Lakeway Animal Hospital
Medical Care of Puppies
The following schedule is our recommendation of routine preventative medical care for healthy puppies. We will advise you if there are changes necessary for your puppy.
6 weeks: Puppies are weaned at this age and should receive a general physical exam, a fecal check for parasites (most puppies have intestinal worms), deworming, and the initial immunizations: Distemper, Adenovirus 1 & 2, Parainfluenza, and Parvo (DHP-‐P). We will also discuss feeding, housetraining, general care, and parasite and flea prevention at this time. Feel free to ask any questions you may have at any time.
9 weeks: This second visit includes immunizations for Distemper, Adenovirus 1 & 2, Parainfluenza, and Parvo (DHP-‐P). A second deworming is done for all puppies, as well as a fecal exam. We will begin heartworm prevention at this time and answer any questions you may have. We will also perform a general physical exam and reweigh your puppy.
12 weeks: The third visit includes another booster for Distemper, Adenovirus 1 & 2, Parainfluenza, and Parvo (DHP-‐P). A third deworming is done for all puppies, as well as a fecal exam. We will also perform a general physical exam and reweigh your puppy. All puppies that will be boarded or visit a grooming facility regularly should also receive a Bordetella vaccination, which protects dogs and puppies from kennel cough. This vaccine should be boosted every 6 months for protection.
16 weeks: This is the final scheduled puppy visit. The last immunization for Distemper, Adenovirus 1 & 2, Parainfluenza, and Parvo (DHP-‐P) as well as the Rabies vaccination are administered at this time. We will reweigh your puppy and deworm if needed. You should continue heartworm preventative medication year-round for your pup at this time.
If your puppy is older than 6 weeks when he/she starts their vaccinations, we will adjust this schedule to fit his/her needs.
Spaying or Neutering
Unless you are planning on breeding your dog, we recommend spaying or neutering at five to six months of age. Spaying or neutering will prevent unwanted litters of puppies, make your dog a better pet by reducing fighting and roaming instincts, and greatly reduce the chances of mammary or testicular tumors.
Annual Visit
We recommend that your dog receive a thorough physical exam, be immunized for Distemper, Adenovirus 1 & 2, Parainfluenza, and Parvo (DHP-‐P), and Rabies, annually. Again, the kennel cough vaccine (Bordetella) should be boostered every 6 months. We will send you a reminder when your pet is due for an annual visit. We recommend all dogs be on monthly heartworm preventative year-round, and we offer several different options of monthly flea and tick prevention, which we will discuss with you to determine which is best suited for your dog's needs.
