General Health:
Your Golden Retriever puppy will have received its immunizations from its mother's milk from day one. This will provide a base for a very strong and healthy puppy. There are a few vaccinations that the mother cannot provide. This is where your veterinarian takes over. Your pup will need a few immunization shots or vaccinations to help it build up immunity to certain diseases. Vaccinations generally start with their 1st one at 6 weeks old and then identical ones every 3 weeks after that, after you've adopted the pup. These vaccinations will be a series of 3-4 (at least) shots until the puppy is around 16 weeks old. The last round of shots should be given after the puppy reaches the 16 week mark, subject to your veterinarian's recommendations. The shots that are given early on include; Distemper, Measles, and CPI. The shots after that can include; Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza and Parvovirus.
WARNING!!!!! ..... Until your pup has its last puppy shots, around 16 weeks, keep it essentially "quarantined".
Do NOT let it out where other animals have been on lawns, dirt, parks, stores, etc.. Keep it away from strange dogs or cats. All this is to reduce the risk of your puppy becoming infected with diseases, especially the Parvovirus.
If you have another dog in the home or know of another dog that you are certain has all of its shots and is free of any diseases, then you can probably let your new Golden Retriever puppy play and become aquatinted with them. The same goes with humans. You should tell anyone who wants to hold or touch the new puppy to wash their hands before interacting. This is important because the new puppy is just building up its immunities and can catch a virus very easily. After 16 weeks, you can start to let your Golden Retriever puppy interact on a more normal basis.
Your new California Golden Retriever puppy will also need to be dewormed. Worms can infect your puppy and cause a series of problems that could lead to death. You will need to get a few rounds of these dewormings from your vet to prevent any problems.
Typical Shot Schedule:
Verify with your Vet on this schedule. You pup has been wormed and had its 1st shot at 6 weeks old
6 weeks - 1st 5 or 7 way shot and worming
9 weeks - 2nd 5 or 7 way shot
12 weeks - 3rd 5 or 7 way shot
15-16 weeks - Their final puppy shot(s)
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