One of the most important things you can do to give your dog a long and healthy life is to ensure that he/she is vaccinated against common canine diseases. Your dog’s mother gave her puppy immunity from disease for the first few weeks of existence by providing disease-fighting antibodies in her milk. After that period it is up to you to provide that protection by way of vaccinations. Vaccines contain small quantities of altered or “killed” viruses, bacteria or other disease-causing organisms. When administered, they stimulate your dog’s immune system to produce disease-fighting cells and proteins- or antibodies- to protect against disease. Your dog should be vaccinated against the most common, highly contagious diseases such as:

i. Canine Parvovirus
ii. Canine Distemper
iii. Infectious Canine Hepatitis
iv. Leptospirosis
v. Kennel Cough
vi. Rabies

We recommend that you vaccinate your puppy at 10 and 12 weeks and then annually for life. Puppies in high risk situations can be given a temporary parvo vaccination between 6-8 weeks old. Dogs going into kennels should receive cough vaccination at least one week prior to entry.

Your pet should be protected against those diseases which are most common, highly contagious and which cause serious illness or death. Such diseases include Feline Panleucopaenia, Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Feline Calicivirus and Feline Leukaemia. In certain cases Rabies may also be recommended , based on your veterinary surgeons’s evaluation of the risks posed by such factors as your cat’s particular heredity, environment and lifestyle. We recommend your kitten is vaccinated at 9 and 12 weeks old and then annually for life.

As a responsible animal owner, it is important for you to worm your animal regularly.

• All animals, no matter how well cared for, can get worms.
• There are 2 main types of worms: - Roundworms- which resemble strands of spaghetti or elastic bands, and Tapeworms- which look like flattened grains of rice.
• Puppies and kittens are most at risk from worm infections. Worms are passed from the mother before and after birth through the milk.
• Pets pick up worms from other animals faeces in the soil, and from swallowing infected fleas whilst grooming. Worms can live for up to 2years in the soil
• It is not always easy to tell whether your pet has worms or not. With a very heavy infestation, there may be weight loss, vomiting, diarrhoea, or a swollen abdomen.
• Some worms have the potential to be transmitted to people, and in the case of the roundworm, the consequences can be serious (symptoms include upset and painful tummy, headache, listlessness and in severe cases may cause blindness) especially in young children.
• Puppies and kittens should be wormed from 2 weeks of age, every 2-3 weeks of age until they are 12 weeks of age, then every month until they are 6 months of age. Adults should be wormed every 3 months for life.
• We recommend you use an effective combination wormer, which controls both round and tapeworms.
• Worm tablets are given in a single dose, either popped down the throat or mixed with your pet's normal food. No starving is required, as they do not have to be given on an empty stomach.
• Worm tablets will help provide a happy, healthy life for your animal, and a close, safe relationship between your pet and your family.

Fleas can be a problem even in the best kept homes and on the cleanest of pets. And they're not just irritating to the skin - left untreated they can cause severe problems.

• A dog or cat will almost certainly suffer from a flea infestation at some point during their life.
• The most common flea in dogs and cats is the cat flea. The flea life cycle is around 21 days.
• Fleas can cause pets to become restless and distressed. They can cause itching and inflammation, possibly leading to major skin problems. Most flea reactions in dogs are seen on the lower back area, above the tail.
• They are responsible for the transmission of tapeworms; therefore, it is important to remember when treating your animal for fleas, to treat them for tapeworms too.
• Some animals can develop an allergy to flea saliva, and this can lead to a very itchy reaction.
• Fleas can bite us owners as well! (although they do not live on our skin.)
• Fleas spend the majority of their life-cycle in the home environment. Only adult fleas are seen on the animal. The female flea lays the eggs on the dog's coat, these fall off and can be found wherever your animal spends most of its time: in his bedding, in the carpet, on the sofa, or even on your bed!
• Fleas can lay up to 20 eggs per day and 500 in one lifetime.
• The flea's life cycle may be as short as 15 days or as long as 250.
• Effective flea treatment and control involves treating both the environment and the animal.

1. Pet travel within the EU requires a Pet Passport detailing:

• microchip number
• subsequent rabies vaccination (primary vaccination administered at least 21 days before entry)
• Echinococcus (tapeworm) treatment for dogs only for entry into Ireland and certain other countries.
(Ireland, UK, Malta, Finland and Norway are Echinococcus free, so entry into any of these countries from any other Member State requires treatment. It should be administered between 24 hours (1 day) and 120 hours (5 days) before entry and entered into the Pet Passport.)

2. When travelling by air or sea into Ireland ensure that the airline/ferry company is registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to bring pets into Ireland.

1. Check the entry requirements of the country you intend to travel to by contacting their Embassy.

2. Pets re-entering Ireland from a country outside the EU can be divided into two:
• those travelling from a qualifying (lower risk) country
or
• those travelling from a non-qualifying (higher risk) country.

3. Pets re-entering Ireland from a lower risk country (check www.agriculture.gov.ie for list of qualifying countries) require a Pet Passport detailing:
• microchip number
• subsequent rabies vaccination (primary vaccination administered at least 21 days before entry)
• Echinococcus (tapeworm) treatment for dogs only.

4. Pets re-entering Ireland from a higher risk country require a Pet Passport detailing:
• microchip number
• subsequent rabies vaccination
• the rabies titre blood test, carried out at least 30 days after vaccination
(A pet may enter Ireland only when at least three months has expired since a successful blood-test (unless prepared in the EU))
• Echinococcus (tapeworm) treatment for dogs only

When travelling into Ireland from non-EU Countries pets must travel as manifest freight (cargo) on an Approved Airline or by Prior Approval into Dublin airport - check www.agriculture.gov.ie/pets for further details. The pet and its passport will be inspected on arrival into Ireland.