Canine and feline vaccines

We carry a large variety and types of vaccines. No single vaccine program will be ideal for every pet in every situation. The vaccination schedule and type of vaccine used will be decided after taking in account pet’s age, lifestyle, overall health, risk for exposure to infectious disease, and other factors.

Pets today can live longer, healthier lives than ever beforin part because of vaccines that help protect them from deadly infectious diseases. Over the years, vaccines against dangerous diseases have saved millions of pets and virtually eliminated some fatal diseases that were once common. Unfortunately, many infectious diseases still pose a significant threat to dogs and cats that are unvaccinated.

Many vaccines are available for use in dogs and cats, but not every pet needs every available vaccine. Some vaccines are considered core vaccines and should be administered to all pets, whereas other vaccines are optional and may be recommended for pets based on a variety of factors, such as their risk for exposure to disease.

Vaccine recommendations can also change throughout a pet’s life, as travel habits and other variables change. We will consider all these factors as we determine which vaccines your pet should have.

Usually a puppy or a kitten will need 2-3 vaccinations and an adult will require a booster vaccination once per year or once every 3 years, depending on the epidemiological situation of your area.

The first vaccination should be done at the age of 1 month for a puppy and at the age of 2 months for a kitten.

The most common diseases that we vaccinate are:

For puppies and dogs

Distemper

Canine distemper is a contagious and serious viral illness with no known cure. The virus, which is spread through the air and by direct or indirect (i.e. utensils, bedding) contact with an infected animal, initially attacks a dog’s tonsils and lymph nodes and replicates itself there for about one week. It then attacks the respiratory, urogenital, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems.

Parvovirosis

The canine parvovirus infection is a highly contagious viral illness that affects dogs. The virus manifests itself in two different forms. The more common form is the intestinal form, which is characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and lack of appetite (anorexia). The less common form is the cardiac form, which attacks the heart muscles of very young puppies, often leading to death. The majority of cases are seen in puppies that are between six weeks and six months old. The
incidence of canine parvovirus infections has been reduced radically by early vaccination in young puppies.

Infectious hepatitis

Infectious canine hepatitis is a worldwide, contagious disease of dogs caused by Canine adenovirus type 1, with signs that vary from a slight fever and congestion of the mucous membranes to severe depression, marked leukopenia, and coagulation disorders. Ingestion of urine, feces, or saliva of infected dogs is the main route of infection. Recovered dogs shed virus in their urine for up to six months.

Parainfluenza

Canine parainfluenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory virus and is one of the most common pathogens of infectious tracheobronchitis. The virus is excreted from the respiratory tract of infected animals for up to 2 weeks after infection and is usually transmitted through the air. The virus spreads rapidly in kennels or shelters where large numbers of dogs are kept together.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is an infection of bacterial spirochetes. Leptospires spread throughout the entire body, reproducing in the liver, kidneys, central nervous system, eyes, and reproductive system. The Leptospira spirochete bacteria is zoonotic, meaning that it can be transmitted to humans and other animals.

Coronavirosis

A canine coronavirus infection is a highly contagious intestinal disease that can be found in dogs all around the world. The coronavirus replicates itself inside the small intestine and is limited to the upper two-thirds of the small intestine and local lymph nodes.

For cats and kittens

Viral Rhinotracheitis

Feline viral rhinotracheitis is an upper respiratory infection of the nose and throat in cats. It is caused by, and also known as feline herpesvirus 1. Cats of all ages are susceptible, but kittens are at a higher risk and may be infected at about five weeks of age. Pregnant cats or those suffering from a lowered immunity due to a pre-existing disease are also at higher risk.

Chlamydiosis

Chylamydiosis refers to a bacteria based chronic respiratory infection. Cats that have developed this infection will often exhibit traditional signs of an upper respiratory infection, such as watery eyes, runny nose, and sneezing.

Calicivirosis

Feline calicivirus infection is a common respiratory disease in cats. The virus attacks the respiratory tract, the mouth, with ulceration of the tongue, the intestines, and the musculoskeletal system. It is highly contagious in unvaccinated cats.

Panleukopenia

Feline Panleukopenia virus is a highly contagious and life-threatening viral disease in the cat population. This virus affects the rapidly dividing blood cells in the body, primarily the cells in the intestinal tract, bone marrow, and in the stem cells of the developing fetus. Because the blood cells are under attack, this virus can lead to an anemic condition, and it can open the body to infections from other illnesses – viral or bacterial.

Rabies

Rabies is a multi-species disease. It can affect both cats and dogs and any other mammal. Rabies is a viral disease that specifically affects a animal’s central nervous system. The primary way the rabies virus is transmitted through a bite from a disease carrier. Infectious virus particles are retained in a rabid animal’s salivary glands to better disseminate the virus through their saliva. Once the virus enters the animal’s body, it replicates in the cells of the muscles, and then spreads to the closest nerve fibers, including all peripheral, sensory and motor nerves, traveling from there to the central nervous system via fluid within the nerves. The virus can take up to a few months to develop, but once the symptoms have begun, the virus progresses rapidly. Rabies also has zoonotic characteristics and can therefore be transmitted to humans.

Intestinal and external parasites

We perform in-house stool analysis tests for the detection of intestinal worms, skin scrapping test for the detection of dermatological parasites and blood analysis for the detection of parasites such as Dirofilaria (Heartworm).

We carry a variety of preventive and curative products for all of these parasites.

Intestinal parasites

Dogs and cats are victims of several intestinal parasites frequently referred to as worms. The most common are the roundworms, hookworms, whipworms and tapeworms. Of these four only two are commonly seen in the stool with the unaided eye: roundworms and tapeworms.

Often you will be able to tell if your dog or cat has worms by the symptoms they are exhibiting. Most worm infestations cause any or all of these symptoms: diarrhea, perhaps with blood, weight loss, dry hair, general poor appearance, vomiting, sometimes with worms in the vomit

However, some infestations cause few or no symptoms; in fact some worm eggs or larvae can be dormant in the pet’s body and activated only in times of stress, or in the case of roundworms and hookworms, until the later stages of pregnancy when they activate and infest the soon-to-be-born puppies and kittens.

Skin parasites

Fleas are the most common skin parasites found on dogs, in fact it is almost impossible for a dog not to be infested with fleas at some point during his or her lifetime. Adult fleas live on the dog and feed on blood. Each female flea lays up to 50 eggs per day and these fall off the dog into the surrounding area. The development of the next flea generation then takes place in the house, the car or anywhere else that the dog has access to. It is very important to remember this when treating a flea problem, as these areas need to be treated, too. Some animals with fleas do not show any obvious skin disease, whereas others can develop severe irritation, hair loss and inflamed or secondarily-infected skin, depending on the sensitivity of the individual animal. As flea infestations can quickly get out of hand, sometimes up to the point where professionals may have to be employed to decontaminate the house, it is important either to prevent a flea problem or to treat it thoroughly as soon as it is noticed.

Ticks are commonly found on dogs, but can also latch onto other animals and humans. Several types of ticks are found in Mauritius. In most cases they only cause local irritation and localised infections. Ticks can transmit more generalised diseases. Ticks will not stay long on the dog; they burrow their heads into the skin, fill their bodies with the dog’s blood and then fall off.

Dental care

Our clinic offers in-house dental procedures to clean your pet’s teeth. We scale and polish your pet’s teeth in order to remove plaque and tartar (even under the gum line) safely and completely.

Does your best friend have bad breath? Despite what many pet owners may believe, “dog breath” is not just a nuisance, it’s a sign of an unhealthy mouth. Bad breath is caused by bacteria. Over time, bacteria lead to plaque and tartar build-up on your pet’s teeth. The result is bad breath, reddened gums, and other common signs of dental disease. As dental disease progresses, other signs can include drooling, discomfort while chewing, and loose or missing teeth.

Dental hygiene is an important part of your pet’s health, because dental disease can be associated with other serious health problems such as heart disease and kidney disease. But how do you know if your pet has a healthy mouth? Let us examine your pet’s teeth and gums to help determine if there are any dental issues you should know about.

Dental procedures are performed under general anesthesia in order to accomplish thorough removal of the tartar under the gum line, and fluoride treatment. All extractions involve prevention of pain and infection by our staff: local anesthetic nerve blocks, pre- and post-operative injectable pain medications, and close monitoring for any signs of oral pain are standard of care for dental surgery at our clinic.

Nutritional counselling and weight management

We pride ourselves on being pet experts and we want to use our knowledge and experience to help you find the right nutrition for your pets.

Our philosophy is to provide pet owners with the best selection of pet food, supplements, vitamins, minerals, and treats at competitive prices, together with friendly customer service.

From the very first day you bring a new pet home through the final days of its life, nutrition plays a critical role in your pet’s overall health and well-being.

Whether your pet has special dietary needs or simply needs to lose or gain a few kilograms, our nutritional counseling services can help you accomplish your goals and keep your pet in good health. We offer counseling in dietary selection and feeding practices for pets during various life stages, such as growth, pregnancy, nursing, and the “golden years”. If your pet has a medical condition, we can help you select the most appropriate diet to suit your pet’s needs.

Microchipping your pet

The microchips that we use are ISO 11784/11785 standard compliant. This is the 15-digit microchip standard that is recognized worldwide and that can be read by any modern microchip scanner.

Becoming separated from a loved pet is a stressful experience that can happen all too easily. Microchipping is the only unique, unalterable, tamper-proof, permanent form of identification. A pet microchip containing a unique 15-digit identification code is implanted under the animal’s skin by our veterinarian.

If you are traveling to an EU Country and many other countries in the world, a microchip for your dog or cat is mandatory as veterinary officials use it to compare your pet that they are scanning to the veterinary documents you have presented.

Any animal can be microchipped: dogs, cats, birds, tortoises, iguanas, etc. Implanting a microchip is a safe and simple form of identification that can significantly increase the chance that your pet will return safely.

Geriatric pet consultations

Geriatric pets can develop many of the same problems seen in older people, such as cancer, heart disease, kidney or urinary tract disease, liver disease, diabetes, joint or bone disease, senility, weakness, etc.

Pets age much quicker than humans, with every year equal to roughly seven of ours. Geriatric pets should have veterinary visits twice per year instead of annual visits so signs of illness or other problems can be detected early and treated.

As part of our geriatric pet services, we offer diagnostics work ups to screen for internal diseases and cancers with blood work, urine tests, and ultrasound exams, as well as glaucoma testing, cataract diagnostic, pain assessment, and end of life counseling. We manage chronic conditions such as arthritis through a multi-modal approach of medications, supplements or nutrition to relieve pain and discomfort to keep your senior friend at its best.