After you bring your puppy home after its first or second round of vaccinations, it is vitally important to take great care of them and monitor them with extra attention in the following days. It is an incredibly exciting yet stressful time to be a pet owner and it is good to know what precautions to take once your puppy is vaccinated, all in order to ensure that they’re in good health. Read on to find out when a puppy should be vaccinated at a veterinary surgery, what possible side effects might be shown, and what precautions you need to take as a dog owner.

When Should My Puppy Get Vaccinated?

You should organise puppy vaccinations with your local veterinary surgery to take place when the puppy is 6-8 weeks old. This is the primary course of puppy vaccinations, which consists of two or three injections given 2-4 weeks apart, depending on your veterinary surgery’s approach to the local risk factors.

Don’t hesitate to ask any questions: it is good for the vet to understand your puppy’s previous behaviour and the vet’s answers will help you get the puppy settled in as fast as possible, post-vaccination.

What Are The Possible Side Effects?

After your puppy’s vaccinations, it is common for the pooch to experience some mild side effects from the vaccine. These might include:

  • Discomfort
  • Swelling
  • Mild fever
  • Decreased appetite
  • Sneezing or mild coughing

If these side effects last longer than a few days or cause your puppy significant discomfort, contact your local veterinary surgery for a puppy checkup. Whatsmore, if your puppy develops persistent vomiting or diarrhoea, bumpy and itchy skin (also known as hives), collapsing, or difficulty breathing, book an urgent puppy checkup with your local veterinary practice.

Post-Vaccination Precautions

After the second round of puppy vaccinations, you should wait two weeks before taking your puppy outside in order to keep it protected from infectious viruses. Any time before two weeks puts your puppy at risk, as the dog won’t have built up any resistance or immunity to the viruses out and about in public spaces.

But What About The Garden?

If you’ve got a private garden, this is a great tool for building healthy routines for your puppy. You can let your dog out into the garden if ti has had the first round of puppy vaccinations, as diseases can still be spread in private gardens through other animals. Your puppy won’t be entirely immune to viruses, but not letting him out into the garden could negatively complicate the puppy’s toilet training.

Remember to ensure that no unvaccinated dogs have been in the garden before you let your puppy out into it, as Canine Parvovirus can exist in soil for as long as a year.

Where Should I Go For Puppy Vaccinations?

If you’re looking for a community veterinary surgery for vaccinations or puppy checkups, Bay Vets is here to help. Serving Lancashire and Cumbria’s pooches with pride, we also specialise in neutering and microchipping dogs and cats, alongside an array of other veterinary services. Contact us today by registering your pet online or emailing us at info@bayvets.co.uk.