Pet Vaccinations & Preventative care

🐾 Vaccinations

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Protect your pet with yearly vaccinations and proactive health checks.

At Murray River Animal Hospital, we believe prevention is the best medicine. Our tailored vaccination programs are designed to protect dogs and cats from dangerous, often life-threatening diseases—while also keeping you informed and in control of their long-term wellbeing.

We recommend yearly vaccinations for both dogs and cats to prevent serious infectious illnesses. These appointments also include a comprehensive health check at no additional charge—helping us catch any issues early, before they become serious.

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🐾 Preventative Care

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At every vaccination appointment we will also educate you and help you to understand the importance of preventing your pet from infestation and exposure to parasites and how to easily avoid preventable conditions.

Heartworm. The microscopic baby heartworms are carried by mosquitos and passed from the blood of an infected dog or fox to an unprotected pet via a mosquito bite. Once they are in the blood stream they grow to an adult sized worm in the heart and cause heart failure. This condition is difficult to treat and very easy to prevent. Prevention involves a yearly proheart injection or a monthly heartworm prevention tablet.

Intestinal worms are caught when a pet eats worm eggs. These are found in animal faeces, some uncooked meats, and can be stuck to blades of grass for a long time after the faeces have washed away. People are as susceptable to these as our pets are. Good hygiene is enough to prevent them, but ensuring your pet doesn’t have them is the safest. We can help.

External parasites cause itches and irritation. Some carry diseases and many will happily jump onto people. There are some great products which will ensure your pet never gets bitten again. Sometimes this is all a pet needs to fix their annoying skin condition.

Diet is an equally important pillar of preventative health management. Getting the nutrition right is protective against many diseases and conditions, and getting it wrong can set you up for a lifetime of problems. We like to help you navigate through all of the noise, marketing and opinions out there and help find the best diet for your pet and your budget.

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✅ What’s Included in Your Vaccination Appointment:

• Full Health Check:
  Your pet will receive a full clinical examination at the time of vaccination. Our vets are trained to detect early signs of disease—subtle changes you may not notice day to day. Since pets age faster than we do, a yearly check-up is vital.

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• Personalised Vaccination Schedule:
  We tailor vaccination plans for each pet, based on lifestyle, breed, past vaccinations, age, and risk factors. Our experienced team will help map out the best approach—especially for puppies and kittens who need multiple boosters to build full immunity.

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• Core Vaccines for Dogs:
  • C5 Vaccine (Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Bordetella)
  • Proheart Injection – A once-yearly injection that provides long-acting protection against heartworm (not a vaccine, but highly recommended).

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• Core Vaccines for Cats:
  • F3 Vaccine (Panleukopaenia, Calicivirus, Herpesvirus – known as cat flu)
  • FIV Vaccine – Recommended for outdoor cats to protect against feline immunodeficiency virus (Feline AIDS).

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• Puppy & Kitten Boosters:
  Young pets require booster shots every 4 weeks until they have built enough immunity. Our nurses will help you create a schedule suited to your pet’s stage of development and environment.

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• Ongoing Support & Education:
  Every vaccination appointment is an opportunity to ask questions, get advice, and understand your pet’s needs. We're here to guide you through every stage of their life.

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