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Pet Care Information
Vaccination and worming


Vaccination and Intestinal   Worming

Intestinal worms
Intestinal worms are parasites, {in fact all worms fleas and ticks are parasites.} A parasite is a living organism that lives in or upon another-the host. The parasite gain from the host by getting food shelter transport etc but usually with out providing any compensation to that host.
There are many species of intestinal worm that commonly infect cats and dogs. The four main groups include-Whip worms Tape worms, Hook worms and Round worms.
Lifecycle
Most of the worms have complex lifecycles often involving one or more  hosts, immature and mature stages  and the length of the cycle varies with climatic conditions. {if humans are used as a host for cat or dog worms this can be a serious health threat}. Here in Broome the wet season is a period of heavy worm burden. This is due to immature parasites developing faster with high humidity and warm temperatures in the environment leading to shorter lifecycles. There is also a increase in larvae survival.  Worm levels reduce naturally during the dry season for all the opposite reasons.


Worm life cycle images provided by Bayer, producers of Drontal all wormer available for cats and dogs.
Prevention
Prevention of intestinal worms is quite simple. Since worm egg are passed out in the faeces of the pet it is important that the faeces are cleaned up regularly (once or twice daily).  The worms can survive in the environment once passed through the dog or cat. So please encourage all pet owners to clean up after there pets ("Poo Pouches" are available from the Shire of Broome office and at exercise areas.) When picking up after your dog examine the faeces if you notice any worms then you will need to treat you pet.
Since there are many stray dogs and cats in Broome and many people still do not clean up after their pets or even let them out on the street to poo in other people front yards-there is a good chance that you pet will pick up some worms at some stage through the year. Treating with a routine all wormer every 3 months is a good idea. When buying worming tablets please ensure that it covers all worms and not just a round wormer or a 4 in 1 wormer as there are several types of each worm group Here at Broome Vet Hospital we use and sell DRONTAL as an all wormer.
Vaccination
Vaccinations are a way of triggering the immune system so in the future if the animal is exposed to the disease the body will respond by producing antibodies which has the result of ellimation of the disease or very mild clinical signs. The vaccination is the injection of antigenic material to produce immunity. Vaccination is considered to be the most effective and cost-effective method of preventing infectious diseases. Vaccination in puppies and kittens usually begins when the immunity from the colostrum falls and the animal needs to rely on its own immune system. This is about 6-10 week of age. During their life cats and dogs will need o have an inital course of  vaccination, followed by yearly boosters.
Cat Vaccinations
Feline Respiratory disease is also known as Cat Flu. it is a highly contagious viral disease which causes sneezing, runny eyes nasal discharge loss of appetite and in more sever cases ulcers on the tongue. Severley affected cats may develop scaring in the nose and sinuses and a carrier state may develop. Vaccination is given against to of the viruses involved in Feline respiratory disease. Feline Respiratory disease is commonly seen, is an air bourne  and may be seen in indoor cats.
Feline enteritis this virus which attacks the immune system and the intestinal tract. Infected cats may have a high temperature, abdominal pain, vomiting and dehydration. Vaccination is the best way to prevent this fatal disease. This disease is rarely seen theses days thanks to vaccinations.
Both of the above cat vaccination need to be upto date for your cat to board in the kennels.
Feline Leukaemia (FeLV) is spread in infected infected blood or saliva via close contact usually through sharing of food bowlsand mutual grooming but can also be spread through fighting. The disease suppresses bone marrow activity therefore your cat will be at risk of  secondary infection. Tumour development may occur with Feline Leukaemaia.
Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) spread via infected blood and saliva mainly when fighting. The virus affects the immune system which allows secondary infection to progress.

Here in Broome we have been tracking the incidence of both FIV and FeLV  over the past 2 years and the incident in our sample population is between 15 and 30% . some of the affeced cats have both FIV and Felv. There is a in house diagnostic test to identify which cats have FIV or FeLV.  There is no way to treat cats with FIV or FeLV so if your cat goes out side then they are at risk. By keeping your cat inside at night and by vaccinating you will greatly reduce the risk of getting infected.

For Cats that are going in to kennel or remain indoors Broome Veterinary Hospital recommends vacciantion against Feline respiratory disease and enteritis.

For cats that have access to the outside we recomend in addition to the above vacciantions, both FIV and FeLV

Dog Vaccinations
Parvovirus  attacks the bone marrow and gastrointestinal system. Affected dogs are depressed anorexic vomiting and have a bloody diarrhoea. This all leads to a serious fluid imballance and dehydration leading to death. each year many dogs die of parvovirus infection. Treatment is expensice and hospital stays are long with a risk of death. Vacciantion is the best protection against this disease.  Outbreaks of infection occure in the Broome and Derby area several times a year. While young dogs are most at risk it is seen in older dogs as well.
Hepatitis a severe viral infection of the liver. Signs include depression, loss of appatite, vomiting and diarrhoea, abdominal pain. mortality rates are high. 
Distemper a contagious viral disease that can result in permanent brain damage or death. signs include fever depression loss of appetite greenish-yellow discharge from the eyes and nose. Pneumonia may develop. Due to the prevelance of vacciantion and the relative isolation of Broome we have not see cases of Distemper for many years.
Canine Cough also known as infectious tracheobronchitis. this is a highly contagious disease which affects the respiratory system. Canine Cough is a multifactorial disease, meaning many micro-organisms can and will cause the disease. We routienly vaccinate against 2 of the major causes. This will limit the severity of the disease if a vaccinated dog gets infected by Canine Cough. Clinical signs include a harsh hacking cough ending in a gag. The cough can persist for many weeks and lead to pnumonia. This disease is seen alot in Broome due to the high population of dogs.
Dogs going in to our kennels here at Broome are required to have all of the above vaccinations up to date. This ensures that your pet does not infect the other boarders.