Puppies 101: Puppy Vaccinations

It is important to start a healthy track record for your new addition to the family upon arriving at the permanent home of residence. Upon adopting your canine, please remember to get certification of all vaccination records from your breeder or attendant at your adoption location. Depending on the age of the canine, some puppies may have already been given a "round" of puppy vaccinations. Although doubling the vaccinations may not harm the canine, it may produce reactions to the medication that can be overlooked just by getting the proper paperwork while adopting.

Newborn puppies are not born with immunity to viruses and diseases however do possess some antibodies (disease fighting proteins) to protect the newborn puppy given by the mother's blood through the placenta in birth. During the first two days, the newborn puppy is also given immunity from disease and viruses through the milk of the mother. This is only done during the first two days though. In addition, a puppy that was born through a mother that was vaccinated is treated with the same medication naturally by its mother until around the fifth to sixth week of being alive. If a mother was not vaccinated, the puppy will not be given the same protection as a mother that was vaccinated and is at greater harm. Therefore, vaccinations are required at this time when the mothers' protection has been reduced.

Understanding essential vacinations is the first step to a healthy puppy life.

Credit: Tonya Brueck

Copyright: Tonya Brueck