Vaccination and deworming
PET VACCINATIONS AND DEWORMING
Vaccination is a clinical procedure that is key to pets’ health; only veterinarians can evaluate the animal’s health status, conduct proper deworming and other measures to ensure an adequate immunisation.
The timing of the vaccination is key because the mother’s antibodies transmitted both through the placenta and mainly through the colostrum – i.e. the initial milk enriched with antibodies – gradually decrease after birth. If the animal is vaccinated prematurely, maternal immunity can interfere with the vaccine. If it is vaccinated too late, the animal will be left unprotected for some time. You must consult your veterinarian, she or he will give you the proper guidelines to follow.
Vaccination consists of inoculating a substance (a dead or attenuated microorganism or a fraction of a virus, etc.), against which the body reacts by creating defences (antibodies).
The type of vaccination and its frequency may vary according to your habits and the geographic area you live in. Therefore, you must consult a veterinarian the moment you become the owner of an animal. The veterinarian is the only trained professional able to guide you regarding your pet’s health care.
Currently, in the Valencian Community region, the only mandatory vaccine is rabies for dogs, cats and ferrets, following the guidelines included in Order 3/16 of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development:
The vaccine must be administered within sixteen weeks of the animal’s birth provided it is over twelve weeks old.
A subsequent revaccination will be performed with a recall dose one year after the first vaccination.
Thereafter, the vaccination shall be mandatory as prescribed in the technical specifications of the last administered dose relating to the Member State’s commercialisation authorisation or the approval or licence in a territory or in a third country.
In the case of dogs, the veterinarian will check the animal is identified and registered in the RIVIA and that its passport is correctly filled out. For other species the health card is used.
The remaining vaccines available for dogs and cats are not mandatory, but they are recommended since our animals live with us and their health has a direct impact on ours. We must not forget that a pet owner’s responsibilities include keeping the animal in good health.
Dog vaccines:
Distemper
Viral hepatitis
Leptospirosis
Parvovirus
Kennel cough
Rabies
Cat Vaccines:
Panleukopenia
Herpesvirus
Calicivirus
Leukemia
Infectious peritonitis
Rabies
The deworming of dogs, cats and ferrets against echinococcosis is mandatory. It is conducted upon veterinarian prescription. The deworming is carried out by an authorised veterinarian minimum once a year, and a record is kept in the animal’s health documentation.