New baby coming: What dog shots and health prep are essential?

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She should have all her vaccines and be dewormed prior to getting pregnant. Things to think about are if Virguie's breed has any trouble giving birth naturally so you can be financially prepared for a surgical C-section. Record all breeding dates accurately. Discuss measuring Progesterone levels with your Vet to time breeding. Look in to whelping boxes and watch videos on whelping so you can help during birth with removing the placentas from the puppies faces and tying umbilical chords. Purchase a bulb syringe to remove mucous from the puppies noses. Virguie should be fed puppy food while pregnant and while nursing. At day 50 pregnant have your Vet take an X-ray of her bally to estimate the number of puppies to expect. Start measuring Virguie's rectal temperature daily around day 58 pregnant to watch for a temperature drop that indicates the start of labor. Always keep your Vet prepared so they can assist you if you have problems. Be prepared to financially deworm and vaccinate the puppies when they need it and to take care of any unexpected illnesses in the mother and with the puppies. I hope this helps!

Great questions! The bitch will need the routine vaccines which include the DHPPi combination (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza) as well as rabies. She should be dewormed now and again in two weeks to kill any worms that may be present in her GI tract. After that, she should be dewormed every three months. I would recommend a health check with the vet for her as well before breeding. She will also need flea treatment and heartworm treatment. The puppies can start being dewormed as young as two weeks, and should be dewormed every two weeks thereafter until three months of age. They should then be dewormed every month until six months of age, and after three months after that for the rest of their lives. As for vaccines, they can get their first DHPPi combination shot at 6-8 weeks of age, and then will need two series of boosters four weeks apart (10-12 weeks of age and 14-16 weeks of age). It's very important to make sure the bitch is up to date on her flea treatment because newborn puppies cannot have any flea treatments until they are at least 6-7 weeks of age. The mother should be flea free. I hope this helps!

Hi there! Congratulations on your new pup :) If she hasn't had anything done yet, she will need a vet visit for her first DAPP vaccine (for distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and parainfluenza) as well as a general wellness check-up. She should also have a fecal exam for parasites, and should be dewormed if any are found. She's also old enough to start on heartworm prevention if this is a problem in your area - the vet should be able to advise you if this is needed. After that, she will need to have her DAPP vaccine boostered every 3-4 weeks until she's 16 weeks or older. She will also need a rabies vaccine at 16 weeks. Other vaccinations, such as Lyme disease, leptospirosis, or Bordetella (kennel cough) may also be recommended depending on what is common in your area and her risk of exposure. Your veterinarian should discuss this with you at her check-up visit, and will let you know if any of these vaccines are needed.

Hello, congratulations on your new puppy. He will need 3 sets of vaccines 2 weeks apart each set. Vaccinations include to protect against distemper, parvovirus, parainfluenza, adenovirus, bordetella, and rabies. You should also discuss checking his stool for parasites and deworming him. Hope this helps and best of luck.

She is a pretty girl!!! The most important vaccination (and one required by law) is the Rabies vaccine. This is essential. The second most important vaccine is the Distemper vaccine, which is often a combo vaccine sometimes called a DHPP (protects against distemper, canine hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza). These vaccines are considered the "core vaccines" for dogs. Every dog should have them. The rest will depend on her lifestyle. I also recommend the Leptosporosis vaccine for dogs if they spend time outdoors in areas with creeks/puddles/ponds because this disease is a bacteria transmitted to dogs by contaminated water (rodents who have the disease urinate and it contaminates the water and the dogs can acquire it this way). The Lepto vaccine requries a series of 2 booster 3 to 4 weeks apart if she has never had it before. Other vaccines you may consider would include Lyme if your dog is outdoors and exposed to ticks and you are in a lyme endemic area, Bordetella also known as Kennel Cough if you ever take her to the park/groomer/kennel/dog classes/out for walks in areas with other dogs. Canine Influenza is another vaccine I recommend for dogs that come into contact with many other dogs/areas with many other dogs such as kennels or dog shows/events. That vaccine will also require a series of 2 vaccines several weeks apart if she has never had it before.

Congrats on your new dog, Peppen is so cute. You need to make an appointment with a vet to get her vaccines (she will need her DHPPi combination shot (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza) as well as rabies), and the vet can prescribe flea and deworming treatments. You can talk to the vet about training classes you can enroll her in, and you do not need to bathe her more than once a month unless she is very dirty.

Hello and congratulations on adding Lilly to your family! Your core vaccines at this age need to be Distemper/Parvo and a Bordetella. She is older enough to start Leptospirosis and Lyme disease if these are indicated based upon where you live. Ask the vet if she would recommend these vaccines. Lilly will need another set of boosters in 3 weeks and she will be old enough to get her Rabies vaccine at that age. You may also discussed separating some of these vaccines so Lilly is not receiving 4-5 at one time. Hope this helps!