Vaccinating your dog
Here at Potts Point Veterinary Hospital, we strongly recommend immunising your dog against viral disease.
Vaccinations help your dog build immunity to the most prevalent and debilitating canine diseases (listed below). Once a puppy series is complete a C3 vaccine is administered on a triennial schedule. In addition, your dog should be vaccinated annually against canine kennel cough. This is considered the minimum standard in Australia. Depending on your dog’s lifestyle, they may require additional immunisations. Ask one of our veterinarians for more information.
Recommended schedule:
| Age | Recommended Treatment |
| 6 – 8 weeks | Puppy vaccine # 1 (C3) |
| 10 – 12 weeks | Puppy vaccine # 2 (C3) |
| 14 – 16 weeks | Puppy vaccine # 3 (C3) |
| Annually | Canine cough vaccine |
| Triennially | C3 |
C3 covers:
- Canine distemper virus – highly contagious, causes incurable disease affecting multiple organ systems
- Canine adenovirus – highly contagious, affects the upper respiratory tract first before progressing to systemic disease
- Canine parvovirus – highly contagious, most commonly causes gastrointestinal disease (vomiting and diarrhoea), however, can also cause heart disease.
The Canine Cough vaccine covers:
- Bordetella bronchiseptica and canine parainfluenza virus – both cause “kennel cough’’
C5 Vaccine = C3 + Canine Cough vaccine combined
C7 vaccine = C5 + Leptospirosis (often shortened to Lepto)
- Leptospirosis is an often fatal bacterial infection, the bacteria may be present in the urine of rats.
There’s an increased risk where high rat populations exist. Incidence can increase after long periods of wet weather. Dogs may be at risk if this bacteria enters their body via cuts or abrasions, or occasionally through the membranes of the mouth, nose or eyes.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it can be a potential risk to people.
Please note:
- Puppies are not considered immune until they have received all three vaccines in the puppy series.
- Veterinarians cannot administer vaccines without giving the animal a full physical examination first.
- Understand that vaccinations should be used in conjunction with parasite prevention to protect your pet from infectious disease best.
- Proheart’s annual heartworm prevention injection is not a vaccine; however, you may find it convenient to synchronise this with your pet’s annual vaccinations.
- We are more than happy to provide vaccination certificates upon request.
Vaccinating your cat
Here at Potts Point Veterinary Hospital, we strongly recommend immunising your dog against viral disease.
The F3 vaccine helps your cat build immunity to the three most prevalent and debilitating feline diseases (listed below). This is considered the minimum standard in Australia. Depending on your cat’s lifestyle, they may require additional immunisations. Ask one of our veterinarians for more information.
Recommended schedule:
| Age | Recommended Treatment |
| 6 – 8 weeks | Kittenvaccine # 1 (F3) |
| 12 – 14 weeks | Kitten vaccine # 2 (F3) |
| 16 – 18 weeks | Kitten vaccine # 3 (F3) |
| 12 months later | F3 Booster |
| Annually for life | F3 Booster |
The F3 covers:
- Feline parvovirus – causes feline infectious enteritis, a lethal disease affecting the gastrointestinal tract. It is extraordinarily contagious – viral particles can be transmitted on inanimate objects.
- Feline calicivirus – highly contagious, one cause of chronic upper respiratory tract infection
- Feline herpesvirus – highly contagious, another cause of chronic upper respiratory tract infection
If your cat can roam outside, it requires immunisation against FIV and FeLV. These viruses cause chronic immunodeficiency syndromes.
- FIV – Feline AIDS is a disease caused by infection with feline immunodeficiency virus, affecting the cat’s immune system much in the same way as human AIDS.
- FeLV -Feline leukaemia attacks the immune system; many cats may be infected and show no signs.
Some infected cats remain infected chronically and can shed the virus in their saliva, tears, nasal secretions, and urine which is then spread to uninfected cats by mutual grooming, fighting, sneezing or even flea bites.
Please note:
- Kittens are not considered immune until they have received all three vaccines in the kitten series.
- Veterinarians cannot administer vaccines without giving the animal a full physical examination first
- Understand that vaccinations should be used in conjunction with parasite prevention to protect your pet from infectious disease best.
- We are more than happy to provide vaccination certificates upon request.