Vaccinations for Young Puppies - What You Should Know

A brand new puppy is cute and fun for the whole family, but also demands a good amount of healthcare to remain healthy, happy and, in some instances, alive. Part of that healthcare is vaccinations for main diseases, like parvo and rabies. Puppy vaccines, just like human ones, come with some risks and side effects nevertheless, and it is essential to know as much as you can before you take your new pup to get poked.

Typical Vaccines You will find several conditions and diseases against which puppies need to be vaccinated. These include parvo, rabies, distemper, kennel cough and coronavirus. Canine adenovirus is also frequently vaccinated against, as well as situational vaccines like Lyme disease and leptospirosis. Some vaccines, like the parvo vaccine, require multiple injection to be effective, while other puppies may not be required at all depending on your climate and environment, like the Lyme disease vaccine. Ask your vet for a schedule of required vaccines for your puppy.

Allergic Reactions In general, there are two things to keep in mind about allergic reactions in puppies to their vaccines. One is that they're very rare - up to one in 100,000 chance of having a severe reaction. The other is that allergic reactions to puppy vaccinations, when they do happen, are frequently so sudden and so severe that it will likely happen at the vet's office instantly after vaccination, which is a good thing. Vets are equipped to deal with severe reactions and often save the pup's life if one occurs, although it is unlikely. An allergic reaction to puppy vaccines is most commonly anaphylaxis, or terrible difficulty breathing.

Typical Side Effects Aside from the extremely little risk of a major allergic reaction, you will find a number of much more minor reactions that vets label as side effects. These are much less severe and are frequently only the puppy's body adjusting to the vaccine. As with human vaccines, the injection site might be quite sore for up to two days following being injected into your puppy. A low grade fever and loss of appetite are also typical, but generally end soon after the shot has been administered. A much more moderate reaction to puppy vaccines is known as uticaria, which is really a very common reaction.

The symptoms of this side effect include swelling, hives, itching and redness in the lips, eyes and neck. These symptoms show up shortly following getting the puppy home, usually, and require a dose of an antihistamine or some thing like Benadryl.


Pet Place provides resources on how you can learn more about crate training puppies and puppy vaccinations.

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