There’s more to looking after a pet than just providing food and water. Every pet needs someone looking out for his individual day-to-day needs, as well as his ongoing healthcare needs. A preventative healthcare programme incorporating regular health assessments will help keep your pet in the best of health. Preventative health care is all about prevention of infectious disease and early detection and treatment of other conditions to improve your pet’s quality of life. Vaccination is a very important part of a preventative healthcare programme. All dogs and cats should be vaccinated against serious and infectious diseases.

Vaccination is a way of protecting your dog or cat against serious infectious diseases that kill. Vaccines are made using disease organisms that have been specially altered so that they no longer make the animal ill. Instead, they stimulate the animal’s immune system so that antibodies are produced, creating immunity. When a dog or cat is exposed to the specific disease it has been vaccinated against, these antibodies will rapidly start working to prevent illness.

If an animal or human is immune to a particular disease it means there is almost no risk of falling ill with that disease when it comes in contact with it. Immunity may come about as a result of:
• regular vaccination
• having suffered the disease and survived

Regular (usually annual) health assessments provide the opportunity for you to discuss any concerns about your pet’s health with your veterinarian. A clinical examination will help identify potential or existing health problems to allow appropriate action to be taken. Only healthy dogs and cats should be vaccinated. Assessing your pet’s suitability and need for vaccination is part of this regular process.
Remember that dogs and cats need regular vaccination for continued protection.

Your local veterinarian is the best person to advise you about your pet’s vaccination and health requirements. Vaccination programmes may vary depending on the geographical area, the age and health and lifestyle of your dog or cat and the vaccines used. Puppy and kitten vaccination programmes can be started as early as 6 weeks of age. Further vaccinations will be required until the puppy or kitten is at least 12 weeks of age. After that age, regular booster vaccinations will be required.

Booster vaccinations remind the immune system how to respond if it should meet a life - threatening disease. These should be given regularly throughout the dog or cat’s lifetime to maintain protection against disease. The recommended frequency will depend on health and lifestyle of your pet, the risk of disease and the vaccines used. Nobivac® dog vaccines* offer protection for at least three years against distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus.

Generally pets show very little or no reaction to vaccination. Occasionally they may become a little “off-colour” or have some swelling or tenderness at the vaccination site. Dogs and cats very rarely have allergic reactions to vaccination. If you have any concerns about your pet’s condition following vaccination, call your veterinarian.
The risk of catching serious infectious diseases if unvaccinated far outweighs any risk from vaccination.