3 Things to Remember Before Your Puppy Has Its First Vaccinations
Your new puppy may be healthy and fit; however, you should take extra care of it until it has its first set of vaccinations. Puppies are small animals with developing immune systems, and they can get seriously ill quite quickly if they come into contact with certain viruses.
The following steps will help you protect your puppy and keep it in good health until it is old enough to be immunised.
1. Don't Take Your Puppy for Walks
While you'll be keen to get your puppy outdoors on walks to burn off some of its energy, it's better not to do this until your vet has vaccinated your pet. Before this happens, your dog doesn't have protection against common canine diseases like distemper and parvovirus.
If your puppy comes into contact with other dogs, as it is likely to do in public parks and dog walking spots, then it could pick up any germs and viruses the other dogs have. You can't assume that every adult dog is fit, healthy and immunised.
So, it's better to keep your puppy away from public places at this stage. You can get it used to being outdoors by letting it run around in your garden as long as other dogs don't go in there.
2. Choose Playmates Carefully
Dogs often socialise more effectively if they meet other dogs at an early age. If your puppy is part of a litter, then it has automatic playmates. However, if it is your only pup, then you may be keen for it to meet other dogs.
This can be tricky during the pre-vaccination stage. You don't want to expose your puppy to anything that might make it ill. So, if you do want to socialise your pet, vet its playmates.
For example, if you are still in contact with the puppy's original owner, then they may let you take your pet over to play with its siblings. Or, if you have a friend with an older dog that is fully up to date with its vaccinations, then they could meet.
3. Take Extra Care in Your Vet's Clinic
If you need to take your puppy to the vet, you could potentially expose it to ill animals and germs. Just sitting close to a dog with distemper that sneezes in your clinic's waiting room could be dangerous. Your puppy could catch the virus from air droplets or from surfaces where they settled.
So, it's best to carry your puppy into your clinic. Keep it in your arms or in its carrier, and don't encourage other pets to engage with it.
To find out more about how long your puppy needs to stay away from other dogs and when its pet vaccinations should start, talk to your vet.