea looks and smells just like Parvovirus. We see approx. 1-2 affected dogs each month.

Coronavirus can be prevented by using the combined Protech Duramune C2i (Protech C2) vaccine. Initial vaccines require two injections 4 weeks apart to work. Once this has happened, then its an annual vaccine in combination with either Protech C3 or Protech C5.

Leptospirosis is a disease spread by infected rodents. The bacteria affect the kidneys and liver and can cause serious illness. t is more common in places where there is a lot of stagnant water. The South Strathfield Emergency centre sees approx. 2-3 cases each year in dogs from the western suburbs of Sydney. It's something to be wary of.

Leptospirosis can be prevented by using the combined Protech Duramune C2i (Protech C2) vaccine. Initial vaccines require two injections, 4 weeks apart to work. Once this has happened, then its an annual vaccine in combination with either Protech C3 or Protech C5.