1.The GP hook

Imported dogs at the OOH door, owners quoting Facebook parvo spikes, and a nurse asking where to put that rabbit booster. This fortnight’s roundup turns hot topics into steps you can actually use on Monday.

Imported dogs at the OOH door, owners quoting Facebook parvo spikes, and a nurse asking where to put that rabbit booster. This fortnight’s roundup turns hot topics from Episode 10 into steps you can actually use on Monday.

The GP‑vet hook

  • Ten‑minute puppy check and the “WSAVA vs data sheet” face when you say 16 weeks and 6 months.
  • A receptionist juggling an indoor cat six months late for boosters and a cattery booking tomorrow.
  • OOH/referral asking for Brucella testing, full PPE and a quiet slot for a recently imported dog.
  • Kennel cough up the nose… and remembering to ask about immunocompromise before you spray.
  • Colleagues experimenting with a GV20 head site for subcut injections — odd, but some early adopters like it.

2.Vaccine schedules in the real world: data sheet vs WSAVA

Short version: both are defensible, but they need different conversations.

Practice reality:

Practice Move

  • Typical UK data‑sheet approach many practices use:
  • Dogs: primary DHP + Lepto (commonly L4) around 8 and 12 weeks; DHP often every three years thereafter, Lepto yearly.
  • Cats: primary RCP and FeLV at ~8–9 weeks and 3–4 weeks later; RCP often repeated annually (Ducat/TriCat style), panleukopenia/FeLV commonly three‑yearly for adults.
  • WSAVA guidance pushes a longer primary window:
  • For dogs: DHP every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks, plus a dose at ~6 months, then three‑yearly.
  • For cats: RCP every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks; thereafter RCP/FeLV frequency based on risk (three‑year intervals for low‑risk indoor cats are widely recommended by major feline organisations).
  • Off‑licence choices require documented owner discussion and consent. Ten‑minute puppy consults are already full — factor time or health‑plan price structures into how you offer extra doses.
  • The WSAVA approach helps reduce the risk of maternally derived antibody interference, but the 6‑month DHP is one many vets question in routine UK practice. Tailor by local disease pressure and client preference.
  • Do a 15‑minute team huddle and write two short phone guides:

3.Dogs: DHP, Lepto, timing and the socialisation squeeze

Practical options vets are using:

What to consider

Common Trap

Owner conversation line

Kennel cough (Bordetella)

Quick Check before giving intranasal Bordetella:

  • Option A: 8 + 12 weeks for DHP+L4 (classic data‑sheet timing).
  • Option B (socialisation‑friendly): DHP+L4 at 8, DHP at ~10 (to allow earlier socialisation), then L4 at 12 — warn owners to be Lepto‑sensible until the L4 course is complete.
  • Area risk matters. In some practices parvo is common; in others it’s rare. Use local experience to guide the extra 16‑week/6‑month discussion.
  • Leptospira: bacterial vaccines typically require two doses to consolidate protection. Many clinicians favour L4 over older L2 products; have a consistent in‑practice policy so clients don’t get “ping‑ponged” between brands.
  • Vaccine reactions do occur; be clear about risks and have a plan for management.
  • “Positive Lepto serology = active infection.” Recently vaccinated dogs can be antibody‑positive. PCR can support diagnosis but a negative PCR doesn’t exclude disease. Handle biosecurity sensibly without over‑drama.
  • “The product licence is two doses. Many clinics also offer a 16‑week parvo dose because some pups’ maternally derived antibodies can block early responses. We’ll tailor the plan to your pup and the local risk.”
  • Remember to ask (and record) whether household members are immunocompromised — most intranasal vaccines are live products. Add a prompt to your template so the discussion is documented.
  • Intranasal technique tip: stroke the head with your left hand, gently cover the eyes with your left hand and spray with your right so the dog doesn't clock you.

4.Cats: RCP, FeLV, indoor life and the cattery catch

  • WSAVA/other major feline bodies support three‑year intervals in truly low‑risk indoor cats. Practical caveats:
  • Many catteries require annual vaccination per the product data sheet.
  • A cat change of practice/recall pattern can lead another vet to restart a course if the prior schedule is outside the data sheet.
  • Injection site policy matters:
  • Some vets prefer scruff subcut; others use the limb to allow amputation as a (very small) salvage option for an injection‑site sarcoma. Pick a practice policy and stick to it so owners aren’t given conflicting advice.
  • Brand mixing:
  • Don’t mix primary course brands unless compatibility is explicit. For adults with a known history, switching brands is usually fine.

5.Rabbits: Myxo/RHD, emergent RHD strains and fly‑strike

  • Most UK clinics use combined Myxomatosis + RHD (1 & 2) from around five weeks, then annually. Onset of immunity is around a few weeks.
  • A newer RHD vaccine targeting a more virulent strain (discussed in practice) is given as an additional dose after the main vaccine in the same year — this can mean two appointments in one year. Tailor by risk: outdoor/free‑range vs strict indoor rabbits.
  • Always bundle fly‑strike prevention into rabbit vaccine consults.

6.Injection comfort, needle changes and the GV20 curveball

GV20 injection site

  • Needle‑change practice: a recent paper discussed in the episode suggested changing the needle after drawing up didn’t alter patient comfort. Some clinicians continue to change needles out of habit; others conserve by using a new septum spray and the same needle. Either approach is acceptable — do what your practice policy supports.
  • Distraction and tone matter far more for many patients than the minutiae of needle swapping. Keep voice and rhythm normal; open questions to owners are great distractions. Lick/distractor treats can be magic.
  • Some colleagues are trying the GV20 (governing vessel 20) point — a dorsal midline site on the skull — for subcut administration of sedation/vaccination. Anecdotally, some report consistent sedation and less nausea vs IM in selected cases. It looks odd and owner perception matters: if you use it, have a standard explanation for clients and train the whole team.

7.Brucella canis without panic: policy, testing and people

Why this is on the radar

Practice priorities

Testing realities (keep it calm)

Practical pathway in GP

Admission Prompt (for reception/trial):

  • Brucella canis is zoonotic and increasingly mentioned because of imported/rescued dogs from endemic countries. The UK is not considered endemic, but sporadic positives have been reported. Clinical disease in dogs can include reproductive signs (abortions, discharges, epididymitis, prostatitis, infertility) and discospondylitis; many infected dogs may be asymptomatic.
  • Make a written in‑house policy now. Everyone (reception, OOH, nurses, vets) needs to know triage lines, PPE expectations and the testing pathway.
  • Triage prompt at every dog consult: “Has your dog ever travelled, been imported or been used for breeding?” Add a banner note in your PMS so OOH/referrals can see the history.
  • In‑practice lateral‑flow/rapid tests exist (different tests for early IgM vs later IgG) but are prone to false positives — use them when clinical suspicion is strong (recent import, breeding/abortion, discospondylitis + travel).
  • External laboratory serology has better specificity and should be used where suspicion is lower or the dog has been in the UK for a long time.
  • PCR can help in acute cases but a negative PCR does not rule out infection.
  • If testing, warn owners up front that false positives can occur and a confirmatory pathway will be followed.
  • Ask travel/import/breeding history on every dog — every time.
  • If suspicious: isolate the patient, use PPE, minimise handling, and contact a referral/internal medicine team for current guidance on testing and biosecurity.
  • If an in‑practice test is positive: discuss calmly, arrange confirmatory laboratory testing, and decide with the owner whether home isolation is appropriate in the interim.
  • Pregnant or potentially pregnant staff will rightly be concerned — acknowledge this and plan rotas accordingly.
  • If “yes” to travel/import/breeding, add a single banner line to the PMS with date of ask and any tests done — so OOH/referrals can act appropriately.

8.Take‑home points

  • Data sheet vs WSAVA: both defensible. Be explicit if you’re deviating from a product licence and document owner consent. Tailor by local disease pressure.
  • Dogs: consider a 16‑week DHP in higher‑risk areas; keep L4 timing tight; socialisation remains crucial.
  • Cats: three‑year intervals can suit true indoor low‑risk cats, but cattery requirements and future vets can affect practical choices. Make injection‑site policy a practice decision.
  • Rabbits: combined Myxo/RHD is standard; discuss additional strain‑specific RHD doses for outdoor/high‑risk rabbits and always cover fly‑strike prevention.
  • Comfort and comms: voice, rhythm and distraction often beat needle‑obsessions. Record discussions about household immunocompromise when giving live intranasal vaccines.
  • Brucella canis: create a clear practice policy, ask travel/breeding history every time, use in‑practice tests sparingly, confirm positives with an external lab, and manage staff safety without panic.

9.The last word

You can’t lengthen every consult, but you can make minutes count. One clear risk chat, one recorded “why,” and a PMS banner that proves you asked will save you and your clients a world of faff at OOH and referral.

Useful links

If you want the team to draft a short phone script or a reception triage banner for your practice, tell us what PMS you use and we’ll sketch a starter template.

Keep the conversation going

Listen to the full episode for the discussion, context and the bits that made Charlotte and Brendan laugh.

Listen to Episode 10
Your feedback matters

How was Episode 10?

Give this conversation a rating from one to five stars. Your rating helps us make more of the episodes you find useful.

Back to all articles