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by giving the dog its shots at home, not to be funny, but shouldnt we go to the vet or are they the same thing? i never heard of people giving their own dogs shots, and the puppy is 7months. do we need to give her more shots and what else do we need to do to make her legal and licensed.? i mean how often do we bathe her? how can we tell if she got fleas? or sick how can you tell if a dog is sick? i know she loves my son she just lays on him and stares at him when he takes her walking. but should we go on and take here to the vet to get some more shots and how often

2006-09-23 13:13:31 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets Dogs

i am sorry my sons dog is a chihuahua i hoped i spelled it right she is 7mo breed chihuahua

2006-09-23 15:45:03 · update #1

16 answers

Many breeders who know what they are doing, will take a litter in for one set of shots and a complete physical. The other shots can be bought very inexpensively and given at home. It is easy. You should have gotten something (I have a puppy packet I give out with mine) that shows what was given and on what date. Your puppy should have had a set of 4 shots given about 3 weeks apart beginning about 5-6 weeks old. Some people go ahead and do the rabies shot (which is what is looked for when you register a dog with a city or county that required it) on the last set of shots. Others (I am included) wait until the puppy is 6 months old. Either way, with a 7 month old puppy, you should make sure there is a rabies shot. Take the pup to the vet. Your vet will give a complete physical. Take the information on what and when the shots were given and the vet can take care of any that were missed.
You next need to make sure your dog is on a good diet. That is so important to good health. Look at the ingredients. Make sure the first ingredient is meat. They eat less, they poop less, and the poop is more solid.
If you have a local petsmart or something similar, they will have basic obedience classes. Sign your son and the pup up for them. This is his dog, if he is old enough (my sons started helping caring for our dogs by the time they were 6 years old) then he needs to do most of the care. It is great learning. Also, as the pup grows, encourage him to do things with the dog like rally or agility. You did not say the breed or if it is a mix, what the mix is. There are other events more geared toward certain types of dogs like herding or earth dog. Another fun thing is flyball.
Bathing, I have shelties and unless I am getting ready to go to a dog show, they get bathed about twice per year but they get a good brushing at least once per week. If I knew more about your dog, I would recomend what grooming supplies to get. Fleas and heart worm medication will come from you vet. Do not forget to spay. She is the right age.
Most of all, have fun with your dog. Your vet and your trainer will give you lots of information and will open the lines of communication so that you have a wonderful new addition to you family.
Please e-mail me if you have any more questions. I can at least send you in the right direction.

2006-09-23 13:26:24 · answer #1 · answered by K G 3 · 2 0

I'd find out from the lady what shots she gave and where she got the shots from, then I'd take the dog to the vet and tell him what she said. Maybe she gave the dog real shots, maybe not.
There should be a dog licensing in your city, probably through animal control. They'd know, anyway. You have to provide them with a copy of the rabies shot and the minimum shots your city requires. You may also want to do a heartworm check and whatnot if there are mosquitos in your area.
You can tell if there are fleas if the dog's scratching a lot. You'll probably see a flea, or the eggs, which are little black things that you may see wherever the dog's been laying. Some Advantage drops will kill the fleas, which you can buy at Petco or thru your vet.
You can tell a dog's sick if it stops eating or throws up a lot or otherwise acts abnormally, kind of like people.

2006-09-23 20:22:41 · answer #2 · answered by shrinkydinkheart 4 · 0 1

Anyone who gets a new pup or dog should take it to the vet as soon as possible for a check up. Many breeders give their own shots. Usually they know what they are doing but a few do not. Ask her to write up what she gave the pup so your vet knows what is still required. You need to know because there are many combinations of puppy shots and you want to make sure your pup is protected from as many diseases as possible. Normally a rabies shot is given after the pup is a few months old and most towns require the pup to be licensed at 6 months of age. A rabies shot is a requirement of being licensed. The first shot is good for 1 year and the shots afterward are usually considered good for 3 years but some areas require yearly rabies shots anyway. Check with your local laws to be sure of the requirements. Bathe her when she stinks with a good dog shampoo or very mild people shampoo. Fleas can be seen running through the dog's hair (tiny brown/black things) but more often you'll notice the dog's skin appears irritated if the dog has light skin. You can also see flea droppings on a light-colored dog's skin and the fur will begin to take on a pinkish color (the droppings are from digested blood). If the dog is black or dark brown take a damp white paper towel and rub it on her rump. If it comes back pink the dog may have fleas. If the dog scratches and chews itself a lot there's a good chance it has fleas. If a dog has diarrhea, vomiting, appetite loss or sudden loss of energy it could be sick. It could also be the change in diet from moving to your house so ask your vet what to watch out for to be on the safe side. Flea eggs are pale, whitish, pinhead-sized things that will simply drop wherever the dog is. Flea poop appears black.

2006-09-23 20:27:10 · answer #3 · answered by twistedmouse 3 · 0 1

I know lots of good breeders who give their own shots. It's just when they start to do other things like minor surgery and the like that you (in my opinion) cross the line. But to answer your question, you don't need to take her in. The only thing to make sure of is that you have a rabies tag, other than that don't worry at all especially at 7 months. You may want to check out some books from your library on dogs there's way too much information your asking for to be found on this simple site. Dogs are as complex as kids, you have to learn the way they act when they are well to notice when they are sick etc. Baths about once a month is plenty. If she gets dirty in between take a towel, wet it and wring it out, then use that to wipe her down. If you bathe her more often you will be stripping the natural oils from her fur and skin. Oh and shots it's been proved that they last for 7 years and I believe they last for life. Have your vet do a blood titters if your worried.

2006-09-23 20:54:17 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

I give all my dogs their shots except for rabies. In order to be licensed you will need to get a rabies shot as these can not be administered by an individual in most states.
The shots the woman gave is to protect from deadly viruses and this will not effect the getting it licensed. You do need to contact this person and make sure it has had all the puppy shots and to make sure there is no booster needed. You also need to know when the last shot was administered so you know when to get the yearly booster.
Giving the shots from home is safe as long as they know what they are doing and they actually gave the shots and not lying to you about giving it to the pup.

2006-09-23 23:07:01 · answer #5 · answered by badgirl41 6 · 0 0

Many breeders vaccinate their dogs at home (it's easier than hauling dog after dog in to the clinic). However, each puppy should have a vaccination record and should have been seen by a vet at least once befor you purchased it. Ask the breeder for the records(if she doesn't have any, then report her to your local humane society for investigation). Take your puppy to your vet asap for a general check-up(if records aren't available, then the vet may want to start over with the vaccinations). Bathe her only when she's dirty(bathing too often can cause serious skin problems as you wash away the skins natural oils). A fovorite spot for fleas to hang out is by the base of the tail on on the tummy(you'll see them if she's got lots). Also, the vet will check her for fleas at her check up(consider using Frontline for flea prevention)...it's much easier to prevent fleas than it is to deal with them once they come into your home. As long as she's eating and active, it usually means they are healthy(If you EVER notice a change in appetite or exercise, consult your vet). After puppy shots are complete then the dog will need to go once a year for a check up and shots(here in Ohio, my dogs shots are good for 3 years, so we just go for the yearly check up...ask your vet). Good Luck

2006-09-23 20:25:37 · answer #6 · answered by pat k 3 · 0 1

People who breed dogs sometimes do give them their first shots. I would contact those people to give you a written paper what shots they gave the dog. They say not to bathe the dog often but I bathe my dog probably once a week and if she get muddy or dirty, I bathe her. If your dog is an outside dog she will get fleas. You need to buy a single dose of advantage from your vet and it will cost around $12.00 give this to your dog on the back of the neck once a month. be sure to write it down on a calendar the day you put it on.If you have the money to take the dog to the vet, I would have it checked out....but try to get a written statement from the people you bought the dog from as to what shots they gave it....

2006-09-23 20:21:27 · answer #7 · answered by mysticmoonprincess01 4 · 0 1

Unless the lady the dog came from was a vet, I would recommend taking the dog in and letting a real vet hear the story and go from there.
To liscense the dog you need a vet record of all updated shots and to go to your local city hall, register the dog there and then they will give you a city tag.
I bath my dog a couple of times a month--also depends on how many mud puddles he finds--loves mud.
If she has fleas she will be scratching a lot and you should also be able to see the fleas if you look closely. Small, dark brown, jumpy and very fast moving.
Sick depends on the dog--when my dog isn't feeling well he gets really lethargic and sometimes he runs a fever.

2006-09-23 20:19:25 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 2

The shots that the breeder gave the puppy at her home most likely came from your local feed store. They are less effective than the shots given by veterinarians, the vets I work for will not accept any shots given by someone at home. You have no idea where the shots actually came from, if they were stored properly, if the are expired, etc. I would definitely take it to the vet, you have to if you want it to be licensed.
Typically it's best to bathe your dog no more than once a month. Any more than that and you risk making the dogs skin dry and itchy, which can lead to skin infection.
The vet will check her for fleas, and to make sure she isn't sick. They will do a fecal test to make sure she doesn't have parasites. They will also get you started on a vaccine schedule.
This is the typical schedule:

5 weeks * Parvovirus: for puppies at high risk of exposure to parvo, some veterinarians recommend vaccinating at 5 weeks. Check with your veterinarian.

6 & 9 weeks * Combination vaccine* without leptospirosis.
Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.

12 weeks or older Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (age at vaccination may vary according to local law).

12 & 15 weeks** Combination vaccine
*Leptospirosis: include leptosporosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs.
*Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.
*Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.

Adult (boosters)§ Combination vaccine
*Leptospirosis: include leptospirosis in the combination vaccine where leptospirosis is a concern, or if traveling to an area where it occurs.
*Coronavirus: where coronavirus is a concern.
*Lyme: where Lyme disease is a concern or if traveling to an area where it occurs.
*Rabies: Given by your local veterinarian (time interval between vaccinations may vary according to local law).

2006-09-23 20:27:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

yes, you can buy the shots yourself and give them yourself. it's a lot cheaper then going to a vet, but you have to know which ones to use. you will have to ask a vet how often she needs shots though, that i'm not sure of. bathe her when she gets really stinky or muddy. try some flea shampoo or take her to a vet if she's really itchy or is acting odd. like sleeping more that usual, or throwing up, etc...

2006-09-24 00:31:39 · answer #10 · answered by moonbeamerz9 1 · 0 0

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