Why Vaccinations Are Essential for Puppies
Vaccinations are essential for your puppy as they provide immunity from diseases that can be fatal to your puppies’ health. Your puppy will have natural immunity from mum up until around 8 weeks of age. At 8 weeks of age your puppy will be eligible for vaccination. This is a two-injection course, one injection given at 8 weeks of age and the second at 10 weeks of age. This initial course will protect your puppy for 12 months. After 12 months you will be offered a booster injection that acts as a top up of immunity. Your pet will require a booster injection every 12 months for the rest of their life to continue their immunity against disease. It is essential that puppies get vaccinated as they are more at risk from disease as their immune system has not fully developed.
What does the Vaccination Cover?
In the UK we vaccinate against:
- Canine Distemper: an airborne virus spread through contact with an infected dog via bodily fluid. Symptoms include fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and coughing. Distemper can be fatal and some dogs that recover from this disease have long-term neurological and mobility issues.
- Canine Hepatitis: Affects the liver and other major organs. Symptoms vary from tiredness, vomiting, diarrhoea depending on which organ has been affected.
- Canine Parvovirus: Passed from the faeces of an infected dog. Puppies are particularly susceptible to this virus and most cases are sadly fatal. There is no treatment option other than supportive treatments. Symptoms include fowl smelling bloody diarrhoea and severe dehydration.
- Leptospirosis: Spread by infected rats and mice. This disease can be fatal to both dogs and humans. It is contracted through infected urine and contaminated water. This causes liver and kidney failure.
Cost of Puppy Vaccination
So. how much do puppy vaccinations cost? At Anrich we offer vaccinations at £90 for an initial course (injection 1 and 2). We offer a Puppy Pack that includes flea and worm treatment, a bag of grain free puppy food and 5 weeks free insurance for £99. Booster vaccinations are priced at £40. We offer Kennel Cough at a discounted rate if given at the same time.
Cost of Additional Vet Services
An additional vaccination for Kennel Cough can be given either as an injection or up the nasal cavity and it is a requirement for pet boarding kennels and doggy day care centres. Kennel cough is an infection that leaves your dog with a harsh, raspy cough. It is spread easily from contact in infected dogs.
- Rabies
If you are planning a trip abroad and wish to take your dog with you then your dog must be vaccinated against Rabies. Your pet must have this vaccination at least 21 days before travel. This is a requirement by Law and more information can be found via the Government Pet Travel Scheme (PETS). If you are interested in taking your pet abroad and wish to discuss a pet passport for your dog, please speak to a member of our team.
Does Pet Insurance Cover the Cost of Vaccines?
As vaccinations are preventative medicine, they are not covered on your pet insurance policy. We offer a VIP club to help you cover the cost of your pet’s preventative medicine and even deliver flea and worm treatment to your door.
Affordable Vaccination Options
As insurance companies do not cover the cost of preventive medicine vaccinations can an upfront cost that pet owners must accommodate. To make vaccinations affordable for pet owners we have designed a VIP plan where the cost of preventative care is spread monthly. Our VIP plan is a monthly direct debit that covers your pet for future vaccinations, flea and worm treatment at a discounted rate. It is easy to sign up via weblink or at the reception desk on your visit. Speak to a member of our team for more advise on the VIP plan.
Conclusion
Vaccinations are paramount to protect our pets from the spread of infectious disease that are detrimental to animal health. Vaccinations are required from as early as 8 weeks of age to ensure full coverage against these deadly diseases. We offer discounted Puppy Packs for initial vaccination course, then VIP plan for future vaccinations, flea and worm treatment to make preventative health care more accessible and affordable for our clients.