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Ideally, your puppy should come for his or her first visit between 6 to 8 weeks of age.  At this time, he/she will get a complete examination by the veterinarian and will receive the first in a series of three immunizations against distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, and parainfluenza (fortunately, these vaccines are combined into one injection).  He/she will also receive a bordatella vaccination (against kennel cough—required by most grooming and boarding facilities). We strongly recommend that you bring in a stool sample from each of three consecutive days at this time so that we can determine if your pup has intestinal parasites and treat him/her if necessary before your property becomes infested with parasite eggs. This is particularly important if you have toddlers in your family, since roundworms and hookworms can be transmitted to humans and cause serious health problems. A highly informative “puppy talk” is given by our staff if you feel the need for some pointers on basic training.

            The next visit, at 10 weeks of age, is for the second distemper vaccine.  The third is at 12 weeks, at which time we vaccinate your pup against rabies (required by law, for licensing, and for interstate travel in many areas). We will offer you the choice of immunizing your pup against lyme disease at this visit, and discuss with you whether your pup may be at risk for contracting this disease which is carried by the deer tick in the northeast, and is particularly prevalent in suburban or wooded areas.  The fourth and final puppy visit is at 16 weeks of age: your pup will receive the third distemper vaccine and second lyme booster. At this point, we consider your pup to be properly immunized against the most serious canine diseases, so he/she can join puppy classes and socialize with a more extensive circle of canine friends.

            The final visit in your pup’s first year is for the surgical procedures of ovariohysterectomy (spaying) for females and neutering for males.  We highly recommend that you have your pet spayed or neutered since these procedures help to prevent many illnesses and complications as your pet ages. They also help to make your pet less likely to develop undesirable behaviors which will be harder to eliminate if the neutering is done once they are adult. We recommend spaying females before their first heat, at 6-7 months of age, and neutering males between 6-8 months of age, depending on behavior patterns such as sexual activity or aggression.  At this time, your pup will receive his first blood test for heartworm disease.

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