What Injections Does Your New Puppy Need?

When you bring a new puppy home, all you want to do is play, cuddle, and start training them. Seeing this little bundle of fur and energy, you probably aren’t thinking too much about the possibility of them getting sick, and that is exactly why you will want to have your puppy vaccinated.

The first shots come at about six to eight weeks of age once the puppy has been weaned. Over the course of their first year, they will visit the vet a few times for vaccinations and booster shots. Your vet will evaluate a number of factors, such as where you live and whether you have other pets in your home, in order to determine the immunizations that are best for your dog, though there are certain must-have shots. These include rabies, parvovirus, distemper, and hepatitis.

What Are Puppy Vaccines?

Just like humans, puppies receive vaccines to provide them with immunity to specific diseases. Unlike other medicines that are used to treat a disease, the purpose of vaccines is to prevent the disease in the first place. The vaccine will contain a small amount of the organisms—altered or “killed”—that cause the disease. Your pet’s immune system then responds the same way that it would to the actual disease. It recognizes it as a foreign body, makes antibodies to the germ in the vaccine, and then “learns” how to recognize and destroy the germ.

Puppy Vaccination Schedule

Upon being weaned, your puppy will start on a vaccination schedule that includes a shot every couple of weeks until they are about 4 months of age. During this time, you should take care to keep your puppy from socializing with other unvaccinated dogs that you might encounter at dog parks, puppy classes, pet shops, or even when you are out for a walk. Do this until they have received all their vaccinations.

Here is an example of what you can expect for your puppy:

• 1^stAt 8 weeks, your puppy will have an exam and receive DAPPV, which is a combination vaccine to protect against distemper, adenovirus types 1 & 2, parainfluenza, and parvovirus
• 2^ndAt 12 weeks, another exam and DAPPV (1-year vaccine). Possibly Leptospirosis and Bordetella (commonly known as Kennel Cough)
• 3^rdAt 16 weeks, exam and DAPPV (1-year vaccine). Your puppy may also receive a Leptospirosis booster (1-year vaccine) and a Rabies shot (1-year vaccine)

This is a complete schedule of vaccinations to ensure that your new puppy is protected against the most common canine diseases. They will receive their next vaccinations after a year has passed.

When you welcome a new puppy into your home, you are expecting them to live a long healthy life with you. By having them vaccinated, you are taking an important step in making that a reality. You may think of your puppy as an “indoor dog,” but that doesn’t negate the need for adequate protection. Give your puppy the best possible start on life by having them vaccinated.