Puppy
Vaccine Puppy Vaccine Protocol

Vaccines 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

Although this dog vaccine is not considered to be core vaccine, it is still recommended for all healthy 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 bacteria by coming into contact moist soils where wildlife like squirrels, opossums, raccoons, deer and other animals have occupied. This is most commonly transmitted through the urine as well as from contaminated water. +

Simparica Trio and Proheart Schedule for Puppies
 Puppies will begin with Simparica Trio, a monthly oral treatment for heartworms and fleas/ticks, as long as they are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2.8 pounds, continuing until they are 4 months old.

During the final puppy visit at around 4 months of age, we will begin Proheart6 (for heartworms) and Simparica (for fleas and ticks). Proheart6 provides six months of continuous heartworm protection with an extended-release injection. Simparica is a monthly pill given orally to protect from fleas and ticks.

At 10 months of age, an additional Proheart6 injection will be given during a technician appointment and a 6 month prescription of Simparica can be purchased.

When your puppy reaches about 15 months, they will switch to Proheart12, suitable for adult dogs. This injection offers a full year of heartworm protection and eliminates the need for monthly treatments. Simparica will still be available to be given monthly for fleas and ticks.
 Our Standard of Care at WSVH is Injectable Proheart Heartworm Preventative and Simparica for Fleas and Ticks.
 Our Heartworm Preventative, Flea & Tick Control Recommendations

Puppy Vaccine Schedule

  • Fecal analysis
  • Prophylactic de-worming for roundworms and hookworms (two doses, two weeks apart)
  • Administer oral heartworm preventative (Simparica TRIO)
  • 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 (Simparica TRIO)
 Age: 6 to 8 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/ Parvo #1/3
  • Bordetella vaccine #1/2
  • Second fecal analysis (if previous parasites were found)
  • Administer oral heartworm preventative (Simparica TRIO)
  • 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 (Simparica TRIO)
 Age: 10 to 12 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo #2/3
  • Bordetella vaccine #2/2 (1 year)
  • Leptospirosis #1/2
  • Administer Proheart6 injection (6-month heartworm preventative)
  • 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: 14 to 16 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo (3 year)
  • Rabies vaccination (1 year)
 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)
  • Continue Simparica monthly for fleas and ticks.
 Age: 15 months
  • First Adult Annual Wellness Visit
  • Administer Proheart12 injection (12-month heartworm preventative)
  • Continue Simparica monthly for fleas and ticks.

Puppy Vaccine Schedule

  • Fecal analysis
  • Prophylactic de-worming for roundworms and hookworms (two doses, two weeks apart)
  • Administer oral heartworm preventative (Simparica TRIO)
  • 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 (Simparica TRIO)
 Age: 6 to 8 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parainfluenza/ Parvo #1/3
  • Bordetella vaccine #1/2
  • Second fecal analysis (if previous parasites were found)
  • Administer oral heartworm preventative (Simparica TRIO)
  • 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 (Simparica TRIO)
 Age: 10 to 12 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo #2/3
  • Bordetella vaccine #2/2 (1 year)
  • Leptospirosis #1/2
  • Administer Proheart6 injection (6-month heartworm preventative)
  • 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: 14 to 16 weeks
  • Complete head-to-tail physical exam
  • Nobivac Distemper/Adenovirus/Parvo (3 year)
  • Rabies vaccination (1 year)
 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)
  • Continue Simparica monthly for fleas and ticks.
 Age: 15 months
  • First Adult Annual Wellness Visit
  • Administer Proheart12 injection (12-month heartworm preventative)
  • Continue Simparica monthly for fleas and ticks.

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. The importance of vaccines for puppies

Giving them the best life 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.