You just got a new puppy, and it can be overwhelming. There is such a variety of information all over the internet. Your best resource on all puppy questions is going to be your veterinarian. As soon as you get a puppy, call your veterinarian to schedule his/her first vet visit. Usually, the first visit is when the puppy is around 8 weeks old.
Puppies need a series of core vaccines given about 3-4 weeks apart. These core vaccines will protect against many common diseases like parvo and distemper. Do not take your puppy to dog parks or places where there could be unvaccinated dogs until your vet gives you the green light after completing the full puppy vaccine series.
Deworming is another part of the puppy vet visits. Usually, puppies are given a general dewormer at each of their puppy visits. Deworming medication can treat intestinal parasites, for example, roundworms and hookworms. Puppies commonly get intestinal parasites or “worms” from their mother, but they also get them from rolling, stepping in, eating, etc contaminated soil.
Another facet of the puppy vet visit is discussing heartworm disease, the importance of heartworm testing, heartworm prevention, and flea/tick preventions. According to the American Heartworm Society, heartworm prevention should be started in puppies as early as the product label allows. The same goes for flea and tick prevention, usually at 8 weeks old but your veterinarian will give you the best recommendation for your puppy.
Microchipping is another important aspect of the puppy vet visit. What is microchipping? It is a tiny, passive, electronic chip. It is about the size of a grain of rice. It stores a unique identification number, but it doesn’t actively transmit any information. The microchip is read by a microchip scanner and the scanner shows the unique identification number for the pet. Your vet will talk to you about the registration process for the microchip. Make sure to always keep your contact information current.
Lastly, your vet will talk about the importance of spaying and neutering and what age they recommend your puppy get the surgery. These are just a few of the subjects your veterinary team will talk to you about regarding puppy life and information during those several first veterinary visits. They will also be able to answer all your questions
