As soon as we got our puppy, we went to a certified vet, and here we’re sharing what our vet recommends for us in terms of preventative measures. When it says “required” below, that means our vet requires it for us as the minimum.

DHPP Vaccine (required)

Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza. What we have learned a lot is that Parvovirus is a real immediate threat to a dog, more importantly for a puppy. In summary, untreated, 1 out of 10 puppies survive parvovirus, and the virus survives on surfaces for 10 years (very resilient), unless bleached. The dog will get really sick really quick and might die within 2-3 days. Read more here.

Between 7 – 16 weeks of age the puppy will get a vaccine every 3-4 weeks. After that it’ll be applied annually. Spread through fecal matter, puppies who haven’t completed the initial 16 weeks series shouldn’t be walked on the ground where other dogs might have pooped. It takes them to walk on the surface and lick their paws to get them infected. A good solution is backpacks, strollers, or slings.

Good breeders will already administered the first round of shot before you pick the puppy up. Shelters would most likely do the same for puppies, or just already vaccinated for adult dogs.

Rabies Vaccine (required)

Administered at 16 weeks of age, then annually.

Bordetella Vaccine (required)

Administered once after 8 weeks of age, then annually.

Leptospirosis Vaccine

This virus is water-borne, so if you think you’ll visit natural water bodies with your dog, this will be useful for you. Administered annually.

Canine Influenza Vaccine

This is air-borne. We consider getting this one in case we’d need to board our dog in a daycare or at the groomer, where there are other dogs. Administered as a two-parter at first, then annnually.

Lyme Vaccine

Definitely consider this one if you often go or be in wooded area. Adminstered annually.

Flea / Ticks / Heartworm Medication (required)

Our vet recommends using Simparica Trio. This is administered orally monthly for life. It comes in a single pill. Knowing the weight of the dog is important because we need to purchase one that’s applicable for our dog.

Dewormer (required)

Our vet recommends Pyrantel, administered orally by the vet tech every 3-4 weeks.

Pet Insurance

This is not a requirement, and each dog parent needs to decide whether pet insurance is needed. We decided that we need one. You can read a little bit about our considerations here.