Skip to Content

Have a New Puppy? Important Puppy Vaccinations

January 19th, 2015 by Cherished Companions Animal Clinic

Jolene and Mark prepare their new puppy, Juneau, for his initial puppy vaccinations

Time for your puppy vaccinations?

Do you have a new puppy?

If yes, congrats on the newest member of your family! You’re in for a wonderful adventure.

Cherished Companions is ready to help you start strong with worry-free puppy vaccinations.

(Simply want to schedule puppy vaccinations for your pup? Call us at 303-688-3757. Or, click here to book your visit.) 

Four important puppy shots

Whether this is your first puppy or you could use a little puppy refresher, we want to introduce you to four important puppy vaccinations for Colorado dogs.

These vaccinations can protect your pup from a range of serious illnesses.

If you’re new to the puppy vaccination process, our veterinarians always conduct an exam first to make sure your puppy is healthy enough to get the vaccines.

DA2PP vaccination

The DA2PP vaccination is a mouthful to say, but it provides an important set of vaccines.

It protects your Colorado puppy from four different illnesses:

  • Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that’s carried by many wild animals, as well as dogs. If your dog were to get distemper, the symptoms would resemble a bad cold with a fever. This virus attacks every tissue in a dog’s body, and it can cause pneumonia, runny eyes, a runny nose, and diarrhea. As the disease progresses, it can lead to neurological issues (e.g., disorientation or erratic head movements) and death.
  • Adenovirus II, also known as hepatitis, is a viral disease that affects a dog’s liver, as well as the cells lining a dog’s blood vessels. It causes high fever and hemorrhaging. It can lead to severe kidney damage, and ultimately, it can be deadly.
  • Parainfluenza is a viral infection that causes kennel cough. In puppies, it can be severe. In healthy, grown dogs, it’s often a mild infection.
  • Parvovirus (P) is a contagious viral disease that causes diarrhea and vomiting in dogs of all ages. It can be deadly in puppies.

You can see why the DA2PP vaccination is so important!

For puppies, the DA2PP vaccination is given in a series of three shots to make sure it takes effect.

Wondering about the future vaccination schedule?

Your dog also should come in for the vaccination at one year of age and then once every three years.

Bordetella vaccination (“kennel cough”)

The Bordetella vaccination helps protect your dog from kennel cough, a contagious respiratory disease in dogs.

Puppies tend to be vulnerable because their immune systems are still developing.

Kennel cough can be serious in puppies, leading to bronchial pneumonia.

Many Castle Rock pet parents have their dogs vaccinated for Bordetella once a year, particularly if their dogs routinely come into contact with other dogs at training classes, dog parks or groomers.

In addition, most boarding kennels require an up-to-date Bordetella vaccination.

Please note, while the Bordetella vaccination is helpful, it does NOT protect your dog from all the viruses that can cause kennel cough.

Time for Rex to get his puppy vaccinations before he gives Mittens another kiss

Rabies vaccination

The rabies vaccination protects your dog from rabies — a viral disease spread through the bite of infected animals (such as bats and skunks).

The disease attacks nerve tissues, resulting in paralysis and death… Yet another reason to get your puppy vaccinations today!

The rabies vaccination is required for most Colorado dogs because rabies poses a health risk to humans.

So what’s the right vaccination schedule for rabies prevention?

In your pup’s first two years, he or she should receive the rabies vaccine once a year. It’s good for one year of protection.

After that, your dog needs the rabies vaccination every three years.

Leptospirosis vaccination

The leptospirosis vaccination protects against a bacterial disease carried by raccoons, skunks, rats, livestock and other animals.

Your dog can get the disease from coming into contact with the urine of infected animals, such as:

  • Drinking or wading in infected water or
  • Drinking from an outdoor water dish

The bacteria penetrate your dog’s skin and use his or her bloodstream to spread through the body.

This disease can cause fever, vomiting, lethargy and muscle pain, as well as more severe liver and kidney damage.

For puppies in Colorado, the leptospirosis vaccination is given as a shot and a booster, offering protection to your dog for about 16 months.

After that, you can greatly limit your dog’s chances of contracting the disease with an annual leptospirosis vaccination.

This vaccination also helps protect your family because leptospirosis can be transmitted to people, particularly children.

Get your puppy vaccinations…

And let’s keep your pup healthy and happy!

Call our Castle Rock veterinarians at (303) 688-3757. Or:

Book your visit here

Cherished Companions Animal Clinic is a veterinary clinic in Castle Rock, Colorado. Specializing in the care of cats and dogs, our goal is to help you and your pet feel more comfortable, keeping your stress to a minimum.

This article is intended to provide general guidance on puppy vaccinations for Colorado dogs. If you have specific questions or concerns, please contact your local veterinarian. (If you live in or around Castle Rock, we welcome your call.)

 © 2015, Cherished Companions Animal Clinic, All Rights Reserved

Back to top