Dog and Puppy Vaccination Schedule
When puppies are nursing, they're protected from disease by their mother's immunity being passed through the milk. By the time your puppy is six or eight weeks old, the puppies have been weaned and you're feeding puppy food. The disease protection wears off and your puppy is vulnerable to dangerous diseases. At Hamilton Road Animal Hospital, we recommend that you bring your puppy to our office at eight weeks of age for their first checkup and first vaccines. After that, your puppy will need a series of vaccinations to keep it safe.
What Vaccines Puppies Need, and When
We like to give our puppy patients a series of vaccines over the course of four months. Once your pet has its complete series of puppy vaccinations, it's safe to put off further vaccinations until your four-legged family member reaches their first birthday. The vaccines your puppy will need completely depend on your pet's usual lifestyle.
The first series, given at 6 to 8 weeks, begins building immunity for measles, distemper, and parainfluenza. If your puppy is boarded in a kennel, plays in a dog park, or is otherwise around other dogs, the puppy will need a bordatella vaccine, as well.
Four weeks later, we'll give your pup a combination vaccine known as DHPP. The puppy may need a booster for bordatella at this time, protection against Lyme disease if it runs outside a lot, or other vaccines depending on where you live.
Four weeks after that, your puppy will get their first rabies vaccination. While the state of Ohio doesn't require rabies vaccinations, it allows local governments to make their own laws about this. Whether the rabies vaccination is required by law or not, it is the responsible course of action for any pet owner.
After four more weeks, we'll give your puppy another DHPP vaccination. Other vaccines may be necessary, depending on your dog's lifestyle and environment.
Call Your Columbus Animal Hospital to Learn More!
Our caring office staff is dedicated to helping all pet owners become better informed.
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