When should I take my puppy to the vet for the first time?

Taking our puppy to the vet for the first time is a very important moment for them, but also for us, especially if we are first timers.

In this first check-up the vet will carry out a complete check-up of the puppy to see if it is in good condition, he will deworm it and it will also be the moment to resolve all our doubts.

Puppies, unlike adult dogs, are more vulnerable and need more care, especially in the first few weeks of life. It is important to be alert to any slight changes in their behaviour such as lack of appetite, vomiting or diarrhoea.

If the puppy was born at home, it would be ideal to take both the puppy and the dog mother to the vet a few days after birth to check that both are in good health. After this first check-up visit, it will be necessary to return a month and a half later to begin vaccination and deworming.

On this first visit, the vet will carry out a complete examination of the puppy to ensure that it is in good health: weight, height, coat, lymph nodes, mouth, eyes, etc. If there are any anomalies, he will carry out complementary tests.

During this first visit, you will make appointments for your puppy's vaccinations, and you will see what products and what schedule is the most recommendable for deworming, always using specific products for puppies.

An example of a vaccination schedule for puppies is as follows:

• 6 weeks: primovaccination or first polyvalent vaccine (protects against distemper, parvovirus, hepatitis, hepatitis and tracheo-bronchitis).
• 8 weeks: polyvalent.
• 12 weeks: reminder polyvalent and leptospirosis.

It is crucial to know that the puppy cannot be taken outside until it has received its last vaccination after 12 weeks of life. Contact with other dogs and dirty places is very dangerous for an unvaccinated dog. Once the vaccination schedule has been completed, the puppy can start to go outside without restrictions and socialise with other dogs.

If the puppy has arrived at home when it is two or three months old, which is quite common, it is advisable for it to spend one or two weeks at home to get used to its new life before taking it to the vet for the first time. As long as there is no health problem or health emergency with the little one. In this case, the puppy will already have the vaccinations mentioned above and will only have one vaccination left, rabies.

• 12 weeks: rabies

Although it has been eradicated in our country, there are outbreaks of sylvatic rabies near the French border and in Morocco. It is also essential if we want to travel with our dog.

Once this programme has been completed, our dog must be re-vaccinated annually, following the vet's recommendations.