Puppy Shots Timeline

Puppy shots are compulsory and will protect your pet against diseases that he may be exposed to during his lifetime. When the puppy is born, he has antibodies from his mother, which will protect him against all infections. However, these antibodies are only active for 4 to 6 weeks and after this time, the puppy is likely to catch various infections from his environment. Shots should be administered starting from the time the puppy is no longer protected by the antibodies from his mother.

The Essential Shots for a Puppy

A newborn puppy is protected by the antibodies that are present in the mother’s milk, but these will no longer be available once the puppy stops breastfeeding or is taken away from his mother.

For this reason, the puppy needs some shots. There are core vaccines that are necessary, while other shots will be recommended by your vet, according to the puppy’s condition and his exposure to potential diseases.

The vaccines for dogs may include:

  • Distemper shot, protecting against canine distemper, which is a severe condition affecting the brain and other vital organs
  • Parainfluenza shot, protecting against a type of bronchitis
  • Hepatitis shot, protect the liver
  • Leptospirosis shot, keeps the puppy away from a urinary infection
  • Rabies, which can affect the central nervous system
  • Corona shot, against the corona virus that can affect the intestines
  • Parvovirus, which can affect the intestines
  • Bordetella shot, against a respiratory disease

Puppy Shots Timeline

The puppy needs to get a series of shots and these have to be administered at specific times. You have to consult your vet about the time to start the vaccines and establish a schedule. You need to respect the vaccination schedule, as if your puppy misses a vaccine, he may be prone to developing various diseases.

The first series of vaccines should be administered when the puppy is 6 weeks old and will include the core vaccines known as DHLPP (distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvo and parainfluenza) plus the shot against the corona virus.

The same shots should be repeated when the puppy is 10 to 12 weeks old and again at the age of 16 weeks.

When the puppy is 4 months old, he should get the rabies vaccine.

There may be additional shots that your vet will recommend; these can be administered at the same time with the other shots or as indicated by your vet.

Dog Vaccine Boosters

After the first year of shots, your pet should get additional booster shots.

The DHLPP booster will have to be given when the puppy is 1 year old and at this time, the booster for the rabies will also be administered. The bordatella vaccine may also be repeated.

The rabies vaccine may not be administered either on a yearly basis or once every 3 years, as recommended by your vet.

The boosters are necessary to train the dog’s immune system and protect him from these diseases.

 

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