First vaccination for Labrador puppies: at what age do they do it?

Why vaccinate your Labrador puppy?

Infectious diseases are the most common problem in dogs. Germs, viruses and fungi affect even healthy pets. Some infections are highly contagious. It only takes a few microbial particles to cause disease. In this case, direct contact between the pet and the sick dog is not necessary.

Many infectious diseases are very difficult to treat and take a long time, so vaccination is necessary.

Most infections are transmitted through excrement residues or saliva particles. Many of the diseases are treated very difficultly and for a long time, some are not treated at all. Therefore, it is imperative to vaccinate an adult dog and a Labrador puppy, even if the dog does not leave the enclosure or garden.

Contraindications

A contraindication to vaccination is any doubt about the health of the pet. Lethargy, lethargy, refusal to feed or too little weight are reasons to postpone vaccination to a later date. There is nothing wrong with this - just stick to the calendar.

Important! If you shift the timing of the first vaccination by 2-3 weeks, then subsequent vaccinations will be shifted by the same period. Don't try to do everything in one day.

Please note that vaccinations are not given during the period of teeth change.

Vaccination rules

Puppy vaccinations are carried out according to his age. Depending on how many weeks old the puppy is, he needs certain vaccines. Only a healthy puppy is vaccinated. Therefore, you should carefully monitor how your small pet grows and how it behaves in order to avoid diseases.

Puppies are susceptible to infections, so it is not advisable for him to communicate with other pets until he has completed the entire course of vaccination. All vaccinations are carried out as scheduled. Skipping one of the vaccinations makes the immune system weak. Do not intentionally miss your scheduled vaccination time. After a full course of vaccinations for up to a year, annual revaccination is carried out - always at the same time.

Which dry food to choose?

Several criteria for choosing the right dry food:

• the most important thing is that the puppy must like it;
• the pet should not be allergic to it or intolerant to the products present in the composition;
• availability;
• the price must be acceptable to the owner;
• quality.

It is best to avoid buying the cheapest food, as it may be of poor quality. For puppies, it is better to choose special food designed for early feeding. Royal Canin and NaturVet are considered popular dry foods.

When do Labrador puppies get their first vaccinations?

Any experienced breeder is well aware of what vaccinations are required for Labrador puppies up to one year old. If a puppy is purchased from a trusted nursery, then, most likely, the owner will be explained which vaccinations the baby has received and which ones still need to be given.

The first vaccinations for a Labrador puppy are given by the breeder and marked about them in the veterinary passport.

The puppy will take with it a veterinary passport. The document will record which vaccine he received and at what age. All information about subsequent vaccinations will be entered there.

Preparing for the first vaccination

A small pet usually receives its first vaccination at 8-9 weeks. He is still small and usually lives with his mother at the breeder's place. This is the most favorable situation - after all, the first vaccination is difficult to tolerate and it will be easier for the puppy if he is close to his mother. The vaccine is administered again at the age of three months.

The very first vaccination of a Labrador puppy occurs at the age of 8 weeks. You can’t just go ahead and vaccinate your pet.

In order for a dog to develop a good and strong immune system, the following rules must be followed:

• the puppy must be absolutely healthy;
• deworming should have been carried out at least 10 days in advance.

Vaccinating a dog that has health problems is fraught with disease. Therefore, before vaccination, the puppy is always examined by a veterinarian. If deviations are detected, the vaccination is postponed for a while.

Before you get vaccinated, make sure your puppy is completely healthy.

Parasites that occur in a pet's body can lead to low effectiveness of the vaccine. Therefore, anti-worm medication should always be given before vaccination. 10-14 days should pass from the time the drug is given.

Important! For a small puppy, it is better to choose a drug in liquid form - a suspension or syrup, for example Prazitel or Dirofen.

They do not vaccinate if the puppy has external parasites - ticks, fleas. These organisms can also cause vaccination failure. Before vaccination, the puppy is treated. Choose mild medications that are not contraindicated for a small pet.

Vaccinations for Labrador puppies - schedule

Years of research and veterinarian experience have led to the creation of a vaccination schedule. All puppies, including small Labradors, receive vaccines according to this schedule. At the first visit to the veterinarian, the doctor will explain when vaccinations will be carried out and with what drugs. The owner of a puppy can familiarize himself with the puppy's vaccination chart before going to the veterinary clinic.

How to prepare for your first vaccine

Labradors receive their first vaccination at 8-9 weeks of age. It is difficult for the puppy to tolerate, so it is better not to separate him from his mother. A duplicate injection of the selected drug is administered to the dog when it reaches 3 months. The formation of stable immunity is based on the following rules that must be followed before vaccination:

• assess the puppy’s health, its playfulness, appetite a few days before the injection, check its temperature readings. Report changes in behavior to your veterinarian;
• carry out deworming, and after a week give an injection. To combat parasites, puppies choose liquid products (suspensions, syrups), for example, Dirofen, Prazitel;
• get rid of external blood-sucking parasites - fleas, ticks - using gentle means.

Such measures will help the puppy develop an immune barrier to the injected virus, rather than wasting it on fighting parasitic cohabitants. If a Labrador shows signs of ill health, the vaccination is postponed to a more favorable period, reflecting the fact in the pet’s treatment card.

What vaccinations should a puppy have?

The veterinarian at the clinic will tell you what vaccination options are available. The vaccination schedule may vary slightly depending on which vaccine the puppy's owner chooses. Before visiting the veterinarian, the owner can familiarize himself with the possible vaccination options.

There are several different types of vaccines, and your veterinarian can help you choose.

Eurican

This is a vaccine made in France. It protects against plague, adenovirus and parainfluenza virus of the second type, parvovirus, leptospirosis, and rabies. These are the most common and dangerous diseases that a Labrador can suffer from.

The vaccine itself consists of two components. Before use, the contents of both bottles are mixed. This ready-made vaccine cannot be stored - it should be immediately administered subcutaneously. The vaccination volume is only 1 ml - for a fairly large Labrador, vaccinations are usually painless.

Duramune

This vaccine is produced in the United States of America, which guarantees a very good quality of vaccination. This drug will protect your Labrador from a large number of infections. A bottle of dry powder vaccinates against canine distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, and parainfluenza. The liquid component will provide protection against leptospirosis and coronavirus.

This Duramun vaccine can be used in a dog that is nursing puppies. Before use, both bottles are mixed. Regardless of the age and size of the pet, 1 ml of vaccination is administered subcutaneously.

Vangurad

This vaccine, like the previous one, is manufactured in the USA. The fundamental difference is that Vanguard does not protect against coronavirus infection, immunity from which is provided by the liquid component of the Duramun vaccine.

The Vangurad vaccine is produced in the USA and protects your pet from major infectious diseases.

However, Vanguard reliably protects against all other microorganisms: adenovirus, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospirosis and distemper. The vaccine is also available in the form of a dry and liquid component. This packaging allows the vaccine to be stored for a long time. The drug is prepared immediately before administration. 1 ml can be injected subcutaneously starting from 8-week-old puppies.

Nobivac

The Nobivak complex vaccine protects Labrador Retrievers from plague, infectious hepatitis, parvovirus and parainfluenza. The vaccine is produced in the Netherlands. The list of infections against which Nobivak guarantees immunity is shorter than that of previous vaccines. But Nobivak compensates for this with easier tolerability and reliable protection against the most common diseases.

The vaccine looks like a dry powder in a vial. It is packaged in packages along with a special solvent and prepared immediately before administration. 1 ml of the drug is injected under the skin if the puppy is healthy, treated for helminths and has reached 8 weeks of age.

What can a puppy become infected with?

Surely, even in early childhood, you have heard that a puppy “didn’t eat too much of a worm” or died of distemper. In fact, a whole group of viral diseases are responsible for the death of puppies:

• Parvovirus enteritis;
• Infectious hepatitis;
• Parainfluenza;
• Adeno- and coronavirus infections;
• Plague of carnivores.

Labradors suffer from both leptospirosis and rabies - infections that are dangerous to almost all mammals, including humans.

Therefore, puppies should be vaccinated against all these diseases. Fortunately, mono-vaccines are not currently used and a puppy can be immunized against all these pathologies in just 4 visits to the veterinarian.

Consequences of puppy vaccination

After vaccination, the dog may not feel very well. A violent immune reaction occurs in the puppy’s body - antibodies are formed. And the more infections a vaccine protects against, the more active the production of antibodies will be.

After vaccination, the puppy may not feel very well, but this is a normal reaction to the administration of the drug.

After vaccination, the following may occur:

• The puppy may be lethargic and drowsy and refuse to eat for a couple of days.
• A one-time bowel disorder should not cause you to worry.
• Body temperature may rise.

Swelling sometimes appears locally at the injection point. As a rule, this is simply a thickening associated with the administration of the drug.

If these reactions go away within a few days and do not significantly worsen the puppy’s well-being, then you should not pay attention.

Important! If the puppy is very weak, vomiting, refuses food and water for more than 12 hours in a row, or there is large swelling at the injection site, you should contact a veterinarian urgently.

How to train and what commands to teach?

Training a puppy involves teaching basic commands:

• place;
• to me;
• ugh;
• sit;
• lie;
• give me your paw;
• voice;
• stand;
• fetch;
• front;
• near.

The dog learns each command only through encouragement; under no circumstances should you use physical force or shout. You should start with a nickname and leash training.

Quarantine after vaccination

For some time after vaccination, the dog needs special attention. The puppy is placed in quarantine for 10-14 days. At this time, the puppy should not communicate with other animals; it is better to refrain from walking in common areas.

Carefully monitor the shoes the owner wears outside - the soles may be a source of infection. Small puppies are often partial to boots. The dog must have access to water and food. At this time, it is advisable not to change your pet’s usual diet, so as not to create unnecessary stress.

You can take your Labrador puppy for a walk after vaccination no earlier than 2 weeks later.

You should not wash your dog for two weeks, you should not wet the injection site or let the puppy comb it.

Nutrition in the first 3 months

The difficulty in keeping these pets in the first months lies not only in toilet training, but also in proper feeding. The digestive system of this breed is very delicate and reacts sharply to changes in diet. Therefore, this issue must be approached with all seriousness.

For the first month, the puppy feeds on mother's milk, but if there is a deficiency of calories and nutrients in it, the puppy may lose weight. In this case, you need to help him with additional nutrition.

At the age of up to 3 months, you need to pay special attention to the frequency and timing of feeding small puppies. The interval between meals is at least 1.5 hours, duration – no more than 20 minutes. You should not force feed the animal, but you should not allow it to be distracted while eating. If feeding turns into play and pampering, you need to stop it immediately.

NOTE!

You should always make sure there is water in your dog's bowl. It should always be clean and fresh, and the pet should have unlimited access to it. If you refuse to drink or feed, you should immediately consult a doctor. This may indicate serious illness.

It is best to start feeding with liquid cereals, since the pet is not able to chew food fully (teeth simply have not developed). Gradually, you can get used to dry food, which will be soaked in kefir or yogurt before feeding. To help the growing body cope with food, it is recommended to give your puppy prebiotics. This should also be done if you have loose stools.

Vaccine price

The cost of vaccines varies, depending on the manufacturer:

• The price of the first Nobivak vaccination is up to 200 rubles. The subsequent drug for older dogs will cost 150 rubles.
• Duramun costs no more than 200 rubles per dose.
• Eurikan (French drug) can be purchased for 150-180 rubles.
• Vanguard is one of the most inexpensive vaccines; it will cost the owner 100 rubles.

It is worth remembering that the cost of vaccination usually additionally includes an examination by a veterinarian and the injection procedure itself.

How to choose your future pet?

Choosing a Labrador puppy depends on personal preference. You can choose between a boy and a girl, color and character. It is necessary to observe the behavior of the puppy and its parents, make sure that the breed is pure and has a passport. You need to make sure that neither of the parents has or is sick with anything, as this could be passed on to the puppy.

IMPORTANT!

The most important thing when choosing a puppy is the realization that you are acquiring a new family member who needs affection and care. You will need to monitor his health, hygiene and mood, as well as educate him. In the future he will become the most devoted friend and protector.