So you’ve adopted a puppy. For sure, you are overwhelmed and excited about the idea of living the rest of your life with them. However, are you ready to deep dive into the world of puppy vaccinations?
If yes, let’s get started!
Dog vaccines are very crucial to protect your dogs from infected diseases and viruses. There are dozens of vaccines that are required by the dogs starting from birth to their senior years.
However, it can become challenging and confusing as well to know which vaccines are essential and at what stage they should be injected into your dog.
Here, we’ve created an in-depth guide regarding puppy vaccination to help you create a health checkup schedule for your dog. We’ll help you understand the importance of dog vaccinations and the kind of vaccine shots required by them.
So, sit tight and start taking notes!
- Importance of Vaccines in Puppies and Dogs
- How Often Should I Take My Dog To The Vet?
- How Much Is A Vet Visit Cost?
- When Do Puppies Get Their First Shots?
- How Often Do Puppies Need Shots?
- How Many Shots Do Puppies Need?
- What Shots Do Puppies Need In The First Year?
- Dog Annual Wellness Exam
- How Do Vets Analyze Your Dog?
- Are There Any Risks Associated With Dog Vaccinations?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Final Thoughts
Importance of Vaccines in Puppies and Dogs
We all know about the importance and significance of vaccines in humans. To cut short, vaccines prevent the spread of deadly viruses and dangerous diseases.
Now the question is, just like us, do pets also require vaccinations?
If you’re a new dog owner, you might have already heard from your friends and dog colleagues that dog vaccinations are a must.
Vaccines contain antigens that help in strengthening the immune system of dogs. This way, whenever a dog comes in contact with an actual disease, the immune system recognizes it and combats the disease.
Routine vaccination shots are necessary for younger pets to keep their immune system strong to fight the diseases over time.
How Often Should I Take My Dog To The Vet?
Most dog owners are aware of the necessity of regular dog checkups.
However, the question is, how often should they take their dogs to the veterinarian?
Experts say the best way to make sure your dog is healthy is to bring them in for routine preventive exams. These exams help to get a good overview of your dog’s health and detect any developing problems as early as possible.
Puppy Visits To Vets
The first year of your new puppy is the recommended year to have the first dose of vaccinations.
The first series of vaccination shots usually starts at 6-8 weeks of dog age.
Adult Dogs Visits To Vets
When your dog is in the age group of 1-8 years, it falls into the adult dogs category. Vets recommend once-in-a-year visits for an optimal health checkup in adult dogs.
Yearly checkups and examinations help dogs counter any risk of infections and deadly diseases.
Senior Dog Visits To Vets
When your dog becomes older, vet visits become essential to mitigate any risk of poor health and infections. Some of the common problems faced by older dogs are anxiety, teeth wear, bone cracks, urine problems, etc.
Vets recommend twice or thrice in a year checkups for senior and older dogs.
How Much Is A Vet Visit Cost?
There is no cheesy answer to the question, “How Much Does a Dog Checkup Cost?”
The cost of a vet visit varies from breed to breed.
While most dog regular checkups cost somewhere around $100 to $150, some treatments can cost thousands of dollars.
As per Pawlicy, the dog treatments can be as lower as $50 to as higher as $3000.
When Do Puppies Get Their First Shots?
It’s recommended to get your puppy’s first round of vaccination shots at 6 to 8 weeks of age.
After that, it’s a series of vaccinations every 3-4 weeks until the dog is immunized with all vaccines.
The best way to track the vaccination days for your puppy is to get a Vaccine Schedule Calendar from your vet. This calendar will have information on all the upcoming and previous injections aligned to your puppy.
These initial vaccination shots last until your dog turns 20-24 weeks older.
How Often Do Puppies Need Shots?
Dog owners need to be aware that not every dog breed is the same, and there is no fixed vaccine schedule for all the dogs.
Also, some adult breeds do not even require every vaccine shot as they’re strong enough to survive the risk of infections.
In all cases, your vet is the best person to suggest you the vaccine schedule for your puppy.
As per the AKC, here is a generally accepted guideline for the first-year puppy vaccination drive.
How Many Shots Do Puppies Need?
Again, there is no easy answer to this question. It usually depends on the breed and health of your dog.
Some puppies are so weak from birth that they must undergo every round of vaccination shots to avoid any illness.
On the other hand, some breeds do not even require half of the injections as they are born physically strong.
For understanding the number of vaccine shots required by your puppy, it’s recommended to visit your veterinarian and design a vaccine schedule. This way, you’ll never miss any vaccine dose, and your puppy will also stay fit and healthy.
What Shots Do Puppies Need In The First Year?
It may seem inconvenient to visit the vet repeatedly to make sure your puppy doesn’t miss any vaccine shots.
There are many vaccinations for different kinds of illnesses in dogs, and it can be very baffling to know which shots are vital, which are optional, and which ones are mandatory.
Here are 5 Core Vaccinations required by the dogs:
- DHP (Distemper, Hepatitis, and Parvo)
- Rabies
- Parainfluenza
- Heartworm
- Leptospirosis
Some of the Non-Core (Optional) Dog Vaccinations include:
- Bordetella Bronchiseptica
- Lyme disease
- Leptospirosis
Dog Annual Wellness Exam
What are annual wellness exams for dogs?
Consider it as a routine medical examination of a dog. You can also call it an annual checkup exam or a physical checkup for dogs.
The main motive of this wellness exam is to identify any developing diseases in dogs and to make sure their health is optimal.
A veterinarian asks many questions during a routine wellness exam starting from pet health, diet, behaviors, exercise, lifestyle, etc. They also perform physical examinations in dogs and recommend specific treatments if required.
5 Common Questions Asked By Vets During Dog Checkup
- Your dog’s history and lifestyle
- Your dog’s behavior in and outside the home
- How does your dog feel?
- Your dog’s diet and nutritional intakes
- If your dog is on any medications or supplements
How Do Vets Analyze Your Dog?
There are many ways that vets follow to check up on the dogs. The vet checkup is a complete nose-to-tail exam. It starts from the head and goes to the back of the body.
Here’s how the analyzing process looks like:
- Is the dog acting and behaving normally?
- Are they aware of their surroundings?
- Do they show any signs of pain or illness?
- The skin structure – if any signs of bowels, dryness, dandruff, lumps, etc
- Condition and movement of Eyes, Mouth, Teeth, Nose, Ears
Are There Any Risks Associated With Dog Vaccinations?
It’s common for dogs to experience some mild symptoms post vaccinations, but these are not signs of any worry.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Associations, dogs can feel some dizziness for 2-4 hours after vaccination shots and can cause slight discomfort.
These common symptoms are:
- Mild Fever
- Discomfort
- Local Swelling
- Sneezing and Coughing
- Lazy behavior
If any of these symptoms last for 4-5 days or one week, it’s advisable to seek advice from your vet.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are a series of doubts and questions of dog owners regarding the vaccinations of their dogs and puppies. So, we have created the most asked questionnaire to help you out.
When do puppies need shots?
As soon as your puppy turns 6 to 8 weeks of age, they get ready for the first round of vaccination shots.
At what age do puppies get shots?
As per the thumb rule, it’s recommended to take your puppies to the vet when they turn 6 to 8 weeks of age to have their first shot of vaccines. From that point, your vet suggests the upcoming vaccines as per the health and breed of your puppy.
When should I take my dog to the vet?
You have to visit the veterinarians as soon as your dog turns 5-6 weeks of age. From that point, the vets will start taking care of your dog and align all the necessary vaccinations and create a vaccine schedule for your ease.
How old do puppies have to be to get vaccine shots?
For young puppies: Age 6 to 8 weeks
For adult dogs: Age 1 to 8 years
For senior dogs: Age 8+ years
Final Thoughts
You’re the only person in this world who knows more about your dog than anyone else.
So, it’s necessary to take proper care of your dog, and dog vaccinations should be your #1 priority from the start.
A veterinarian can be of extreme help and can become a good companion in your dog vaccination course. Always feel free to ask them any questions regarding your pet’s health, behavior, diet, wellness exams, and keep your dog healthy and fit.
Preventive Healthcare at all ages can boost your pet’s life longevity.
Feel free to drop off any comments, questions, and doubts regarding your dog vaccination campaign.
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