The Importance of Dog Vaccinations Hereford
Vaccinations are a crucial part of maintaining your dog's health and well-being. They protect your dog from a variety of serious and potentially fatal diseases, helping to ensure a long, healthy life. At Leadon Vale Vets, dog vaccinations Hereford will be given to puppies to immunise them against life-threatening diseases and annual boosters are then top-ups of the same vaccines so that your dog remains protected against these illnesses in the long term.
Booster Dog Vaccines 
Some boosters are needed annually, while others are required every three years because their effectiveness decreases over time.
The booster vaccinations that dogs need include:
- Distemper, parvovirus, and canine hepatitis boosters every three years
- Leptospirosis and kennel cough boosters every year
Book a Dog Vaccination Appointment
Protecting Your Pet with Dog Vaccinations
The primary reason for vaccinating your dog is to prevent diseases. Dog vaccinations Hereford help protect against a range of illnesses, such as rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and hepatitis. These diseases can be life-threatening and, in some cases, have no cure. Prevention is necessary as cures for these diseases don’t exist and your pet will unnecessarily suffer if they get ill. If your puppy is not vaccinated before they go on walks or socialise, then they will be exposed to a disease or potentially spread disease to other dogs.
Puppy Vaccines
The following vaccines are given to puppies in their early months:
Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, and Parvovirus are all puppy vaccinations which can start from 6-8 weeks of age.
Distemper/Adenovirus (Hepatitis)/Parvovirus (DAP)
The DAP vaccine provides protection against a group of diseases that can rapidly spread among dogs and lead to serious health issues, including severe illness and even death.
Canine distemper is a highly contagious disease in unvaccinated dogs, leading to serious neurological symptoms, pneumonia, fever, and encephalitis, and can be fatal.
Adenovirus 1, also known as infectious canine hepatitis, is a viral disease that causes upper respiratory infections, fever, liver and kidney failure, and eye diseases.
Parvovirus is extremely contagious, especially in puppies, and can cause severe symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, and dehydration, and can be fatal in severe cases.
At Leadon Vale Veterinary Centre, we usually give the second pet vaccinations of both distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus vaccination with the second leptospirosis vaccination at 12 weeks.
Leadon Vale Provides the Following Dog Vaccines
- Parvovirus
- Leptospirosis
- Distemper
- Canine Infectious Hepatitis
- Rabies
- Leishmaniasis
- Herpes vaccination
- Kennel Cough
Book a Dog Vaccinations Hereford Appointment
What If My Dog Has Missed Their Vaccination?
If your dog has missed a vaccination, it's important to contact your vet as soon as possible. There is a limited window of time after which certain vaccinations may need to be restarted. Your vet can provide the best guidance on how to proceed for your dog's health.
Preparing Your Dog For Their Dog Vaccinations Hereford Appointment
During a vaccination appointment, your vet will perform a comprehensive health check of your dog, from nose to tail, to ensure they are in good condition. If no signs of illness or injury are detected, the vet will review your dog’s vaccination history and discuss their vaccination needs with you before administering the necessary vaccines.
The vaccines are typically combined into a single injection, which is given at the back of your dog's neck. The kennel cough vaccine is an exception, as it is administered through the nose as a spray.
If your dog cannot have the intranasal kennel cough vaccine, there is now an injectable alternative available. However, this injectable vaccine is not as effective as the intranasal option. For more information, please consult Ledbury Vets.
