Can I buy my puppy's vaccines online and have a vet give them?

You can purchase certain vaccines at farm supply stores. This, however, is not recommended because shipping, handling and storage under prior conditions cannot be guaranteed. Improper storage can decrease efficacy. Additionally, a pet should be examined first before any vaccine to confirm good health. It is never recommended to vaccinate a sick pet. Lastly, vaccine administration should be done properly to ensure efficacy. The only vaccine that cannot be purchased OTC is the rabies vaccine.

An initial vaccine should only be given after a full wellness check by a vet to ensure there are no concerns or contraindications and that the puppy is healthy enough to receive vaccines. Subsequent vaccines may be given by a vet check, or a suitably experienced person under a veterinary prescription. Be aware that any vaccines not given by a vet can it be certified should it be required for boarding etc

Good on you for wanting to get Buster's vaccines! While you can get the vaccines he needs from a tractor supply store, I never recommend it. Tractor supply stores are notorious for handling and storing vaccines improperly, and I have colleagues with numerous stories of dogs coming down with parvo and distemper who had been vaccinated with vaccines from stores. It's too much of a risk, and if he did come down with something serious like parvo, it would cost you so much more to treat than the cost of having a vet give the vaccine. In addition, diseases like parvo and distemper have no cure, and are very often fatal. It's best to take him into your vet to get the DHPPi combination vaccine (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza). I hope this helps!

I do not recommend this. It's your choice, but their health is too important to take risks. Puppies usually are just fine at a clinic, people get their vaccines done all the time with no issues. I have found owners who try to give them at home often do it wrong, rendering the vaccine ineffective. In addition, places that sell vaccines to owners sometimes store the vaccines improperly. leaving them ineffective. I cannot tell you how many dogs I've seen get parvo and distemper who have been vaccinated at home by their owners. It is your choice, but I strongly urge you against it.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If at all possible you would want to take Chevy to a veterinarian so they can discuss the best vaccines and vaccination schedule for your area. She also needs a rabies shot and that has to be given by a licensed veterinarian or licensed technician. Vaccines given by your vet are tracked, handled and stored properly, and the manufacturer will stand behind the product if there is an adverse reaction or event. The problem with just buying the vaccine from a feed store or catalog raises the questions of shipping, storage conditions, quality of the product, and lack of back up from the manufacturer if something did happen. Vaccinations are vitally important to Chevy's health so they should be done by a professional so you can have piece of mind. I wish you the best.

No, Princess should not be dangerous to anyone if she bites or licks them - it's very normal for puppies to do this :) Rabies is extremely rare in pet dogs, and would be virtually unheard-of in a puppy this age - it can only be transmitted through the bite of an infected wild animal, so it's unlikely that she would have had any possibility of exposure at the age of two months. Dogs can get their rabies vaccine anytime after 12 weeks of age. So she isn't quite old enough yet, but your veterinarian can vaccinate her in another month or so. I do not recommend giving 5 in 1 vaccines on your own, because in my experience, vaccines purchased over the counter and given by owners are often not effective. It's much better to have your veterinarian give the vaccine, to make sure it's guaranteed to work.

Most vaccines can be given in a series on the same day as long as they are given in different injection sites, and your dog doesn't have a history of adverse reactions to vaccines. However, your vet will know your pet best and it's best to contact them with regards to any vaccine protocols they use, as they will have the most up to date information on the vaccine type and manufacturer they are using in their clinic that may counter indicate giving it on the same day. The only other thing I could think would be a potential liability issue if the injection is given the same time as a home-given injection and then an adverse reaction occurred, as it would be hard to determine what injection caused the reaction if not properly documented. If you have documentation of the vaccines you've given at home, I would make sure these are all up to date with your veterinarian to ensure there isn't any miscommunication going on.