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First visit:
You should have selected a vet even
before bringing your puppy home. Once
your puppy is home, the first meeting of
vet and puppy should happen as soon as
possible - ideally within 24 hours. In
addition to a general check up and
examination for parasites, you and the
vet should work out a specific schedule
at that first meeting.
First three months:
In the first three months of your
puppy's life, your vet will probably
want to meet every two or three weeks
for vaccinations. Initial vaccinations
for many diseases start at about six
weeks and are repeated every two to
three weeks until 14 weeks of age.
Three to six months:
Rabies vaccinations sometimes are
regulated by local laws and often begin
between three and six months. Between
four and six months, your puppy should
be checked again for parasites and your
vet may recommend heartworm treatment.
Also watch for your puppy's permanent
teeth to come in.
Spaying or
neutering is recommended between four
and six months. The procedure is simple,
and males usually recover in a day.
Females may take two or three days. This
is an important decision. With the
number of unwanted dogs born every year,
having your puppy sterilized is the
responsible thing to do.
Six months to a year:
After six months, the vet visits usually
taper off. There are boosters at about
one year, and these will be repeated on
an annual basis. In general, it is a
good idea for adult dogs to make at
least one visit a year to maintain the
healthy start they got as puppies. |
