This is Part Two of a three-part series on new puppy vaccination and prevention essentials.
Adding a new puppy to your family is an exciting milestone, but puppies come with many responsibilities. Keeping puppies safe, healthy, and happy requires dedication and commitment, especially during the first few months. Protecting your pup from preventable diseases is an important consideration during this time, starting with their first veterinary visit.
Vaccinations should begin as soon as possible after bringing your new puppy home. Vaccines help teach a pet’s immune system to recognize and fight serious infections, helping to safeguard their health. All puppies require a series of vaccinations, necessitating frequent vet visits.
A puppy’s first experiences at the vet are crucial for their ongoing health and wellness. Choosing a Fear Free Certified® Veterinary Team or Practice ensures your pup gets the best start in life. Here is an overview of the puppy vaccination process, including what to expect during your pup’s vaccination visits.
How do puppy vaccines work?
Vaccines introduce the immune system to an inactivated pathogen, typically a virus or bacterium. The immune system then produces antibodies against the pathogen as if fighting an actual infection. If the puppy is exposed in the future, their body remembers and can fight the pathogen more efficiently than an unvaccinated puppy. Vaccination is crucial for young puppies because their immune systems are still developing.
Recommended puppy vaccines
Your veterinarian can determine the vaccines your puppy needs according to their expected lifestyle and exposure risks. Here’s an overview of the most common vaccinations recommended during puppyhood:
- Distemper — Distemper is an often fatal virus affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal (GI), and nervous systems.
- Parvovirus — Parvo causes life-threatening GI distress coupled with immune system suppression. The virus that causes parvo can live in the environment for years, making vaccination critical.
- Adenovirus — This virus causes infectious hepatitis, or liver inflammation, which can be fatal.
- Rabies — Rabies is fatal in pets and humans and can be transmitted through an infected animal’s bite. Rabies vaccinations are required by law in many regions.
- Lyme disease — Lyme disease is transmitted by infected ticks and can lead to joint inflammation and kidney damage.
- Kennel cough (bordetella) — While not typically life-threatening, upper respiratory infections are common and highly contagious among social dogs and can be particularly devastating for dogs with underlying respiratory disease.
- Influenza — Canine influenza causes coughing and lethargy that can progress to pneumonia.
Distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and rabies are core vaccines recommended for all puppies. Other vaccines are administered on a case-by-case basis, depending on risk.
Puppy vaccination schedule
Puppies typically begin their vaccination series at 6 to 8 weeks old, with follow-up vaccinations every two to four weeks until they are at least 16 to 20 weeks old. Pups getting extra lifestyle-based vaccines may require additional visits, and your veterinarian will adjust this schedule based on individual needs.
Puppies require so many vaccinations because of the maternal antibodies they acquire during nursing. These antibodies provide the puppies with temporary protection, but they can interfere with new antibody production and reduce vaccine efficacy. Multiple boosters ensure protection while the maternal antibodies wear off.
The Fear Free puppy vaccination experience
Fear Free Certified Veterinary Professionals work to ensure puppies enjoy a calm experience each time they visit the vet. Puppies who are positively exposed to veterinary care early in life are set up for a lifetime of stress-free appointments. Some techniques that veterinary teams employ to reduce vaccination stress include:
- Positive reinforcement — Puppy visits are all about treats! Giving copious treats throughout the exam and injections distracts and helps puppies associate procedures with positive rewards.
- Gentle handling — Fear Free Certified Professionals handle puppies so that fear and discomfort are minimized. Your puppy’s exam and vaccines are administered where they are most comfortable.
- Soothing environment — Nonslip surfaces, soothing music, and calming pheromones can reduce stress during puppy vaccine visits.
- Low-volume vaccines — Elanco® TruCan™ Ultra vaccines have a lower volume and are available in unique combinations. Fewer needle sticks and faster vaccine administration can translate to lower-stress puppy vaccinations.
Getting started: A puppy vaccination checklist
Your puppy’s path to lifelong health starts during their first months. Use this checklist to ensure you remember these important stepping stones:
- Locate a Fear Free Certified Veterinarian
- Schedule your puppy’s first vaccine visit between 6 and 8 weeks of age
- Schedule additional vaccine visits every three to four weeks, until your puppy is at least 16 weeks of age
- Discuss lifestyle-based vaccines with your veterinarian to ensure your puppy is fully protected
- Safely socialize your puppy per your veterinarian’s recommendations
Vaccinations are critical for keeping your puppy healthy and protecting them from dangerous diseases. Fear Free techniques help reduce stress during puppy vaccine visits and ensure your pup enjoys trips to the vet. Find a local Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice or Professional and schedule an appointment for your pup.
Continue learning through Part One & Part Three of this series
This article was reviewed/edited by board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Kenneth Martin and/or veterinary technician specialist in behavior Debbie Martin, LVT.
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