vaccinationHere at La Habra Animal Hospital & Pet Motel, we are dedicated to keeping your dogs healthy with a proper vaccination schedule.

Since dogs have different vaccination needs depending on where they live or travel and what they do in their daily life, it is important to discuss these factors with us so we can design the perfect vaccination schedule for your dogs.

Most people bring their puppies in for a visit as soon as they get them. They are excited about their new family member and are excited to them around. During that first visit we can determine a good vaccination schedule.

We usually start vaccinating puppies when they are 6 to 8 weeks old. They need to return every 3 or 4 weeks until they get all of their vaccinations. After they are adequately vaccinated, we recommend yearly or bi-yearly visits to ensure that they stay healthy.

Here is a basic vaccination schedule, though we may change it to suit your puppy’s specific needs:
At six weeks, we start the initial puppy vaccinations along with deworming. We may also send you home with information about heartworm prevention and flea and tick medications.

At nine weeks, your puppy will need another vaccination and more deworming medication.

At twelve weeks, your puppy will be old enough for his or her first Rabies vaccination and will also need a distemper booster.

At fifteen to sixteen weeks, your puppy should receive his or her last booster vaccination.

At six to eight months, your puppy will be ready to be spayed or neutered.

After your pet has had all the boosters, he or she will be due for vaccinations every year and may also be able to start to receive some of the vaccinations every three years, though you should still get a yearly checkup done. We also recommend continuing heartworm preventative and flea and tick medication year-round to keep your puppy healthy.

Regular heartworm testing and fecal testing will ensure that your dogs are as healthy as possible. We also recommend running blood work to monitor their progress once they get a little older. We like to establish a baseline so we can catch any problems early, before your dogs get really sick.

Here is a basic vaccination schedule for kittens, though we may change it to suit your kitten’s specific needs:
At six weeks, we start the initial kitten vaccinations along with deworming. We will also use this time to go over home care. If possible, we may send you home with a flea medication.

At nine weeks, your kitten will need another vaccination and deworming.

At twelve weeks, your kitten is old enough for the Rabies vaccination and will also need a distemper booster.

At fifteen to sixteen weeks, your kitten will get the last booster.

We recommend spaying or neutering kittens at six months old.

After your pet has had all the boosters, he or she will be due for vaccinations every year. Some vaccinations can last for three years, though we still recommend a yearly examination to keep your cats healthy.

If you have any questions about vaccinating your dogs or cats, don’t hesitate to contact us today at (562) 697-3885.