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This guide explains how these vaccines will help your pup, how you should schedule the vaccines for the best results and how you can keep your pup protected as it grows older.
According to the RSPCA, you can expect to pay the following for your vaccinations:
The Australian Veterinary Association has identified two categories of vaccines dogs will typically need. These are core vaccines and non-core vaccines.
Core vaccines are vaccines for three life-threatening diseases that are extremely dangerous to your pup: canine distemper virus, canine parvovirus and canine adenovirus (or canine hepatitis). Your vet will give these vaccines in a single combination called the C3 vaccination and your pup will need 2 or 3 rounds of the C3 between 6 and 16 weeks of age. The C3 is necessary for all dogs no matter how they are raised or where they live in the world.
Here is a little more detail about the three diseases the C3 is designed to stop:
Your vet may also prescribe "non-core vaccines" for puppies that live in rural areas or are commonly boarded with other dogs.
These vaccines aren’t necessary for all dogs all the time, but they are necessary for certain dogs whose location, environment and lifestyle make them prone to the following diseases:
If your vet thinks your pup needs these non-core vaccines, they’ll give them to your pup at the same time as the C3.
The C3 is a single medication that contains all three core vaccines. If your vet decides to give your dog or puppy any of the non-core vaccines, they’ll do it at the same time as the C3. At that point the treatment becomes known as a C4 or C5.
Here’s how it breaks down:
C3: A single medication containing all three core vaccines.
C4: The C3 plus a second medication containing the PI vaccine.
C5: The C3 plus a second medication that combines both the PI and Bb vaccines (the two “kennel cough” illnesses).
If your dog needs a C4 or a C5, it will usually take the place of only one of your three rounds of C3.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) recommends that your puppy gets 3 rounds of the C3 between 6 and 16 weeks of age. The organisation says not to give your pup its last shot before 16 weeks.
Here’s what the ideal puppy vaccination schedule looks like:
It’s important to stick to this schedule as closely as possible for a number of reasons:
Some vets promote an ”early finish” schedule that consists of only 2 C3 vaccines ending at around 10 or 12 weeks old. The WSAVA recommends against this and stresses that the treatment at 16 weeks is the most important one and needs to be given on schedule.
About 12 months after the second round of puppy vaccinations (when your dog is about 15 months old), they’ll need their first C3 “booster”, which is essentially just another C3 shot like they got before. After that, they’ll need C3 boosters every three years for the rest of their life.
If your dog needs any of the non-core vaccines, they will need to get those annually starting at about 15 months old.
Your puppy should have its first vaccination between six and eight weeks of age. In fact, you usually won’t pick your pup up from the breeder until around this time, so it is likely that the breeder will have already taken the pup for their first round of vaccines. If so, they’ll have records so just take these records to your vet who will help you finish out the final two rounds according to schedule.
Pet insurance will help cover some of the vaccination costs but only if you have a policy that includes “routine care” cover, which will cover your pup for vaccinations, worming treatments, desexing and even teeth cleaning.
You can find routine care insurance automatically built into most comprehensive pet insurance policies. You can also find routine care cover as an optional add-on to some insurers’ accident and illness policies.
Some insurers will pay up to 100% of your pet’s routine care costs up to the benefit limit listed in your policy. Others will set a benefit limit for each individual treatment (for example, $50 a year towards vaccinations). You will likely still have some out-of-pocket costs.
All the options from Finder partners below offer routine care, which can help toward the cost of vaccinations.
Vets in Australia recommend waiting two weeks after your puppy's last vaccination booster, usually at around 14–16 weeks of age, before taking them to popular dog destinations like parks and beaches.
This is to make absolutely sure that they're built up the necessary immunity to deadly viruses that are common among dogs.
You have to be very careful about letting your pup socialise before they are fully vaccinated because of how easy it is for them to pick up one of the devastating illnesses mentioned above.
Here are some ways you can safely socialise your pup while sticking to the recommended 16-week vaccination schedule:
Whatever you do, avoid taking your puppy to dog parks or any other places where numerous other dogs commonly roam.
Worms are nasty little parasites that commonly infect puppies and dogs of all ages. In fact, most puppies are born with intestinal worms. So in addition to their vaccines, they’ll also need plenty of worming treatments!
When you worm your puppy or dog, you’re basically giving them a pill that kills the worms. This is different to a vaccine, which prevents rather than kills an infection.
Puppies typically need to be wormed every 2 weeks from birth until about 12 weeks old. After that, they’ll need treatment every three months. You can buy worming treatment over the counter, but make sure to follow your vet’s recommendation and remember that over-the-counter medications aren’t covered by pet insurance.
Picture: Shutterstock / Getty Images
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