How to Take Care of Your Dog's Basic Needs - Taking Your Puppy to the Vet

1. Take your puppy to the vet by eight weeks of age. If you have a puppy, he should have his first veterinarian visit by 8 weeks of age. If your puppy or dog is older than this and hasn’t been to the veterinarian yet, now is the time to schedule an appointment for an examination and to start or update vaccinations. This is important for your dog’s health. [6]
- Make sure you vaccinate your dog against rabies, as this deadly disease can be caught by humans. It is a legal requirement of many states to vaccinate against rabies.

2. Schedule appointments for the first round of vaccines. For the first vet visit, you actually need to schedule two appointments. The first appointment will be an initial vaccination, followed in three to four weeks (depending on your vet’s recommendations) by a booster vaccine. This will ensure that your puppy’s immune system is “primed” to fight any invading diseases.
- The veterinarian will discuss vaccines required in your area. The basic vaccines include distemper, rabies, and possibly Lyme vaccine.
 Vaccines are generally boostered at intervals of every year or every other year. Veterinary clinics will usually send you a reminder in the mail or via e-mail a few weeks prior to the due date for routine vaccinations after the first one is given.

3. Give your dog a heartworm preventative. Another important health concern is heartworm disease. This nasty pest is spread by mosquitoes and lives in dog’s hearts, causing misery and ill health. Your dog will need a test to make sure it is free from this pest. Heartworm preventative should also be started as soon as possible to prevent this disease if your dog is given the all-clear. This is either a shot that will protect your dog for up to six months, or a monthly heartworm pill that your dog eats.
- If your dog tests positive for heartworm, the veterinarian will discuss treatment options which generally consists of further blood work, heart X-rays, and a (painful) treatment consisting of shots of a harsh medication and oral medication.

4. Discuss de-worming with your vet. Your veterinarian will also recommend routine de-worming for your dog. Puppies generally will be given a deworming treatment at their vaccination appointments to make sure they are free of roundworms and hookworms, two common intestinal pests of puppies.
- Your dog’s stool will be examined at follow-up vaccination appointments to make sure your dog is free from intestinal parasites.

5. Consider spaying or neutering for your dog. This operation helps control dog overpopulation and prevents some problems: male dog fighting, reproductive tract cancers, and stops male dog roaming. If your dog isn’t already spayed or neutered, schedule this procedure with your vet.