Your Local Independent 209

July 2026 Page 11 AD SALES 01204 478812 PETS TO ADVERTISE CALL 01204 478812 158 Chorley New Road, Horwich BL6 5QW. Tel: 01204 694004 53 Chorley Road, Westhoughton BL5 3PD. Tel: 01942 818845 www.pikemoorvets.co.uk • Locally owned • Highly professional practice • Dedicated to caring for all your pets ACROSS 5 Strangle (8) 7 Defeat (4) 9 Style of painting (13) 10 Stage whisper (5) 11 As a rule (7) 14 Part of town (7) 16 Penniless (5) 19 Culinary measure (13) 21 Serpents (4) 22 Performs surgery (8) DOWN 1 Longest English river (6) 2 Hallway (8) 3 Most creepy (7) 4 Paradise (4) 6 Protruding tooth (4) 8 Agave fibre (5) 12 Its capital is Little Rock (8) 13 Cafe (7) 15 Mountain range (5) 17 Sickness (6) 18 Fail or misplace (4) 20 Speech defect (4) Answers on page 21. QUICK CROSSWORD injections allow for a decrease in immu- nity and may mean that your cat needs to restart their primary vaccination course to be adequately protected. Rabbits need to be vaccinated against two life-threatening diseases: Myxoma- tosis and the classic and variant strains of Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease. These diseases are easily transmissible and both indoor and outdoor rabbits are at risk. All rabbits should therefore receive yearly vaccinations to ensure they are protected. To learn more about the importance of vaccinations, please reach out to your local veterinary practice. Is your pet up-to-date with their vaccinations? Why vaccinating our pets is so important VACCINATION is vital in pro- tecting cats, dogs and rabbits from key infectious diseases that cause pain and distress and can be life-threatening. If you’re not sure whether your pet is up-to-date with their vacci- nations, then don’t worry – your veterinary practice will be able to tell you when their next appoint- ment is due. Kennel Cough (also known as “Canine Infectious Cough”) affects dogs and can be caused by several different viruses and bacteria. It doesn’t tend to cause serious illness for most dogs, but can cause a nasty, honking cough and is very contagious. Veterinary practices offer vaccination against the main causes of kennel cough in addition to your dog’s core, annual vaccinations. The name “Kennel Cough” is quite misleading, as your dog can catch it anywhere where they are around a lot of other dogs (not just in kennels!), such as at the park, day care, shows or competitions. To minimise the risk, yearly vac- cination is required, and vaccines should be given at least three weeks before your dog goes into kennels. Cats can generally be vaccinated from eight or nine weeks of age, with a second vaccination given three to four weeks later. Core cat vaccinations include Feline Herpes virus, Calicivirus and Feline Panleukopaenia virus (sometimes referred to as Parvo- virus), which causes Feline Infec- tious Enteritis. It’s also a good idea to vaccinate most cats against the Feline Leu- kaemia virus, which suppresses the immune system and is poten- tially fatal. Adult cats should receive annual booster vaccinations to maintain immunity, particularly if they are going to be spending time in cat- teries or going outside. It is impor- tant to keep your cat’s vaccinations up to date, as overdue booster