Vaccination Protocol for Puppies

Vaccinations are the best form of prevention when it comes to protecting your pets from diseases and illnesses affecting their particular species. When you come in for your first visit to Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital, please bring your pet’s most recent vaccination records with you, or give our receptionist the name of the clinic where previous vaccinations were administered so we can evaluate the records. Based on these records, our veterinarians will determine which pet vaccines are right for your dog or cat. We use only high-quality pet vaccinations that have a proven record of quality, effectiveness and low reactivity.

About Our Vaccine Recommendations

Rabies

The state of Texas requires every dog to get a rabies vaccine. We use a three-year vaccine, which means your dog will need this vaccine once every three years following the initial rabies vaccination and one-year booster.

Distemper/Adenovirus 2/Parvovirus

This vaccine is an essential pet vaccination recommended for all dogs. It protects against three common, deadly viral diseases that affect canines. Following the initial puppy vaccine series, we use a three-year vaccine with a proven record of effectiveness, which allows for less-frequent injections.

Bordetella

This vaccine protects dogs against bordetella, which is more commonly known as kennel cough. It provides protection against bordetella and parainfluenza, which are infections that affect the canine upper respiratory system. We recommend every dog that will be boarded, groomed, attending doggie day care or going on walks in dog parks get this dog vaccination.

Leptospirosis

This dog vaccine is not considered to be as vital as others, but we still recommend it for all dogs in our area. The leptospirosis vaccine protects against four different strains of leptospirosis bacteria that are known to affect our canine friends. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that causes acute kidney and/or liver failure in dogs and can be passed on to people via infected dogs. A dog may contract this virus by coming into contact with wildlife like squirrels, opossums, raccoons, deer and other animals as well as from contaminated water.

Our Heartworm Preventative, Flea & Tick Control Recommendations

WSVH recommends Sentinel to puppies until they are old enough to be given the Proheart injection. Sentinel is a monthly oral heartworm preventative and flea sterilizer that will be administered during your puppy’s visits with the veterinarian.

At the final puppy visit with the veterinarian, we will begin the injectable Proheart. This will last for an entire 6 months, and has an extended release component that will protect your pet against heartworms continuously. An additional Proheart6 injection will be given as a technician appointment at 10 months old. During their first adult visit, around 15 months, they will be old enough to move to the big dog heartworm preventative, Proheart12. This injection also has an extended release component and lasts the full year. Proheart is more effective, and has allowed our pet parents’ peace of mind not having to remember their pet’s heartworm protection monthly!

For flea and tick control, we recommend Credilio for puppies under 6 months old. Simparica is for all puppies over the age of 6 months, and adults.

Puppy Vaccine Schedule

Age: 6 to 8 weeks

• Complete head-to-tail physical exam
• Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/ Parvo #1/3
• Bordetella vaccine #1/2
• Fecal analysis
• Prophylactic de-worming for roundworms and hookworms (two doses, two weeks apart)
• Administer oral heartworm preventative (Sentinel)

Very young puppies are highly susceptible to infectious diseases. This is especially true as the natural immunity provided in their mothers’ milk gradually wears off over time. To keep gaps in protection as narrow as possible and provide optimum protection against disease, we schedule a series of canine vaccinations that are generally three to four weeks apart. For most puppies, we administer the final vaccination in the series when they are between 14 and 16 weeks old.

Seventy-five percent of puppies are born with parasites or obtain them via their mothers’ milk or environment. At Woodland Springs Veterinary Hospital, we perform a fecal examination and de-worming at least two times when puppies are aged six to eight weeks. It is almost always easier and more cost effective to prevent parasites than treat them once your dog has contracted them. It is also safer for you and your family to have a parasite-free pet, as some pet parasites can affect humans. Click here to learn how.

 Age: 10 to 12 weeks

• Complete head-to-tail physical exam
• Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo #2/3
• Bordetella vaccine #2/2 (1 year)
• Second fecal analysis (if previous parasites were found)
• Administer oral heartworm preventative (Sentinel)

Age: 14 to 16 weeks

• Complete head-to-tail physical exam
• Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo (3 year)
• Rabies vaccination (1 year)
• Leptospirosis #1/2
• Administer Proheart6 injection (6-month heartworm preventative)

Age: 18 weeks

• Leptospirosis #2/2 (1 year)

Age: 4 to 6 months

At your earliest convenience, please get your pet spayed or neutered. Click here to learn more about the advantages of spaying and neutering your dog. The age at which we spay or neuter your pet depends on his or her breed. For large-breed dogs, we carry out these procedures between four and six months of age. Small-breed dogs often keep their “baby canine teeth,” which may need to be removed under anesthesia. Since dogs have all their adult teeth at six months old, we recommend waiting until six months to allow easy removal and avoid going under anesthesia a second time to remove any deciduous teeth.

Age: 10 Months

• Administer Proheart6 injection (6-month heartworm preventative)

Age: 15 Months

• First Adult Annual Wellness Visit
• Administer Proheart12 injection (12-month heartworm preventative)

There are certainly exceptions to these general rules, so if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Slough, Dr. Loter or Dr. McCutchon. They are always more than happy to help in any way they can.