Puppies receive antibodies from their mother’s colostrum (first milk) until they are about 4-5 months old. The length of time that the antibodies stay in the puppies’ system is dependent upon the mother’s exposure to vaccines or disease during her lifetime. Since we cannot guarantee how long the colostrum protection lasts, we vaccinate these young patients every 3-4 weeks until they reach 16 – 20 weeks of age. Without these vaccination boosters, your puppy may not have the proper immune system to fight off life threatening diseases. Expect that you will visit CHV several times in the first few months of owning your new pet. While vaccinations are important, there can be some side-effects from vaccines. Sometimes puppies become sleepy for one day or are sensitive at the area of injection. Rarely a pet will experience an upset stomach, hives, or a swollen face. If you notice these problems contact us we will want to see your puppy. These reactions are not common, but should be dealt with as soon as possible. In our experience, the positive benefits to your puppies health greatly outweighs any side-effects or risk of having the vaccines.
To better address your pet’s vaccine needs you may access a vaccine calculator provided by the American Animal Hospital Association
At the clinic, we often use peanut butter or other treats to help make a positive experience for your puppy when getting their vaccines. It’s not uncommon for a puppy to be so preoccupied with the peanut butter that they never even realize they received an injection. (It’s important to make sure peanut butter given to a pet does not contain xylitol)
