Everything you need to know about puppy vaccinations
Vaccinations save lives by protecting your pet from serious, life threatening diseases with minimal associated risks. It’s very important that your pet is vaccinated regularly to ensure they maintain a certain level of immunity to help protect them against diseases.
Just like us, dogs start their vaccinations from when they are young. Most puppies receive their first vaccination before you take them home and from there it’s up to you to take them for their second and third.
Here is a typical puppy vaccination schedule.
C3 Vaccination - given at 6-8 weeks
C5 Vaccination - given at 10-12 weeks
C5 Vaccination - given at 14-16 weeks
But what do these vaccinations mean and what do they protect your puppy from? Here’s everything you need to know about puppy vaccinations.
What is a C3 vaccination?
A C3 vaccination protects your puppy from:
Canine distemper virus - Canine distemper is caused by the paramyxovirus virus. Animals get infected from contact with infected urine, blood, saliva, or respiratory droplets.
Canine adenovirus - Canine adenovirus is a virus that causes respiratory infections, targets multiple organs in the body, and causes infectious canine hepatitis.
Canine parvovirus - Canine parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease of dogs that commonly causes acute gastrointestinal illness in puppies.
What is a C5 vaccination?
A C5 vaccination is made up of a C3 vaccination with the addition of a canine cough vaccination. A canine cough vaccination protects your puppy from:
Parainfluenza virus - Canine parainfluenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory virus and is one of the most common pathogens of infectious tracheobronchitis, also known as canine cough.
Bordetella bronchiseptica - Bordetella bronchiseptica is a bacterium that causes respiratory disease in a number of animals including dogs.
All of these diseases can be deadly, especially in puppies so ensuring your puppy is vaccinated as soon as possible will go a long way in keeping them safe and healthy.
What happens when my puppy gets vaccinated?
During a consultation, the vet will make sure your puppy is healthy before they can be vaccinated. If your puppy is sick, the vet might delay giving them a vaccination. You can also use this time with the vet to ask questions about your new puppy like what pet food is best, how to toilet train them and enrolling them in puppy school.
What happens after my puppy has had all their vaccinations?
Once your puppy has had their third vaccination, they won’t be due until 1 year later. From there, they will have their canine cough vaccination every year and every third year, they will have their C3 vaccination.
When can I take my puppy out for walks?
Our veterinarians recommend waiting 2 weeks after your puppy’s final vaccination before taking your puppy for walks outside of your home. This is to ensure your puppy has maximum protection if they come across a sick dog or an area where a sick dog has been. If you need to socialise your puppy while you wait to take them out on walks, you can let them play with a friendly, vaccinated dog in your home. This way you know they won’t come into contact with any diseases that could put them at risk.
Puppy vaccinations at Doncaster Veterinary Hospital
If you’re looking for a veterinarian to look after your puppy’s health, why not choose the friendly and knowledgeable vets at Doncaster Veterinary Hospital. Contact us to book an appointment or book a puppy vaccination online.