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 3 years.
- 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)or periodontal vaccine 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.
