Pet Vaccination FAQs

In the days before widespread vaccination, thousands of animals died an often slow and painful death from diseases which are easily preventable nowadays. Vaccination will protect your pet from illnesses like leptospirosis, parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis in dogs or feline panleukopenia and the Feline Leukaemia Virus in cats. Vaccination is the biggest success of modern veterinary medicine and, because it will prevent your pet dying from many of these potentially fatal diseases, it is the cornerstone of responsible pet ownership. 

Now that most pets are vaccinated thankfully vets see fewer animals affected by these diseases, and this explains why it is so vital your pet is vaccinated, and protection kept up to date by regular (usually annual) ‘boosters’.

It means they are potentially letting in other unvaccinated pets, thus leaving your pet at a higher risk of contracting disease. They must ask to see your pet’s vaccination certificate and check that he or she has been vaccinated within the last 12 months – simply asking you if your pet is vaccinated is not good enough. 

Copyright of Veterinary Ireland