Many pups nowadays have their first vaccination at seven weeks old, with the second one at around ten or eleven weeks.
My own vet does not like this policy as he believes the final vaccination should not take place before about twelve weeks in order to minimise the risk of maternal antibodies interfering with the vaccine.
So the fact that my chocolate Labrador puppy had not been vaccinated when we collected her at just over eight weeks suited him and me just fine.
Micro-chipping
Before I brought Rachel home, I made an appointment for her first vaccination the morning after we were due to collect her.[wp_ad_camp_1]And I also decided to have her micro-chipped at the same time.
In the past we did not microchip our dogs, largely because we don’t often exercise them in public places, and because they are always under our control.
However, so many gundogs have been stolen over the last year or two, that I now see micro-chipping as something that could be very important to me should anyone should steal one of my working dogs.
A heavy girl
Our vet in the village is only a short walk away, but an eight week old Labrador puppy can be really heavy by the time you get there! So I usually drive there. This morning however, my son offered to walk with me so Rachel got her first glimpse of the village from the safety of his strong arms. Rachel weighed in at 6.9 Kilos about 15lbs on the vet’s scales. Quite a bit more I think, than my field bred lab Tess weighed at that age.
Ouch!
Rachel took the vaccination in her stride, and wasn’t at all bothered by having her heart checked and being given a good ‘once-over’ by our vet. However, the micro-chip implantation clearly hurt, and I felt pretty mean for putting her through it.
The vet finished by scanning the chip to make sure it was working and then gave poor Rachel a tasty treat. Like all Labradors, she is clearly governed by her stomach and all her troubles were soon forgotten.
I hope we never need to make use of the chip’s potential, but it is good to know that it is there, and that we have made a start in protecting her against some pretty nasty diseases
Footnote from Rachael: “Things I learned today”
- If you stop crying for five whole seconds someone comes and gives you a treat or a cuddle.
- If you drag the watering can along on its side, it makes a loud rumbling noise and everyone comes rushing into the garden to see what’s happening.
- There are worms under some of the plant pots, and if you rock them really hard, they tip over and you can eat the worms. Yummy.
Norfolk Homemade Mum says
Can dogs get lungworm from worms or just slugs/snails? Thanks
Pippa says
Hi, the lungworm that vets seem most concerned about – Angiostrongylus vasorum – is carried by slugs and snails, not earthworms. There are some other species of lungworm too. There is some useful information here
Pippa