Vaccinations/Titre Testing

Vaccinations are recommended for young kitten and puppies, and they are an essential part of preventative care for core diseases. But you don't want to overdo it with unnecessary vaccinations, right? Here's a cool solution- the titre test! It's an easy way to assess your pet's immunity levels to viral infections through a simple blood sample. If your pet's immunity is good, then you don't need to have a booster injection that year. It's like playing a game of "immune system checkers" with your pet's health! So, let's get your pet tested and vaccinate on a “need to be” basis.

The core vaccine for dogs is known as the C3 vaccine and protects dogs against:

•   canine distemper virus

•   infectious canine hepatitis

•   canine parvovirus.

Optional (non-core) vaccines for dogs include:

•   kennel cough

•   leptospirosis

The core vaccine for cats is called the F3 vaccine and protects cats against:

•   feline herpesvirus*

•   feline calicivirus*

•   feline parvovirus (aka panleukopaenia virus).

Non-core vaccines for cats include:

•   feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)

•   feline leukaemia virus (FeLV)

The standard protocol for puppies and kittens is to have the first vaccination at 6-8 weeks of age (usually done by the breeder or shelter prior to homing) and then to have two more vaccinations soon after - usually at around 12 and 16 weeks of age. A year later a booster vaccination will be given. These first vaccines, up to and including the first booster, are the most important vaccinations in your pet’s lifetime as they haven’t yet had time to develop their own natural immunity to diseases.

While dogs and cats were previously revaccinated every year, evidence now suggests that triennial (3-yearly) vaccination is sufficient to maintain immunity against the core pathogens. At HomeVetBondi, we encourage titre testing after the first year of vaccination - to assess if further vaccination is required.