Vaccinations for Puppies and Dogs

Getting a new puppy or dog can be an exciting and confusing time. There’s a long list of things you need to do to make sure they’re well taken care of, including vaccination. By trusting us to create your pet’s vaccination plan, they will be protected against a range of preventable diseases.

Why do dogs need vaccines throughout their lifetime?

Puppies need vaccines starting at 6 to 8 weeks. When they’re born, they receive a few antibodies while nursing. As the weeks go by, this immunity decreases while their risk of exposure to diseases increases. The good news is most diseases that pose the highest risk to puppies have vaccinations available. When your puppy receives vaccinations in their first few weeks of life, boosters help maintain their immunity against these preventable diseases. Some diseases your pet should routinely be vaccinated against include:

• Canine parvovirus
• Canine distemper virus
• Rabies
• Infectious canine hepatitis

How do you decide which vaccines my pet needs?

We create your pet’s vaccination plan based on their individual needs. Depending on your pet’s overall health, including underlying conditions and lifestyle, we’ll decide which vaccinations are best suited for them. Before we administer any vaccination, we give each pet a complete physical exam to ensure there won’t be any adverse reactions to it.

Which vaccinations are based on my dog’s lifestyle?

If your dog will be spending time in a kennel, you may want to vaccinate against kennel cough. This vaccine is usually given intranasally (into a nostril) and protects against parainfluenza virus and bordetella bronchiseptica. Dogs travelling routinely to cottage areas or in contact with rivers, lakes, or streams may also receive a leptospirosis vaccine and/or Lyme vaccine. If you’re interested in creating your pet’s vaccination plan, please contact us at 416-775-0101.