Vaccinations

Why is vaccination important?

Pets can and do become seriously ill or die from infectious diseases that could have been prevented through vaccination every year. One easy way in which you can help to ensure your pet is protected from infectious diseases is to ensure that they are vaccinated from a young age and regularly throughout their adult life.

How vaccines work

Vaccines work by training the white blood cells in your pet's body to recognise and attack viruses or bacteria contained in the vaccine. This should protect against disease caused by that particular organism if your pet is exposed to it again.

Primary vaccinations

For the first few weeks of life, young animals are usually protected against disease from the immunity they receive from their mother's milk. However, this maternal immunity may also neutralise any vaccine given at this time. Gradually this protection decreases, and the maternal immunity acquired at birth declines to a sufficiently low level for the animal to no longer be protected. This also allows the animal to respond to vaccination and so this is the best time to start the vaccination programme.

Annual vaccination

Many people believe that if they have their pet vaccinated when it is young the immunity it receives will protect it for the rest of it's life. Unfortunately this is not always the case. After the first vaccine course, the immunity level reaches a peak and then begins to decline. After a year (six months for rabbits), the level of protection offered to your pet may no longer be sufficient. Re-vaccination stimulates the immune response so that protection is maintained for another year. Without these yearly boosters, your pet's immune system may not be able to protect it from serious, often fatal diseases. Therefore, maintaining your pet's booster vaccinations is critical.

What diseases do vaccines protect against?

Dogs are vaccinated against:-

• Parvovirus
• Distemper
• Hepatitis
• Leptospirosis
• Parainfluenza (kennel cough)

Dogs can also be vaccinated using an intranasal vaccine against bordetella (another form of kennel cough). When necessary, due to oversees travel, it is possible to vaccinate against rabies.

Cats are vaccinated against:-

• Feline infectious enteritis
• Feline herpes virus
• Feline calici virus
• Feline leukemia virus

When necessary, due to oversees travel, it is possible to vaccinate against rabies.

Rabbits are vaccinated against:-

• Myxomatosis
• Viral haemorrhagic disease

Speak to your Heene Road vet who will advise a programme of vaccinations to suit your pet's particular requirements.

Puppy and kitten pack

Puppies and kittens will receive a special pack containing their vaccination and health record booklet with lots of useful information on how to look after your pet. You will also be given a free flea and worm treatment and a pack of puppy or kitten food. You will be invited to attend a free adolescent health check with one of our senior nurses at six months old.

Why not come along to one of our puppy parties - great for socialisation and tips!

Worming

Not all pet problems are visible, and this is the case with worms. If your pet becomes infected, they'll happily spend the whole of their adult lives hiding inside your dog or cat. There are several species of intestinal worms that can infect cats and dogs in the UK. Some feed on the contents of the gut, scavenging your pet's food, and others attach themselves to the gut wall to feed on your pet's blood. Some potentially life threatening worms live in the other organs including the heart and lungs. As well as causing serious damage to the health of your pet, some worms can infect people, giving you another reason to keep your pet worm-free.

Lungworm

A potentially fatal parasite that infects dog is spreading across the country. Lungworm infection, caused by the parasite Angiostrongylus vasorum, can cause serious illness, and even death if not treated correctly. A recent nationwide survey of UK vets has revealed that over 25% of those questioned had either confirmed or suspected a case of this potentially fatal condition, yet many dog owners have never even heard of the disease. At Heene Road Vets we have identified many dogs infected with this parasite, some with quite serious symptoms & tragically, one nine month old puppy which died within 24 hours of developing a cough.

Lungworm - is my dog at risk?

Dogs become infected with the lungworm through eating slugs and snails which carry the larvae of the parasite. Southern England is known to be a part of the country where infections are particularly common. While some dogs eat slugs and snails intentionally, some slugs and snails are very small and could accidentally be eaten when your dog is rummaging through the undergrowth on a walk or in the garden, or picked up from an outdoor food/water bowl or toy. With this in mind, Heene Road Vets is taking part in a 'Be Lungworm Aware' campaign to help raise the profile of this parasite amongst dog owners. The initiative aims to make a wide range of advice available, including signs of infection and how to obtain treatment, and to promote the benefits of a parasite control programme that takes into account the risk of dogs becoming infected.

What should I do next?

Lungworm is a particularly dangerous condition as if left untreated, it is often fatal. Signs to look out for include coughing, reluctance to exercise, depression, weight loss, fits, vomiting, diarrhoea, and persistent bleeding, even from small cuts. Dogs known to eat slugs and snails should also be considered candidates for a check up with a vet, even if they are showing no outward signs of infection. Speak to your Heene Road vet or nurse who can talk to you about a parasite protection programme for your dog that includes the treatment of this lungworm.

Other types of worm

Roundworms

Roundworms live in the intestine, moving freely and feeding on the gut contents. Pets can pick up worm eggs if they come into contact with contaminated soil. Dog to dog contact can also transmit roundworm eggs found in their coats. The eggs can survive in the environment for a long time. Puppies are usually born infected and both puppies and kittens can become infected via their mother's milk. People in contact with infected pets are at risk from Toxocariasis where migrating roundworm larvae can cause permanent damage to human's eyes.

Hookworms

Hookworms attach to the gut wall and feed on the animal's blood. Cats and dogs can pick up larvae from contaminated soil and within 2 weeks these can develop into adults in your pet's gut. They can be very damaging, particularly in young animals, causing diarrhoea, anaemia, weight loss and apathy. If there are foxes in your neighbourhood, dogs are at risk of getting hookworm, which is passed on via foxes' faeces.

Whipworms

Given the chance, whipworms will embed their head in the lining of your dog's large intestine and feed on blood. The whip-like action of the tail will cause further damage to the lining of the gut. Whipworms are mainly seen in dogs.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms look like long, flat ribbons or tapes, divided into segments and all tapeworms attach to the intestinal wall. The mature tapeworm segments are filled with eggs, and individual segments break off, passing via a cat or dog's faeces into the environment. The flea tapeworm uses fleas as its intermediate host and is the most common tapeworm to infect cats and dogs in the UK. Cats and dogs are infected by swallowing fleas when they are grooming and once in the gut the worm larvae carried by the flea begins to develop into an adult worm that can quickly grow to 50cm. Hunting cats in particular are at risk of being infected by the mouse tapeworm which uses mice and other small rodents as it's intermediate hosts. Cats and dogs can also become infected by tapeworms if they scavenge the carcasses of animals (e.g. livestock), or if they are fed a raw meat diet.

Heartworms

Heartworms are bad news for dogs and cats that travel abroad. Transmitted by mosquitoes, heartworms can develop in your pet's bloodstream, then live as adults in their heart, and can be fatal.

Flea Treatments

Fleas are very common in cats and dogs throughout the UK. Pets are becoming more and more integrated into family life and as a result, vets are increasingly concerned about controlling fleas and their ultimate consequences.

Fleas can cause disease in cats and dogs, including flea allergy dermatitis and anaemia. Pets can also become infected with flea tapeworm by swallowing a flea during everyday grooming.

Adult fleas are small wingless insects with extraordinary jumping ability. Hanging on to your pet's fur with their claws, their needle-like mouth parts bite through the skin to suck up blood. Sometimes all you will see are flea faeces or "flea dirt" (small brown flecks in the fur). Fleas can lay 30+ eggs per day. These eggs drop to the ground and flea larvae will hatch and hide in dark places on the ground, in carpets or upholstery. The larvae feed on flea droppings and other organic debris defore developing into cocoons/pupae. Adult fleas emerge from their cocoons when they sense that a dog or cat, or other animal host, is near. The cycle, which can take as little as 12 days or as long as several months, can then begin again. If you find fleas on your pet, their eggs, larvae and pupae will also be found in your pet's bedding and the carpets in your home.

Regular flea treatment can prevent these unwanted "guests" in your home. Our staff at Heene Road Vets will be happy to show you how to apply the treatment to your pet and advise you of the regularity of treatment and environmental control.

Medical investigations

Our experienced practitioners will conduct a full examination and explain any findings and discuss with you any further tests required. Examples of necessary procedures could be x-ray, blood tests, urine tests, ECG (tracing of the heart's electrical activity), etc. Any medications required as a result will be fully discussed with you and administration methods outlined.

Surgical procedures

Both routine and emergency surgery can be carried out in our newly refurbished surgical suite. At Heene Road Vets we use the best anaesthetics for you pet and ensure constant monitoring during the procedure. We undertake various types of surgery to include trauma, dental, orthopaedic, abdominal, suturing, tumour removal, neutering, etc. Pet's are cared for in our recovery area and on discharge all aspects of wound care, analgesia and follow-up appointments will be discussed.

Dental Health

It can be difficult to keep your pet's teeth clean, so dental problems are very common. Research shows that at around the age of two, 70% of cats and 80% of dogs have some signs of dental disease. Problems usually start with a build up of sticky plaque that hardens to form tartar. If not removed, this can lead to gingivitis, a painful condition of inflamed gums, and even peridontal disease may develop. Pets could then lose teeth and can be prone to infections that may affect other organs in the body.

If your pet has dental problems, the first thing you will notice is usually bad breath. Common signs include:-

• Sore mouth
• Difficulty eating
• Loose teeth or tooth loss
• Pawing or rubbing the mouth
• Bleeding gums
• Yellow or brown tartar on the teeth
• Dribbling

There are some factors that can contribute to dental problems:-

• Age - dental disease is more common in older pets
• Breed - Small dogs are more likely to have overcrowded or misaligned teeth, so are more prone to dental disease as their teeth are harder to keep clean
• Food - Feeding a diet containing sticky foods and titbits can lead to a more rapid build up of plaque.

Even if your pet isn't showing signs of dental problems, it's worth asking us at Heene Road Vets for a dental check-up and advice on how to clean your pet's teeth to prevent problems in the future.

Neutering

Unless you are planning to breed from your pet, we would always advise early neutering.

Dogs - Neutering helps to avoid mammary tumours in bitches as long as they are speyed before their second season (ideally bitches should be speyed before their first season, the exception being dobermans and some other large breed dogs). Castration can also help avoid undesirable behavioural problems in dogs and should be done at around nine months.

Cats - In order to avoid potentially large litters of unwanted kittens in a climate where the re-homing shelters are inundated and to help prevent the spread of feline AIDS, we would advise that cats are neutered at six months old.

Rabbits - Rabbits are neutered to avoid unwanted pregnancies and for behavioural reasons, especially aggression in females.

Other small animals - Speak to the surgery for advice regarding the suitable age for neutering.

X-rays

X-rays are a useful diagnostic tool in relation to orthopaedic, abdominal and chest imaging. We have a digital processor which allows us to view the images on a computer monitor almost instantaneously. These are also accessible at our branch surgery, thus allowing continuity of information between the two sites.

Blood Tests

We have the latest in-house diagnostic equipment for both haematology and biochemistry. This allows us rapid diagnosis of your pet's disease or monitoring of chronic disease and treatment. We have a daily courier that delivers our histology and blood samples to our external lab should they require further investigation, allowing rapid turnaround times.

Nurse clinics

Our dedicated team of nurses run clinics to offer advice and guidance in the following areas:-

• Weight watcher clinics (clinics free whilst on prescription diet)
• Flea and wormer advice (free)
• Adolescent health checks (free)
• Senior health clinics (feline and canine)
• Canine Massage
• Nail clipping (half price)
• Anal glands (half price)
• Noise phobia (free)
• Removal of sutures (free)
• Diabetic clinic
• Puppy parties

Microchipping

It is extremely easy to microchip your pet ensuring permanent identification in the unfortunate event of your pet going missing or being stolen. It is quick and simple - just like an ordinary injection and once it's done, it lasts a lifetime. A tiny microchip, hardly bigger than a grain of rice fits comfortably under your pets skin. When scanned, it shows a unique code that relates to your name, address and phone number.

Pet Passports

The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS), or Pet Passport as it is often called, is designed to protect human health. It is the system that means people in the UK can take their pets to certain countries and bring them back without the need for quarantine. It also allows pet animals from these countries to enter the UK without quarantine as long as they meet certain conditions. If you are preparing to travel via the Pet Travel Scheme, remember it will take seven months to prepare - make sure you have allowed enough time.

To enable your pet to be issued with a pet passport, it will need:-

• Microchipping
• Vaccination against rabies
• Blood testing 1 month after the rabies vaccination

If the blood results are passed, a Pet Passport will be issued. NB Your pet will not be allowed back into the UK until 6 months after the blood test has been passed (this is in case your pet was incubating rabies at the time of the blood test). Further information can be found on the DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) website http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/pets/travel/pets

Pets are likely to need extra medication to protect them from foreign diseases and parasites. We at Heene Road Vets will be able to advise you on the most suitable precautions to take.

Dietary advice

Our staff are happy to give advice on life-stage diet plans as well as a range of prescription diets. Our prescription diet range covers illnesses such as chronic renal failure, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, skin disease and joint conditions.

Puppy Parties

In order to help your puppy settle into it's new environment and become a balanced and well behaved adult dog, we would like to invite you and your puppy to our free puppy parties. These parties will help your puppy learn to socialise with other dogs, a skill they began learning with their litter mates. Having another dog at home will not be enough as they need to learn how to behave around other dogs with whom they are not so familiar.

The most vital time of socialisation is between 3-13 weeks of age which is when a puppy is most receptive to new experiences. They can continue their development after the puppy parties by attending training classes and while out for their daily exercise.

These classes are free and are held at Heene Road Vets, 206 Heene Road, Worthing on Tuesday evenings at 7.15pm. The class aims to last about 1 hour. Puppies can attend 7 days after having their first vaccination. The course will run for five weeks, and your puppy can join at any time during the five weeks.

Each puppy will be given a discount card entitling their owner to a 20% discount on food and accessories purchased at the surgery during the five week period.

The classes will aim to include many different topics to include:-

• Vaccinations
• Parasites
• Nutrition
• Dental care
• Grooming
• Neutering
• First aid

These sessions will be very client orientated and questions will be welcomed.

On a more practical note, all puppies must be wearing a collar and lead and be in good health. The practice will endeavour to prevent any infection from disease but there is a small risk. If your puppy is having, or has recently had treatment of any kind, please inform us before attending any class. Please note we only take puppies until they are 16 weeks of age.

Places are limited. Please contact Mena, our head nurse to book your place on 01903 200187.

Food and pet accessories

We carry a range of life-stage diets and pet accessories that we would recommend e.g. leads, collars, toys, brushes, combs, tick removers, etc. If you cannot see something you want, please ask as we may be able to order it for you.