Can I give the vaccinations to my pitbull?

Question

I got a rednose pitbull, about 4 months old and i was wondering if i could give him the vaccines by any chance?
- im in college and im guessing taking him to the vet is a little expensive...

Answer 1

Yes, you can give vacinations to your pet yourself, IF you know what you are doing. Different medications call for different ways to administer the medecine like some are intermuscular (inject into the muscle), subascious(inject under the skin). Actually where I live you can even purchase the RabiVac. You always want someone else there with you when you do these things so that you will not risk injuring yourself or the dog. Granted, there are some people who should not be doing this, but if you know what you are doing, there is nothing wrong with it. Something that gets on my nerves is those people who think you shouldn't even brush your dogs teeth without taking it to a vet. There are just some things that you CAN do for your pet by yourself. And people who say "if you cant afford to properly own a dog then maybe you should get rid of it..." if this was true then not many people would own pets, only the wealthy, if I wanted to live under a dictatorship I would move,....come on people, I think if someone is wanting to get meds for their pet then they are not abusing it, abuse would be to not even wory about getting the proper vacinations!


edit:
Actually I can purchase the rabies shot from my farm and ranch supply (and even get the rabies tags for that year), If it were illegal to give the RabiVac (at least in my city) then i doubt highly that they (Race Bros.) would be able to sell it, and have been selling it for many, many years. The main reason that they say that you have to get the shot from a vet is so that they will have it on record that your dog has had the shot.

Answer 2

You can technically give all except the Rabies to the dog. If you are going to vaccinate yourself you need to buy the vaccines from a vet. That way you know that the vaccines were properly stored. They must be refrigerated at all times or it makes the vaccine unusable. The dog will need to have three sets of DHLPPC vaccines each one month apart. I would take it in at least once to have the vet totally check your dog over to make sure it is healthy. The vet must give the Rabies by law and it is old enough to have that vaccine. You need to make sure and vaccinate it for DHLPPC as recommended by the vet because if you think shots are expensive wait and see what happens if your dog gets parvo. Please if you are buying vaccines make sure they are refrigerated. We had so many pups come in with parvo when their owners would use vaccines from the local mill. They were not properly stored and the vaccines didnt work so the pups got Parvo. It is sad. Also I would recommend having a fecal sample taken when at the vet to make sure there arent any worms. Just make sure if you give the vaccines yourself you put them just under the skin, we recommended just over the hips so they could work out the pain from the shot. The only thing you need to worry about is that some dogs have vaccine reactions, usually on the second set of shots. If the dog starts vomiting, having diarrhea, or have facial swelling within an hour or two of vaccination, take them to the vet to get the reaction taken care of. Especially if it is the facial swelling because it can swell shut the trachea and the dog can suffocate. Not a lot of dogs have them but just as a warning I thought you should know. Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to email me.

Answer 3

I've worked in a private practice before and believe me, EVERYTHING is marked up AT LEAST double the cost to the clinic. That shot the vet will charge you $15 - $20 for only cost him $2.00. Not to mention "office visit" fees.

At 4 months he should already have his shots, contact his previous owner to find out. I like my puppies vaccinated at 8, 10, and 12 weeks. And wormed with strongid each time as well because most puppies are born with round worms.

At minimum you want a DHLPP (Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo, Parainfluenza). You can buy it without the lepto though. The brand you get at Tractor Supply Company is likely the same one that your vets office would use. I believe its $4-$5 and the directions are on the box. I don't know if lymes is available but its also a good idea in conjunction with flea preventative. You can also consider Bordatella vaccination (kennel cough), its half a cc per nostil. Personally I don't vaccinate for Bordatella, and I don't vaccinate for Lymes because I use Advantix which repells ticks.

Reactions to the vaccines are pretty rare, I haven't actually seen any aside from a little soreness at the injection site. If your concerned about it you can give benadryl before you give the shot.

Rabies will have to be given by the vet. But its given every 3 years.

Remember: Get a puppy book! Keep track of your dogs vaccinations. Then when you move after college you already have all your dogs info. Your dog is about ready for castration, while he's under anesthesia you can get him microchipped (its a big needle), believe me, I've worked in a shelter, it can save his life!

Answer 4

I don't know where you live but here (in the US), you can give your dog all the shots EXCEPT rabies, that one has to be adminstered by a vet.

Go to a feed store or a store like Tractor Supply or order them on-line from Drs. Foster and Smith. (The ones from the store cost around $10 per shot). For the rabies shot, you can look up your community and find a low cost Rabies Clinic (my city holds one that charges $6 for the rabies shot).

After you have your vaccine (make sure the stuff stays cold or it won't be effective), give to the dog in the skin over the shoulder. Make a tent of skin on the shoulder. Insert the needle into the skin (and through to the space under the skin). Pull back on the plunger to make sure you aren't in a blood vessel or have gone all the way through (shouldn't be able to pull in anything, if you see blood or air , move the needle). Once the needle is positioned correctly, push the plunger all the way in.

If your puppy has had no shots at all, give him 2 doses about 3 to 4 weeks apart since he is already 4 months old.

Answer 5

I give my dog and cats their shots. I used to buy them from Tractor Supply Company but now I buy them straight from the vet (around the same price, little bit more) and do it myself. The only shot you're not allowed to do yourself is the rabies vaccine. Reason is because it's law to have them so there has to be witness to the actual injection. Talk to a vet and see if they will allow you to do the same thing. I don't even get charged a vet visit, only vaccine charges. (around $12 per pet) They will likely want to do a check up first to ensure it's in good health.

Answer 6

No you cannot give him the vaccinations. A vet will need to adminster them. The vet trip will be around $100.

Owning a puppy is expensive. If you cannot afford regular vet trips as well as emergency ones, good quality food and other care, you should not have a pet dog!

Answer 7

Absolutely not!!!!!
You also get a health check with vaccines and if you can't afford to take to vet now what happens when he gets ill and needs far more cost involved to repair him then a simple consult and vaccine.
Owning a dog is a priviledge not a right and if you can't afford it then get a cheaper small pet.

Answer 8

The expence is worth the love of a pets life and well being. No one should take that way just to save money.And why have a dog if you can not give it the top of the line : LOVE, VET ,SHELTER AND FOOD.

Answer 9

I doubt you can do it yourself, buying the materials and such would add up to more then going to the vet and getting them done professionally would be. Plus, if it by any chance goes wrong you would have to pay for vet bills.

Sorry to say this, but if you can't afford to get your dog his shots then you shouldn't have a dog in the first place.

Answer 10

YES you can give your pet any shot accept the rabies shot because rabies requires a special form and a vet to file the paperwork with the county. you can purchase your shots at petsmart and other local pharmacies at a miniumal cost.