As a puppy, your pet will need a series of vaccinations to help them stay healthy and protected from disease. These puppy shots are typically given at 8, 12, 16, and 19 weeks of age, with booster shots every year or three years after that.
Petroglyph Animal Hospital in Albuquerque can provide your puppy with all the vaccinations they need. We also offer a wide range of other services to keep your pet healthy, including preventative care, routine check-ups, and more.
Factors That Influence What Vaccines Your Puppy Should Get
Some of the factors that influence which vaccines a pup should receive, as well as when and how often, include:
- Your puppy’s age
- What other vaccines they’ve already had from the breeder or shelter, and when they had them
- The part of the country they’re in and have come from
- What type of lifestyle your dog will have (i.e., will they go to doggie daycare, the groomer, will they hike or go camping with you?)
These are just a few examples – ultimately, your puppy’s vet will be the best resource to determine which vaccines are right for your pup.
Shots Your Puppy Gets at 8 Weeks
Most people who get a puppy already know that they’ll need to take them to the vet for puppy shots, but many don’t realize the importance of completing the entire series of vaccinations.
Puppy shots, also called vaccinations, protect your puppy from contagious and often deadly diseases. At Petroglyph Animal Hospital, we recommend a series of puppy shots starting when your puppy is 7 or 8 weeks old. We continue to booster those puppy shots every 3-4 weeks until they are about 20 weeks old. Then, we booster vaccinations once a year or every three years for life.
Every puppy receives a certain amount of antibodies from their mother, particularly in the colostrum delivered in her milk in the first days after birth. There is no way of knowing, however, exactly how much protection each individual puppy receives from its mom. This immunity from disease wanes as the puppies start to grow. We start vaccines at around 7 or 8 weeks because, for most puppies, this is when the level of the mother’s antibodies dips below a protective level. At the same time, the presence of the mother’s antibodies can limit the puppy’s own immune response to disease. For this reason, the most common combination vaccine (DA2PP) is given in a series, 3-4 weeks apart. As the mother’s antibodies get weaker, we begin to boost the puppy’s own immune system in a sort of wave until the puppy is fully protected from disease.
Recommended puppy shots include:
DA2PP (Distemper, Adenovirus 2 (Hepatitis), Parainfluenza, and Parvovirus)
DA2PP is a combination vaccine that protects against four serious and potentially deadly diseases: distemper, hepatitis, parainfluenza, and parvovirus. This vaccine, along with the rabies shot, is by far the most important for your puppy to get, and to get in the correct series of vaccinations!
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that can affect animals of many species as well as humans. Rabies is always fatal. In most parts of the country, a current rabies vaccination for companion animals is the law. Puppies can be vaccinated at 12 weeks of age and boostered every year to three years after.
Bordetella (Kennel Cough)
Bordetella is a highly contagious respiratory disease that is spread through contact with other dogs or in places where dogs congregate, such as dog parks, grooming facilities, and kennels. There are oral, intranasal, and injectable forms of this vaccine. The earliest shot is given between 8-12 weeks and boostered 3-4 weeks later, then every 6 or 12 months thereafter.
Canine Influenza Virus (Dog Flu)
Canine influenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory virus that can affect dogs of all ages but is most severe in puppies and senior dogs. Puppies as young as 7 weeks can be vaccinated, with a booster 3-4 weeks later and yearly thereafter.
Petroglyph Animal Hospital offers a variety of puppy shots to protect your puppy from deadly diseases. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for an examination by one of our knowledgeable veterinarians and for your puppy’s first round of vaccinations.
The Best Place to Get Your Puppy Shots in Albuquerque
Petroglyph Animal Hospital offers puppy shots in Albuquerque to help keep your puppy healthy and protected from disease. We offer a wide variety of puppy shots, including Bordetella and parvovirus vaccinations, as well as deworming and other parasite prevention. Our experienced and caring staff will work with you to create a custom vaccination schedule for your puppy based on their age, health, and lifestyle. We also offer a variety of other services to keep your puppy healthy, including spaying/neutering, dental care, and more.
Call us today to schedule an appointment for puppy shots in Albuquerque.