[joncinnabon]

I recently adopted my first puppy, who is husky/german shepard and approximately 6 weeks old from a friend. The puppy's paperwork came with two vaccinations that state "Canine Distemper Adenovirus Type-2 Parainfluenza Vaccine" and "Canine Parvovirus Vaccine". After doing some research this is the list that I found fit for a very healthy and lively puppy.

Vaccines recommended for all puppies include:
Canine distemper virus
Canine parvovirus
Canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis)
Canine parainfluenza (CPiV)
Canine leptospirosis
Canine rabies virus

I do not have a relatively high income, and was considering vaccinating my puppy myself. Is it safe this way? And when should I give her the shots? On the paperwork it says the next shot should be 4-5-12, but it does not state what shot to get. Also the pamphlet states to go to VaccinateYourPets.com but that site doesn't even work. Any help would be great!

Thank you

 

[Willowy]

I recommend taking your pup to the vet for at least her first set of vaccines. It's a good thing to have a working relationship with a vet. And of course a vet needs to give the rabies shot (after 16 weeks) for it to be legally recognized.

You can buy vaccine at farm stores and online from vet/farm supply sites. They usually have vaccine schedules, too.

 

[joncinnabon]

I recommend taking your pup to the vet for at least her first set of vaccines. It's a good thing to have a working relationship with a vet. And of course a vet needs to give the rabies shot (after 16 weeks) for it to be legally recognized.

You can buy vaccine at farm stores and online from vet/farm supply sites. They usually have vaccine schedules, too.

See the thing is I really don't have much money to afford a vet. And they are ridiculously expensive. I can try and find a cheap one, but thats my only alternative.

 

[Shell]

See the thing is I really don't have much money to afford a vet. And they are ridiculously expensive. I can try and find a cheap one, but thats my only alternative.

Many cities run inexpensive vaccine clinics, some non-profit shelters also do the same. But really, vaccines are not expensive. My vet (not a low cost clinic but a full service vet practice with several vets) charges $15 for rabies+basic exam, $25 for the distemper+parvo shot and something like $10 for bordetella (kennel cough). A friend and I took her 3 dogs to a mobile vaccine clinic and got free rabies shots and $9 each for distemper/parvo. Try calling local shelters and rescue groups or checking facebook and see if there are any sliding-scale (cost is in proportion to income) or low-cost vet services around.

With a dog that young, you really need to get proper vaccines so that you can start socializing the dog. 6 weeks is too young to be away from mom and the littermates anyway, no need to make it worse. If you cannot afford the basic vaccines, then you probably cannot afford a dog.

 

[Willowy]

What will you do if there's an emergency? I don't know that it's responsible to get a dog knowing you can't afford a vet when necessary. Pets will sometimes need medical care. Will you be able to afford heartworm prevention? Spaying (or an accidental pregnancy--$$$$!)? Basic care for injuries and illnesses?

It shouldn't cost that much to get a pup's vaccines. Vet prices vary according to your location and the individual vet, but even so, the initial vet visit plus one vaccine and some de-wormer shouldn't be too much. While I still think that you should establish a relationship with a vet, there are sometimes low-cost vaccine clinics done by humane societies, feed stores, local groups, etc. If you look around you should be able to find one. But that's pretty comparable to doing the vaccines yourself.

 

[Charis]

Depending on where you live - a dog not vaccinated by a vet (especially true with rabies) is not considered vaccinated. In Texas you can buy the rabies vaccine in any farm store - but it must be given by a veterinarian and the veterinarian issue a signed rabies certificate for it to be considered a vaccinated dog. Another consideration is boarding, dog parks, apartment managers usually require "proof of vaccines" to at least be on veterinary letterhead (which is on the bill and can be used as proof). My apartment does not have accepted home vaccination and only accepts exemption from vaccination in the form of a written letter certifying a medical reason why from a vet.
Also vaccines vary on where they can be given and how (SQ, IM, Nasal, etc).
I would look into low cost options (the Petco up the road from me is currently advertising low cost vaccination on a Saturday in a few weeks). Check with shelters, humane societies and occasional vet offices will have a low income option.

Although cheap - home vaccinations are not something to do just because they are cheaper.

Also Lepto is NOT recommended for all puppies. It is based on where you live and your dog's reaction to previous vaccines. One of my dogs receives it, the other does not (as per my vet and I discussing it and deciding she is not a candidate for that particular vaccine).

You are also missing bordetella on your list.

The date is to specify when the next "combo" vaccine is due. Many of these vaccinations are given together (example: "5-way", "7-way"). Puppy shots are not a single vaccine at a time - they are combos with boosters. Like a human Hep B vaccine series. The vaccines listed as already given need to be boosted.

 

[InkedMarie]

If you can't afford a vet for the first well pet visit, ESP since you brought home this pup too early, you shouldn't have a dog. Everything costs more with a large breed dog, you're setting the dog up for failure.

 

[Kittie]

Try luvmypet.com an see if they have a mobile clinic near you soon. Or vipvetservices at pet food express. Both of those are below $55 when they're bundled. But check your local aspca, they probably vaccinate as well as microchip & spay/neuter.

I 1+ the comments above though, if you can't afford vaccinations & the expense of owning a dog, you shouldn't adopt it in the first place. Poor Fido will be the first thing to go when money gets tough.

 

[LilasMom]

I would suggest rehoming the dog if you can't afford vet care. Even if it was safe to do the vaccines by yourself, how are you going to pay for a broken leg? Or sickness? Puppies can and do get sick and sometimes injured. Heart worm medication is also around 20-30 dollars a month, and so is flea medication if you live in warm areas. As a puppy owner one should be prepared to spend at least hundreds of dollars a year in various pet bills (flea/heartworm, shots, yearly check up, food, toys, treats, collar, leash, possible accidents/illnesses). The puppy was also taken away too young to learn bite inhibition from his littermates, so he is going to need a lot of training with biting and nipping and then just training in general. It is very important for dogs, especially large breed dogs, to be properly trained and controlled. If your dog bites someone that can cost a lot of money too.

You need to think about whether or not you can provide the time and money necessary to properly caring for a dog.

 

[AConklin03]

Is the lack of funds a temporary thing or will this be an ongoing issue? If this is going to be an ongoing problem I definitely recommend rehoming the dog. If it's large chunks that are hard for you to afford you might want to look into Banfield (at Petsmart) and their wellness plans. This runs about 38 a month and covers the vaccines and spay/neuter and office visits. You'll still need funds for emergencies and food and flea/tick and heartworm meds..but it's a big help budgeting during that first year when there are so many expenses.

 

[LilasMom]

Most likely ongoing, from what I have interpreted. He said he doesn't have a high income and that the vets in his area are very expensive. If someone can't afford vaccines then they can't afford a dog. Vaccines are incredibly inexpensive compared to other costs of dog care.

 

[AConklin03]

Well, trying to give the OP the benefit of the doubt..I also do not have what I would consider to be a "high income" but I afford treatment needed for my pets. That being said..if I can safely cut some costs I would do so, and was wondering if that's what the OP was looking to do. There's a difference between not being ABLE to afford something and not wanting to shell out the dough for something if you can handle the situation in a more cost effective way. Me personally though, I wouldn't want to mess with vaccinating my pets on my own and I prefer just to have the vet do them because the cost is worth knowing that it's done right.

 

[LilasMom]

Well, trying to give the OP the benefit of the doubt..I also do not have what I would consider to be a "high income" but I afford treatment needed for my pets. That being said..if I can safely cut some costs I would do so, and was wondering if that's what the OP was looking to do. There's a difference between not being ABLE to afford something and not wanting to shell out the dough for something if you can handle the situation in a more cost effective way. Me personally though, I wouldn't want to mess with vaccinating my pets on my own and I prefer just to have the vet do them because the cost is worth knowing that it's done right.

I agree, but the OP specifically said he couldn't afford it. If I really tried and sold some stuff I could have taken my two rescued cats to my normal vet and spayed and neutered them for around 200 each, give or take. But I used this place called emancipet where it was muuuuch cheaper than that. They turned out 100% healthy and ok. BUT I didn't go out looking to buy these cats even though I knew I couldn't afford a normal vet for them, these kitties needed serious help.

There is a difference between someone who has a dog and then gets into some trouble down the road and is no longer to afford a normal vet, than someone who gets a dog who is not able to take their dog to a normal vet to begin with.

 

[AConklin03]

I agree, but the OP specifically said he couldn't afford it.

Yeah, I was thinking (hoping?) that since he said "much money to afford a vet" that it was more that he could but didn't have a lot of excess funds? I know sometimes I say "I can't afford this" when what I mean is..I have the money but I'd much prefer that money to be able to go to _______ instead of ________. I don't know, since I'm not the OP.....BUT ..I hope for the dog's sake that either he can afford one or that he rehomes the pup before an emergency comes up and the dog suffers.

 

[LilasMom]

Me too. I hope that is what he meant when he said he can't afford it. It sounds like the dog probably didn't come from a responsible breeder to begin with, so who knows what medical or behavioral issues are in the pups genetics. Gotta be prepared for that.

 

[LittleFr0g]

If you can't afford a vet for the first well pet visit, ESP since you brought home this pup too early, you shouldn't have a dog. Everything costs more with a large breed dog, you're setting the dog up for failure.

This, 100%.

 

[JulieK1967]

If you can't afford a vet for the first well pet visit, ESP since you brought home this pup too early, you shouldn't have a dog. Everything costs more with a large breed dog, you're setting the dog up for failure.

^^This x 100000.

 

[luvmyfurballs]

Where I live vaccines are not cheap, neither is the vet visit. In order to get the shots the vet charges the exam fee $50 plus the shots. I have worked as a vet tech so I know the mark up on vaccines--its very very very high!! There are vaccine clinics and low income clinics, but the way they determine low income might not do many people any good. I pay $3.50 for shots online and give them myself with the exception of rabies. I wouldn't recommend someone that doesn't know how to do it properly to do so. Puppies can have allergic reactions and there can't be any air bubbles, etc. By all standards I probably can't afford my three dogs, five cats, and 50 fish, but I make do and they are all happy and healthy. The shots are a 5 in 1 shot without Lepto that are needed for the puppy, usually every three weeks and a series of three, then comes the rabies.

 

[KaywinnitLee]

It looks like the OP is not returning but...if you live near an SPCA, find out if they run low-cost vet care clinics. I recently got my dog her 3-yr rabies vaccination for $10 and a microchip with lifetime registration for $35. There was no income limit, and while I could have afforded to take her to my vet, I felt for this particular situation I didn't want to spend 2x more for the same service. I also had some extra $ from saving on the clinic, so I donated a bit to help homeless animals. I think you should still visit the vet once a year for a wellness exam, but frankly there is nothing wrong with receiving some pet care from a low-cost clinic...in fact in this economy it is a rather smart choice! Just make sure there is a trained vet at the clinic.