“Helping Pet owners of Mersea Island and surroundings to maintain the well being of their beloved family pet, through provision of veterinary care and education on responsible ownership.”

During one of our regular meetings at Blackwater Vets we talked about “responsible pet ownership” and what it meant to each of us. All our team are passionate about pet welfare but a strong theme in our discussion was also people welfare and what pets bring to our lives. Everyone felt proud of the strong bonds that the practice has with our clients and our culture of kindness and respect but also a commitment to seeing pet ownership as a “learning journey”.

As part of our commitment to our wonderful community of pet owners who embrace this “learning journey” we wanted to talk about pet vaccination and why this is never just “jab and go”. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has taught us much about the value of an immunisation program and most pet owners are aware of the value of vaccinating their pets against diseases such as Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Influenza. If you have ever travelled abroad to areas where there are stray dog and cat populations you have probably witnessed how horrible these diseases can be.

The value of an annual health check with a veterinary surgeon for your pet must also be given the same level of importance. Firstly, this is an opportunity for us to look at your pet’s overall health and wellbeing. We will check heart, lungs, eyes, ears, teeth, coat, bodyweight among other things. We are looking at your pet’s overall health and wellbeing and sometimes this gives us the opportunity to pick up on subtle signs of pain or illness in the early stages.

Ultimately, our objective will be to invite you to embrace the “learning journey” and look at opportunities to keep your pet healthy and avoid the distress and expense of surgery or treatment later. For example, taking advice and learning how to clean your pet’s teeth or ears now can avoid teeth extractions or the need for antibiotics or an anaesthetic to perform treatment later.

Pain management is something that we feel very strongly about at Blackwater Vets but detecting it in pets can be very difficult. As with everything, putting environmental changes as well as adding in pain relief can avoid the need for multiple medications or allowing a pet to become so debilitated that the muscles waste and treatment becomes unviable later. It is always better for both pet welfare but also financially, to look at pet health and wellbeing management early rather than to treat the problem when it is well established.

Having said all the above, for a pet to be receptive to immunisation they must be healthy. What we mean by this is that their immune system must be strong enough to be able to convert the vaccination into the antibodies they need to become protected from the diseases we are vaccinating against.

As with the Covid-19 vaccination program, if you had a cold or were feeling unwell you were advised not to attend the clinic. This is because a body that is fighting infection does not have what it needs to respond successfully to a vaccination.

It is therefore important to recognize this before booking your pet’s annual vaccination and health check appointment. If they are suffering from skin issues or have any other type of infection such as strong-smelling odours from their mouth or ears, then this needs to be addressed before their vaccination.

We understand that sometimes you might not be aware of other health issues in your pet when you book a vaccination but please do make our team aware if there is something you have noticed. We are here to help and regardless of whether your pet comes to us for a full health check and to receive their vaccination, or because there is another health concern, we are committed to offering you the best advice to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Thank you for being a part of our wonderful Blackwater community and enjoying the wonderful “learning journey” of being a pet owner. We look forward to seeing you and your pets and working together to give them a healthy and happy future.