#Middlebury #Dogs
DEAR PAW’S CORNER: My Labrador puppy, Charlie, is six months old. He received his first and second round of vaccines, but then our state went into lockdown. Can I hold off on getting the rest of his shots for now, until restrictions ease? – Blake F., Sacramento
DEAR BLAKE: Contact Charlie’s veterinarian first to find out if they are allowing non-urgent visits. The first year of vaccinations is extremely important for your dog’s development and long-term health.
Lockdown mandates are making it difficult for everyone to figure out if and when they should visit the vet for their pet’s checkups. But veterinarians know how important it is to keep to the vaccine schedule (to learn more, go to akc.org and search for “puppy shots schedule”). By this point they should have some guidelines and a plan for scheduling routine appointments.
That also goes for maintaining adult pets’ vaccinations and keeping their licenses current. Contact the veterinarian to find out if they’re booking routine appointments.
What if you aren’t able to get an appointment to get Charlie’s third round of shots? For now, limit his exposure to other dogs, as he still has some risk of contracting serious illnesses like parvovirus. That means no dog park visits or play dates (unless you know the other dog’s vaccine status).
Let him run in the backyard or go to a state park or other large outdoor area that allows pets and doesn’t have many people or animals around. Spend more time training him on basic obedience commands – if you’re both stuck at home, now is the perfect time.
As soon as a vet appointment opens up, take Charlie in and get him up to date on his shots
Send your comments, tips or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.
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