Guide To Dog Vaccinations In Australia

Vaccinations are vital for protecting your dog from contracting dangerous diseases and can also stop your pet from passing on these illnesses to other animals.

While vaccinations are not 100% effective at protecting pets from diseases, they work in the majority of cases and are an important step in making sure your pet stays fit and well.

According to Australia’s Greencross Vets, your puppy will need to receive its first set of vaccinations once it is six to eight weeks old. Two to four weeks later, it will need a second set, and a third vaccination will be required at 14 to 16 weeks.

It’s best to check with your breeder or rehoming shelter whether your puppy’s vaccination schedule has already started before you book a vaccination appointment. If you’re not sure, you can bring the paperwork to your local vet who will be able to check whether your puppy has already had any vaccinations.

Crucially, your pet must not mix with other dogs or go outside until they have been vaccinated.

Related: Is Pet Insurance Worth It?

There are three main diseases dogs in Australia are commonly vaccinated against, which the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) refers to as ‘core’ diseases:

• Canine parvovirus: a highly contagious disease that causes severe vomiting and diarrhoea. It can be deadly without treatment.
• Canine distemper, or Hard Pad Disease: a contagious virus that spreads through dog’s saliva and urine. Symptoms include fever, coughing, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, vomiting and diarrhoea. In later stages the central nervous system can be affected, and serious cases can be fatal. It has no known cure.
• Infectious canine hepatitis: a viral disease that affects a dog’s liver, kidneys, eyes and blood vessel linings. It is spread through bodily fluids and can cause lethargy, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and coughing. Thankfully high vaccination rates have lowered the instance of canine hepatitis.

All three conditions can be vaccinated against with one shot known as the C3 vaccination.

It is worth noting that if you board your dog at a kennel, you will likely be required to vaccinate your pooch against a condition known as ‘kennel cough’ or ‘canine cough’ and supply a vaccination certificate to confirm that your dog is up to date with vaccinations. A C5 vaccination is similar to a C3, but offers additional protection against kennel cough.

Some vets also offer vaccinations against Leptospirosis—a bacterial infection that spreads through the bloodstream—and may recommend it to your pooch if it has been detected in your local area.

If you’re planning to take your dog with you on an extended holiday to New Zealand, New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has strict requirements that must be met:

• They must be microchipped.
• Must be vaccinated against rabies after the micro-chip insertion.
• Must be treated with parasite treatments, and heartworm treatment before travelling
• MPI  also requires a range of blood tests for dogs to test for heartworm, Leptospirosis, Babesia gibsoni, and Brucella canis.

Also make sure that your pet insurance covers you New Zealand travel: not all policies do, so read the fine-print.

Once your puppy has had the initial vaccination course, it will need regular booster injections to ensure it stays protected and doesn’t lose immunity.

The AVA recommends a vaccination schedule based on your pet’s needs, stating: “The AVA supports vaccination schedules that recognise that requirements for vaccination will differ based on the individual patient, situation and veterinarian–client–patient relationship. As such, it is not possible to give prescriptive guidelines for vaccinating dogs and cats.”

Many vets formulate their own vaccine schedules with owners based on the dog’s activity levels and lifestyle. Greencross vets, for example, recommend a booster one year after your dog’s 14-week vaccination.

If your dog has previously had vaccinations, an alternative to certain booster injections is titre testing. This involves measuring the markers of immunity in the blood via an annual blood test and can give you an idea of how well protected your dog still is. If the levels fall below a certain level, your dog will need another vaccination.

Note, however, that the cost of titre testing can be higher than vaccinating. Some kennels and insurers will also not accept a titre test result in place of a vaccine.

The cost of dog vaccinations varies depending on the vet practice, but you can usually expect to pay between $180 and $250 for the first three puppy shots. Annual boosters tend to cost around $90, but it’s best to give your vet a ring to get a full price list as costs do vary from vet to vet.

Most dog insurance policies won’t cover what is known as ‘routine care’ and vaccination fees usually fall under this umbrella although there are exceptions. You may, however, secure a lower insurance premium by vaccinating your dog. Some insurers will insist that vaccinations are up to date in order for your policy to remain valid.

If you’re concerned about the cost of vaccinating your dog and your household receives the pension or is on a health care card, you may be eligible for low-cost medical care, including vaccinations and microchipping from some animal charities such as the RSPCA. Check the RSPCA organisation in your state or territory.

Vaccinations are rarely associated with severe side effects, but your dog may experience some common mild side effects such as:

• Lethargy
• Eating less
• Fever
• Mild swelling around the vaccine site

Less common side effects include twitching, vomiting, diarrhoea and itchy skin. In very rare circumstances, your pet could experience an allergic reaction such as breathing difficulty, a pounding heart beat and seizures.

The AVA states: “while vaccination in general is considered very safe, vaccine associated adverse events are possible, and therefore when considering an appropriate protocol for a patient, veterinarians should aim to reduce the vaccine load on individual animals provided this does not increase the risk of disease.”

If you’re at all concerned about side effects, it’s important to call your vet for advice as soon as possible. If your dog is having an allergic reaction, phone your vet immediately.