Congratulations on your new family member!
Over the first few months of his/her life, we hope your puppy will visit Annex Animal Hospital often. During these visits, we aim to establish a strong foundation for their future health and a great relationship for you and your puppy with our wonderful caring team. Each visit will include a thorough physical examination, age-appropriate vaccinations, parasite control, nutrition, weight and behaviour counselling. You may request your veterinarian of choice for each visit. These visits are the perfect opportunity to ask the veterinarian for any advice or help that you may require with your new puppy. Of course, if you have any questions outside of appointment times, please call us and we will be very happy to help.
What’s the vaccination schedule for puppies?
Each puppy will receive the core vaccines which include:
- Canine Distemper
- Canine Hepatitis (Adenovirus type 2)
- Canine Parainfluenza
- Canine Parvovirus
After the age of 14 weeks, puppies will receive a Rabies vaccine and a Bordetella oral vaccine (Canine Cough).
Why is it important to vaccinate your puppy?
We administer multiple boosters for two reasons: 1. Each puppy receives a different level of protection from its mother. 2. Each successive booster strengthens the immune response. It is very important to follow the vaccine schedule recommended by your veterinarian to ensure adequate immunization. Canine Cough is an extremely infectious disease that is easily spread between dogs. Any puppy visiting the park, a boarding or daycare facility, or training classes is at risk of exposure to disease. After 14 weeks, a Rabies vaccine is required. Rabies is a disease fatal to both animals and humans. It is commonly carried by mammals such as skunks, foxes, raccoons, bats and coyotes, all of which are prevalent in Toronto. The Toronto city by-law requires all pets to be vaccinated against Rabies. We strongly advise that you avoid walking your puppy in high dog traffic areas until after the third Parvovirus vaccine. If you wish to enroll in puppy training classes, be sure to select a facility that requires proof of vaccination for all puppies in attendance.
At what age should I bring in my puppy for its vaccinations?
We recommend starting the vaccine series at 8 weeks of age. Successive visits for booster vaccines are done at 12 and 16 weeks of age. However, if your puppy receives a vaccine from the breeder at an earlier age, we will make all the necessary adjustments to your puppy’s vaccination schedule.
How should I prepare my puppy for its first vaccination visit?
We want your puppy’s first visit to be a super fun and positive experience. For the first visit, there are lots of details to review for your new puppy and we will answer all your questions. It is also helpful if you can provide us with the brand of the diet your puppy is currently consuming. We will add all this information to the medical record. We also request that you collect a small fecal sample from your new puppy so that we can test for intestinal parasites. This is strongly recommended even if your puppy has received a dewormer medication. Some parasites are more difficult to treat than others and also reinfection can occur amongst puppies. It is also helpful if you can provide us with any records from the adoption or purchase of your new puppy.
How much do puppy vaccinations cost?
When you book your puppy’s first visit with the veterinarian, we can provide you with an estimate of the costs for the first few visits. This first visit takes a little longer and we allow some extra time so that the doctor can get to know you and answer all your questions about caring for your new family member. A new puppy will generally need to see the veterinarian every 3 to 4 weeks for check-ups, parasite tests, deworming and booster vaccines.