Boarding Your Dog Or Cat And Vaccinations

cat-holiday If you’re planning a holiday or trip away and are looking to board your pet at a kennel or cattery, we suggest booking your pet’s accommodation with us well ahead of time. It is also a very good idea to plan your pet’s health needs in advance.

Choosing A Kennel Or Cattery

Why choose Auckland Kennel & Cattery for your pet? The choice you make normally comes down to a number of factors, such as location, facilities, availability, reputation, safety and suitability for your pet. See what our clients have said about our facilities.

If your pet is to be safe, it is critical you choose a boarding facility, like ours, that requires full vaccination of their animals. Sometimes owners ask us, “Do I need to vaccinate my pet?” As responsible boarding kennels owners, all cats and dogs staying with us, whether as short-term or long-term guests, are required to be vaccinated. Contact us about availability for your pet today.

Your Pet’s Health

You want to rest assured that your pet will be safe while in someone else’s care. Good pet care facilities will ask for a current vaccination certificate, and ideally for your pet to be fully vaccinated two to three weeks before boarding.

If they don’t require this, then we strongly recommend you take your pet elsewhere.

When you bring your dog or cat to stay with us we ask that you provide our boarding facility with an outline of your pet’s medical history and current medication, and your preferred veterinary clinic details. However, we do of course have a veterinary clinic we routinely use in emergencies. vaccinate your dog

Protect Your Pet: Vaccinate Before Boarding

Boarding facilities place animals from different households in close proximity, increasing the risk of infection. Both cat vaccinations and dog vaccinations protect against infectious diseases which can be spread from one animal to another. While some diseases only cause only mild illness, others can be fatal. Vaccinations are an essential part of preparing your pet for boarding.

Vaccinations help protect your pet by stimulating their body to produce antibodies to specific diseases. If your pet should later come in contact with a disease they are vaccinated against, the antibodies will protect them. Immunity may take two to three weeks to develop after vaccinations are given.

Booster Vaccinations

Most dogs will receive a C5 vaccination as puppies, and kittens will receive an F5 vaccination. If this is the case, your pet may only need a booster vaccination to maintain immunity and ensure their immune system is always prepared in its constant fight against disease.

Once a vaccination has been administered, immunity can take days to weeks to develop. To ensure they have optimum protection, your dog or cat should be fully vaccinated, including boosters, 2 to 4 weeks before coming to stay at a boarding kennel.

To ask about our animal vaccinations call 09 299 7415 or email us with your pet health questions.

Vaccinations for Dogs

The minimum vaccination requirement for dogs coming to our kennels is the C5 vaccination. This provides immunity against distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza and Leptosporosis. These vaccinations are to be given annually and to be done no less than 3 days before boarding commences. All vaccinations are to be valid for the length of stay.

Core Vaccinations: what are these vaccinations protecting my dog against?

Distemper:

This can cause a variety of symptoms including respiratory stress, gastrointestinal and neurological issues and death.

Parvovirus:

This is a highly contagious virus causing sudden bloody vomiting and diarrhoea, and can be fatal (particularly in young animals). Parvo is still prevalent in some parts of Auckland, and can be transmitted even without direct contact with an affected dog.

Hepatitis:

A serious, often fatal, disease causing fever, liver disease, inflammation, gastrointestinal, ocular and neurological issues.

Leptospirosis:

An infection which damages the liver and kidneys and is often fatal. Leptospirosis is spread by contact with infected animals’ urine. Leptospirosis is generally seen north of Taupo and has been diagnosed in Auckland. Leptospirosis can also be spread to people, which is one of reasons vaccination is particularly important!

Kennel Cough:

Kennel Cough refers to a group of diseases causing an infectious cough transmitted from dog to dog, the bacteria is similar to the one that causes whooping cough in people.

Vaccinations For Cats

The recommended minimum vaccination requirements for cats coming to stay in our cattery is Calicivirus, Rhinotracheitis (snuffles), Feline Enteritis, Potional Chlamydia, Chlamydophila and feline Leukaemia. All cats must have had vaccinations within the last 12 months, but not less than 7 days before entering the cattery. All vaccinations are to be valid for the length of stay.

Core Vaccinations: what are these vaccinations protecting my cat against?

Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis:

This virus causes an upper respiratory-tract infection which is easily transmitted from cat to cat. Symptoms may be fever, loss of appetite, sneezing, eye and nasal discharges and coughing. Kittens are particularly affected, but this disease can be dangerous in any unprotected cat, as effective treatment is limited. Even if a cat recovers, it can remain a carrier for life, shedding virus from its eyes and nose when stressed.

Feline Calicivirus (“Cat Flu”):

Another major cause of upper respiratory-tract infection in cats. Widespread and highly contagious, its symptoms of fever, eye and nasal discharge, ulcers and blisters on the tongue and pneumonia can range from mild to severe. Treatment of this disease can be difficult. Even if recovery does take place, a recovered cat can continue to infect other animals, as well as experience chronic sneezing and runny eyes. Vaccination is therefore tremendously important.

Feline Leukaemia (FeLV):

This virus can result in everything from cancerous conditions such as leukemia to a wide range of secondary infections caused by the destruction of the immune response system.

Feline Parvovirus:

Or Feline Infectious Enteritis: A severe and frequently fatal cause of haemorrhagic gastroenteritis. Outbreaks of infection with this virus are common and a high proportion of affected cats can die.

Chlamydophila Felis:

A type of bacteria that mainly causes conjunctivitis in cats.

Feline Chlamydia:

This bacterial disease is responsible for 15 to 20% of all feline respiratory diseases. It is extremely contagious, especially in young kittens and causes a local infection of the mucous membranes of the eyes but may also involve the lungs. Chlamydia can be transmitted to humans by direct contact.

Why Are Vaccinations So Important?

Dog and cat vaccinations play an important role in keeping your pet healthy, so remember to check your pet’s vaccination status before your holiday comes around. All reputable boarding catteries and kennels require their visitors to be vaccinated to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Insufficient vaccinations put your pet’s health at risk, and remove your pet’s eligibility from any decent pet boarding facility. Also, any resulting illnesses will result in not only a great deal of stress but very high vet bills. Do I need to vaccinate my pet? Yes!

Do I Need to Vaccinate My Pet?