The Importance of Puppy Vaccinations

There’s nothing more exciting (and adorable!) than bringing a new puppy into your home. As a pet parent, your role is to give your pet a happy, healthy home, and a huge part of that is making sure your tiny furball receives her puppy vaccinations. 

Vaccinations are absolutely vital for safeguarding your puppy against life-threatening diseases. And depending on where you live, some immunizations are required.

The team at PetSmart Veterinary Services – Troy is here to help you understand the importance of puppy vaccines. We’ll also share what the typical puppy vaccination schedule looks like. 

Why Puppy Vaccines Are Crucial

Just like babies and young human children, puppies are more vulnerable to illnesses than their adult counterparts. This is because their immune systems are still developing. Puppy vaccines help reduce the risk of disease. 

How? By introducing small, safe amounts of disease-causing agents, which stimulate your puppy’s immune system to create defenses. Once vaccinated, your puppy will be able to fight off serious illnesses like parvovirus, distemper, and rabies.

Puppy vaccinations don’t just help prevent the spread of dangerous diseases in pets. They also prevent the spread of zoonotic diseases—illnesses that can spread from animals to humans, like rabies and leptospirosis.

It’s important to follow a structured vaccination schedule to make sure your puppy gets all the necessary shots at the right times. Typically, puppies begin their vaccinations at 6-8 weeks of age and keep receiving vaccines every few weeks until they are about 16 weeks old. 

Here’s our guide to a standard puppy vaccination schedule:

• 6-8 Weeks:
  • Distemper: Protects against a highly contagious and often deadly viral disease.
  • Parvovirus: Shields your puppy from a dangerous virus that causes severe diarrhea and dehydration.
  • Adenovirus (Canine Hepatitis): Protects against viral infections that can affect your dog’s liver and other organs.
  • Parainfluenza: Helps prevent a virus that causes respiratory infections in dogs.
• 10-12 Weeks:
  • Booster shots: Distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and parainfluenza.
  • Leptospirosis: Protects against bacteria that can affect the kidneys and liver.
  • Bordetella: Prevents kennel cough and is especially important for puppies that board, visit doggy parks, or regularly spend time with other dogs.
• 14-16 Weeks:
  • Rabies: A required vaccination by most state and local laws to protect against the fatal rabies virus, which can be transmitted to humans.
  • Booster shots: Distemper, parvovirus, and adenovirus.
• 12-16 Months:
  • Booster shots: Distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and rabies.

Your puppy’s vaccination schedule might look a little different than this, and that’s okay. Your veterinarian will guide you through the best vaccination and puppy booster schedule for your puppy’s health. 

Puppy Vaccination in Troy, Michigan 

Ready to get your puppy on the right track with vaccinations and boosters? The empathetic veterinary team at PetSmart Veterinary Services – Troy is here to help. Call us at (947) 225-0071 to schedule your puppy’s first wellness visit and stay on track with his vaccination schedule. 

We can’t wait to meet you and your newest furry family member!