This page is to help you understand the importance of giving your dogs their vaccinations and keeping their boosters up to date.
You must remember that your pet should be completely healthy at the time of vaccination to gain the optimum barrier to the disease high-lighted below.  It is important to continue their booster treatment to give them full protection.
Please talk to your vet for further information and advice.

• Canine Parvovirus.  Parvo as it is more commonly known is a relatively common disease but mainly effects young puppies prior to their vaccinations and can be fatal.  The disease causes fever, severe diarrhoea, vomiting and heart disease.  This then leads to dysentery, dehydration and frequently death. It is a horrid way to go and extremely stressful for all concerned. Costly and intensive treatment can save lives but for the simplicity of an injection and the low cost comparison it makes sense to inoculate and keep up with the required boosters.   We must do all we can as responsible dog owners as this disease can stay in our environment where we frequent with our dogs for a number of years. Some breeds are more susceptible then others, Rottweiler, Pit Bull and Doberman for example.
• Canine Distemper.  Distemper has been virtually eradicated in New Zealand due to vaccination control.  It causes cold like symptoms but over a few weeks develop into neurological symptoms which show up as staggering, loss of balance, seizures and as there is no effective treatment eventually end in death.
• Canine Hepatitis.  The relatively common Canine Adenovirus type one attacks several parts of the dog’s body at any age, causing Hepatitis, anorexia, clouding of the eyes, Jaundice, vomiting, diarrhoea, seizures and eventually coma. Once again this disease can lay dormant in our environment, waiting to be picked up by an un-vaccinated dog.
• Kennel Cough.  Kennel cough is normally only fatal to young un-vaccinated puppies or dogs with low immune systems due to other health issues, such as heart or lounge disease or very elderly dogs.  Boarding kennels, dog parks, beaches, our streets etc are often the places to pick up the disease as it spreads in prolonged close contact with other dogs having the disease.  The Canine influenza virus and Canine Andeno Virus type 2 and Bordetella Bronchiseptica are the most common types of the virus and can affect dogs and PEOPLE for up to three months and are extremely contagious.

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• Leptospirosis.   This bacterium is prevalent in the North Island and found in Nelson. The disease is carried by rats and is very contagious to PEOPLE, dogs and other animals, effecting the kidney and liver causing lethargy, vomiting, diarrhoea, jaundice and azotaemia. IT CAN BE FATAL!