Vaccination is a crucial part of responsible pet ownership. It protects dogs and cats from serious and potentially fatal diseases, while also preventing the spread of infections to other animals and, in some cases, humans. This guide explains why vaccination is important, the diseases it protects against, and the recommended vaccination schedules for pets in the UK.

What is covered in this information page:

• What is vaccination?
• Why should you vaccinate your pet?
• ‘Core’ and ‘non-core’ vaccines – what’s the difference?
• Vaccines and vaccination schedules for:
  • dogs
  • cats
  • rabbits
• What about titre testing?
• FAQs

What is vaccination?

Vaccination is a way of training and strengthening your pet’s immune system, to protect them from disease before they come into contact with it. The vaccine itself is not what protects your pet: the vaccine causes the immune system to:

• recognise a specific disease as it starts to attack the body
• stimulate the production of antibodies to fight the disease
• remember the disease, so it can respond more quickly and effectively the next time

Vaccination is a simple, safe, and effective way of protecting your pet against harmful diseases, before those diseases have the opportunity to make them sick.

Why should you vaccinate your pet?

• Protection against life-threatening diseases – vaccines safeguard your pet against severe illnesses, long-term health complications, or even death. Many of these diseases have no cure, making prevention through vaccination essential.
• Prevention of disease spread – some diseases can spread rapidly among unvaccinated pets, especially in communal areas like parks, boarding kennels or catteries. Vaccination helps prevent outbreaks.
• Public Health and zoonotic disease control – some pet diseases, such as rabies and leptospirosis, can be transmitted to humans (zoonosis). Vaccinating pets reduces the risk of zoonotic infections, thereby protecting both animals and people.
• Required for boarding and travel – kennels, catteries and pet travel regulations often require proof of vaccination. Keeping your pets vaccinations up to date ensures you can board them when needed and travel abroad without complications.
• Cost-effective prevention – treating preventable diseases can be expensive and may require prolonged medical care, hospitalisation or even euthanasia. Vaccination is a far more affordable way to protect your pet.

‘Core’ and ‘non-core’ vaccines – what’s the difference?

The Vaccination Guidelines Group (VGG) of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) has defined core vaccines as “those that ALL dogs and cats should receive, after considering their lifestyle and the geographical areas in which they live or to which they travel. Some core vaccines protect animals from potentially life-threatening diseases that have global distribution while others protect against life-threatening diseases that are prevalent only in particular countries or regions.”

The VGG has defined non-core vaccines as “those that should be highly recommended in animals whose geographical location and/or lifestyle (e.g. indoor-outdoor access, multi-pet household) places them at risk of contracting particular infections not designated as core.”

We are happy to guide you on what vaccines are most suitable for your pet

Dog diseases for which we vaccinate

Core vaccinations (essential for all dogs)

• Canine parvovirus (CPV)- a highly contagious and often fatal virus causing vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe dehydration.
• Canine distemper virus (CDV)- a serious viral disease affecting the respiratory, nervous, and gastrointestinal systems. Symptoms include fever, coughing, seizures, and paralysis.
• Canine adenovirus (CAV) (Infectious Canine Hepatitis) – affects the liver, kidneys, and eyes, leading to fever, vomiting, and in severe cases, death.
• Leptospirosis –  a bacterial infection that damages the kidneys and liver, and can also be transmitted to humans. Can be spread through wild animals with contaminated urine/faeces.

Non-core vaccinations (recommended based on lifestyle and risk factors)

• Kennel Cough (Bordetella bronchiseptica and Parainfluenza virus) – a highly infectious and contagious respiratory condition, essential for dogs in social environments such as boarding kennels or doggy daycare.
• Rabies – not required in the UK.  Dogs, cats and ferrets require if travelling abroad.
• Canine herpesvirus –  recommended for breeding dogs as it can cause fatal infections in newborn puppies.

Vaccination schedule for dogs

• Puppy vaccinations – a complete course of two doses: first at 6-8 weeks of age, second 4 weeks later
• First annual booster vaccination one year later for DHP & L4 (Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis)
• Subsequent annual boosters from age two years:
  • every year: Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough
  • every 3 years DHP (Distemper, Hepatitis & Parvovirus)

Cat diseases for which we vaccinate

Core vaccinations (essential for all cats)

• Feline herpesvirus (FHV) and Feline calicivirus (FCV) – causes feline viral respiratory disease (cat flu), leading to sneezing, eye ulcers and breathing difficulties.
• Feline panleukopenia virus (FPV) – also known as feline infectious enteritis, this highly contagious disease causes vomiting, diarrhoea and immune system suppression.
• Feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) – a virus that weakens the immune system and increases the risk of infections and cancer. Essential for outdoor and social cats.

Non-core vaccinations (recommended based on lifestyle and risk factors)

• Rabies – only required for cats travelling abroad under the Pet Travel Scheme.

Vaccination schedule for cats

• Kitten vaccinations – a complete course of two doses: first at 8-9 weeks of age, second 3-4 weeks later
• First annual booster vaccination one year later for FHV, FCV, FPV and Felv)
• Subsequent annual boosters from age two years:
  • every year: FHV, FCV & FPV
  • every three years: FeLV

You will note that annual vaccinations for both adult dogs & cats may vary – this is because the duration of antibody protection is different for each disease that is covered by vaccination.

Rabbit diseases for which we vaccinate

There are two deadly diseases of rabbits for which we vaccinate:

• Myxomatosis
• Rabbit haemorrhagic disease (two strains: classical RHDV1 & RHDV type 2)

These diseases are spread via insects, e.g. fleas, midges & mosquitos and through contact with wild rabbits. The viruses can also be transported on clothing, so even indoor rabbits should be vaccinated.

Vaccination schedule for rabbits

• Kit vaccination: a single dose given from 5 weeks of age
• Annual booster vaccination

What about titre testing?

The level of antibodies in your pet can be measured with a blood test. This is called ‘titre testing’ or ‘serological testing for antibody titre’. If you are considering using titre testing as an alternative to vaccinations, please talk to us about the pros and cons of this method.

A titre test is a useful way to establish, at a single point in time, whether your pet has sufficient antibodies to protect them from a particular disease. For example, following an approved testing method, a titre test result for canine distemper (CDV), canine parvovirus (CPV), canine adenovirus (CAV) or feline parvovirus (panleukopenia, FPV) can be:

• positive, indicating the patient does have protective levels of antibody against the virus.
• negative indicating the patient does not have protective levels of circulating antibody but, we cannot interpret this to mean that they are more succeptable to the disease.

By contrast, the results of titre tests for vaccination against feline herpesvirus (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV) do not correlate well with protective immunity. There is no titre test for canine leptospirosis, so annual vaccination for this disease is recommended.

Furthermore, interpretation of results must be made with care, and in context, as there are other situations in which we may find raised antibodies, other than when we are trying to assess protection through vaccination. For example, exposure to disease, or an active infection, will both elevate antibody levels.

Take home messages about titre testing:

• They can be useful to establish whether your pet’s immune system has responded to vaccination – tests for some diseases are better than others at telling us how well your pet is protected
• A positive (protective) result can only tell us that your pet is protected at that point in time – we cannot infer how well your pet will be protected in the future without booster vaccination
• A negative result cannot be used to infer succeptability to a disease challenge
• The only true test of how well your pet is protected, is through a challenge by exposure to disease
• Results can be influenced by several factors and should be interpreted with care

FAQs

Q: Are vaccinations safe?

A: Yes. Vaccines are extensively tested for safety and effectiveness before being approved for use. We vaccinate several thousand pets every year and incidents of severe side effects are exceptionally rare. Common side-effects might include a slight swelling at the injection site or temporary lethargy, but most pets show absolutely no adverse effects at all.

Q: What happens if my pet misses a booster?

A: Your pet’s immunity doesn’t cease on the due date for the booster – there is some leeway, although we may not be eligible for support from the vaccine manufacturer if the vaccination protocol is not followed and your pet may be at risk. If vaccinations are missed for too long, we may recommend a restart.

Q: Can an indoor cat skip vaccinations?

A: Even indoor cats should be vaccinated, as some viruses can be brought into the home on clothing or shoes. FeLV may be unnecessary if your cat never goes outside or has contact with other cats, but core vaccines are still recommended.

Q: Can vaccinations cause side effects?

A: Most pets experience no side effects, but mild reactions such as slight fever or soreness at the injection site are possible. Severe allergic reactions are extremely rare. Always monitor your pet after vaccination and contact us if you notice unusual signs.

Q: Will my pet insurance accept titre testing as proof of protection?

A: Most pet insurance companies require your pet to be fully vaccinated to comply with their policy. It is also our experience that most pet insurance companies will not accept titre testing in place of routine vaccination. We have no authority to dictate or challenge the terms of your contract with them, so our advice is to check the small print, or contact them for confirmation of their position on this.