Preventative Care for Puppies

What to bring to your puppy’s first exam:

• Your puppy on a leash or in a pet carrier
• Any previous medical history (vaccines, deworming, etc.)
• Fecal sample less than 24 hours old

Exams will involve:

• Complete physical exam
• Educational puppy kit and educational videos along with tips on puppy care and behavioral concerns (1st exam)
• Recommendations on heartworm, flea and tick prevention
• Fecal examination for intestinal parasites and appropriate deworming
• Necessary vaccine boosters

Vaccination Schedule:

• DA2P vaccination (prevention of canine distemper, canine adenovirus type 2, and parvovirus).
• Administered every 3 to 4 weeks until 12 weeks of age.
• Dogs over 12 weeks of age with an unknown vaccination status will be given 2 vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart. After the second booster, this vaccination provides protection for 1 year.
• Rabies vaccination at 12 weeks of age or older and initially provides on year of protection.
• Leptospirosis and lyme vaccinations are recommended for all dogs in New England. These two vaccines are usually administered 3 weeks after the rabies vaccination and boostered 3-4 weeks later. They will then be updated annually.
• Additional vaccines such as bordetella (kennel cough) and influenza will be discussed with you to determine need and given on an “as-needed” basis.

Prevention and Testing

• We recommend monthly heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention year round along with annual testing.
• We recommend testing for heartworm disease. This is a simple blood test that is performed during your pets annual examination, this also tests for exposure to lyme, anaplasma and erhlichia.
• Flea and tick preventatives are recommended monthly all year long.