Keep Your Puppy Healthy With Vaccinations
Teacup puppies need one to two weeks to settle into their new homes. So if you have just brought home your dog, you should wait that long before bringing him to the vet for a vaccine. As the pet's new owner, it is your responsibility to make sure he gets everything he needs. And that includes his shots.
If your dog is rather new, keep in mind that immunization may stress it out and make it lose its appetite. Make sure the dog's well rested, preferably for 48 hours, before taking it to the vet for a full body check-up. Let the vet thoroughly examine your new pet in order to determine if there are any health problems to be concerned about. After which, the veterinarian can schedule the proper time as to when to give the necessary vaccines to your pet.
Vaccines protect your puppy against common diseases. Some vaccines are one-shot vaccines. And there are others that require multiple shots, therefore regular visits to the vet is required. Dogs face a number of health threats. And as its owner, you've got to be aware of them all so you can prevent those diseases from getting to your dog.
Canine distemper, infectious hepatitis, rabies, and corona virus just are examples of the diseases your dog should have a vaccine for.
You would also need to protect your dog from these problems:
1. Parvovirus
Also known as simply Pravo, this disease can affect dogs of all types. However, puppies are more prone to it than adult dogs. Puppies infected with parvovirus may contract serious consequences, including death. Right now, there is no cure for Pravo yet. But there's a vaccine for it. Be sure to immunize your dog against this disease at a very early age. Usually, a vaccine against Pravo can be administered to puppies 6 weeks or older. The vaccine should be continued until they reach their 20th week.
2. Worms
There are different types of intestinal worms that can affect your puppy. Common examples of these parasites are tapeworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. You should detect the presence of these worms inside your pet's body the moment they're there because they can cause several health problems. And in extreme cases, it can even cause death.
3. Heartworms
Heartworms are parasites common in both cats and dogs. But instead of living inside the intestine, these worms live inside the heart, more particularly in the blood vessels. It was found out that mosquitoes could carry heartworms and transmit them from one dog to another. And because of the potential risks heartworms bring, shots against these parasites are necessary.
Puppies three to six months old should be vaccinated against heartworms as dogs seven months and older may experience some undesirable side effects of heartworm vaccines and treatments.
The first eight weeks of your puppy's life is most critical. Within that period, the dog should have received shots for CPI, distemper, and measles. Only after those vaccines are given to the dog it can receive the ones for pravo, lyme, rabies, heartworm, parainfluenza, and leptospirosis, including all other type of vaccinations the vet prescribes.
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