Your vet should determine when you should vaccinate your dog depending on the dog's helth and where you live. Normally, the first vaccine shots are administered at 6 weeks of age.
Dogs are the most common of household pets. One of the first things you should do when you buy/adopt a dog is to vaccinate it as there is a high risk of it contracting a disease that will lower its quality of life and might even prove to be fatal. In this oneHOWTO article, we'll explain when you should vaccinate your dog.
Mother nature is wise because, at birth, puppies acquire a type of immunity from nursing from their mothers. However, this immunity fades within a few weeks, which is why the vet should intervene to protect your dog from various diseases. You should take your dog to the vet to be dewormed and vaccinated when it is a young puppy.
Depending on where you live, the veterinarian will ask if you want to give your dog basic, core vaccinations or if you'd also want to vaccinate it against other, less common, diseases. Core vaccines should protect against:
- Distemper
- Parvovirus
- Infectious Canine Hepatitis
- Leptospirosis
- Parainfluenza, depending on the country in which you reside
Likewise, a rabies vaccination is also included, in certain countries. This list of core vaccines does not include Kennel Cough nor Coronavirus but your veterinarian might recommend it as well.
The vet is a professional and will determine the right times to administer vaccinations, which will vary according to where you live, your dog's state of health, the breed of your dog, its age, etc. The first vaccine is normally administered when natural immunity disappears, which is at 6 weeks of age. In this first vaccine your vet might administer a vaccine against Distemper and Parvovirus, although they might as well administer a sextuple vaccination straight away.
Remember that, during its first year of life, your puppy should receive regular vaccinations and boosters. Boosters tend to be administered within 2 to 4 weeks of the first vaccination. Parvovirus is usually administered for up to 3 times during the first year whilst the other vaccines are normally administered twice. Your vet will provide the exact dates and details so you know when you should vaccinate your dog.
When your dog is older than one years old, you should keep taking it to the vet for regular vaccines, normally around once a year you should vaccinate your dog for life.
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- Make sure that your dog receives suitable vaccines according to the most prolific canine diseases in your place of residence. Listen to the advice given to you by your vet.