When should my puppy start solid food and get their first shots?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 3 weeks is young. I’d recommend a puppy milk replacer and bottle feeding for another week or 2. Then mix the puppy milk replacer in with canned puppy food and gradually add dry food over a couple of weeks. I like Purina proplan orhl’s puppy foods. Good luck!

Puppies are typically vaccinated every 3-4 weeks until they are 16 weeks of age. I would make an appointment to have a vaccination done and then repeat a vaccine in 3-4 weeks. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! 5 weeks is a bit young to leave her mother but if she is fully weaned it should be ok. We usually do not start vaccines until they are 7 weeks of age. Some breeders will give them a parvo vaccine at under 7 weeks. You should be fine until she gets her first vaccine but people with sick dogs or unvaccinated dogs shouldn't handle her and she needs to be kept away from all dogs. I hope this helps and good luck!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your question. First off, vaccinations are extremely important! Vaccinations typically begin at 6-8 weeks of age and are given every 3 weeks until the puppy reaches 16-20 weeks of age. Heartworm and flea / tick prevention are important as well. I would also recommend having Jimmy's poop checked for parasites and put him through a round of deworming medication. Establish yourself with a veterinarian so that you can get all of this for Jimmy and have a veterinarian available for getting all of this done. As for food, feed a puppy food. You can start out with canned food and introduce hard food around 6 weeks of age. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns!

Congrats on your new addition! Ideally, she should be physically examined by your veterinarian within 3 days of arriving home to confirm good health or to diagnose and treat any preexisting conditions. At the very least, she will likely need to be dewormed. Vaccines can start around 6 weeks of age and will continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Discuss monthly parasite prevention with your vet to protect against worms, fleas, ticks and heartworm. Feed a good quality puppy food. Look for brands such as Canidae, Acana or Merrick. You can feed according tot the directions on the bag, just know that each puppy is different and you may need to adjust the amount if Coqueta is gaining too much weight or not enough weight. Avoid store or discount brands as these may contain low quality ingredients and more fillers. Puppies typically need to go about about 20-30 minutes after eating, sleeping or playing. Expect accidents, they are going to happen. Since dogs thrive on routine, start a consistent schedule for potty breaks; first thing in the morning, midday, evening and before bedtime to begin with. Choose one spot in the yard and use it for bathroom training. She can have a short walk or playtime after she does her business. Praise and reward her each time. Avoid areas with other dogs and dogs of unknown vaccine status until she has at least 2 rounds of vaccines. Visit the PetCoach Educational Center for additional information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-first-week-with-a-new-puppy-what-to-expect https://www.petcoach.co/article/puppy-101-everything-you-need-to-consider/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/everything-you-should-know-about-pet-vaccines/ https://www.petcoach.co/educational-center/

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You may switch to kibble at this time or you may wait 1-2 more weeks. If using the kibble, you could consider soaking it in water to make it softer and easier for him to eat. Good luck and have a good night!

Hi there, and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. King received his first puppy vaccine 7/22/19. His next vaccines would typically be given 3-4 weeks later, so he's a little overdue. You should call your vet to schedule his next appointment right away. Hope this helps! Congrats on your new puppy!