Vaccines for Puppies & Dogs

Yay! Congrats on being the proud parent of a canine bundle of joy. As pet owners ourselves, we know how happy of a time this is for you. Your puppy probably already has an abundance of food, treats, toys and other gear waiting for them. Vaccines are also another essential item that they will need, especially as their immune system is particularly vulnerable during this stage of life. Vaccines protect your pet from a multitude of serious conditions. Fortunately, with our help it can be an easy process for you! Call us at 613-695-2060 to get started.

When is it safe for my puppy to be vaccinated?

Although each pet is different, puppies are usually given their first round of injections as early as 6-weeks-old. You will need to come back to the hospital for multiple booster shots until your pet is about 1-year-old to complete their puppy vaccines. This may seem like a hassle, but it is key to creating as healthy of a start as possible for your puppy’s life.

6 – 8 weeks:

• Mandatory: Distemper, parvovirus
• Optional: Bordetella

10 – 12 weeks:

• DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, parvovirus)
• Optional: Lyme disease, leptospirosis

16 – 18 weeks:

• Mandatory: Rabies, DHPP
• Optional: Lyme disease, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Influenza

12 – 16 months:

• Mandatory: Rabies, DHPP
• Optional: Bordetella, Coronavirus, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis

If my dog was vaccinated as a puppy, do they still need to be vaccinated as adults?

Absolutely! Vaccines need must be boosted to maintain their effects. That being said, your dog will usually need to be vaccinated at a lower frequency and depending on their lifestyle/environment, they may not need as many types of vaccines. Most adult dogs follow this schedule:

Every 1 – 2 years:

• Mandatory: DHPP
• Optional: Influenza, Coronavirus, Leptospirosis, Bordetella, Lyme disease

Every 1 – 3 years:

• Mandatory: Rabies
• Optional: Varies according to doctor recommendation