What Happens If You Give Your Puppy the Diluting Solution Only for the 1st Set of Shots?

A puppy quickly becomes a valued family member. As a family member, your new pet needs medical care just as a child would. Puppies, like children, generally are given a series of vaccinations against disease. The typical puppy shot contains protection against distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus. Puppy shots also should include protection against four kinds of leptovirus, and may contain coronavirus protection as well. A puppy shot normally consists of a dehydrated portion and a liquid portion. The liquid is drawn out of the vial and injected into the dehydrated substance. The combined fluid is shaken and then drawn and administered. If you administer the shots yourself, and forget to use the dehydrated portion, results are not catastrophic.

  1. When to Vaccinate

    • Puppy shots are given to start building immunity as the mother's immune protection begins to wear off. If you are giving puppy shots every two to three weeks, they should start at 6 weeks and continue every two or three weeks until the puppy is 12 to 18 weeks old. At around 16 weeks, the rabies shot is administered, sometimes with the last puppy shot. Booster shots are then administered annually, unless longer-lasting vaccines are used.

    Ingredients

    • If a puppy is injected with only the diluting solution, you will need to read the specifications for that particular brand of vaccine. For example, the Duramune MAX 5-CVK contains coronavirus vaccine-leptovirus bacterin in the diluting solution. You should not re-administer this vaccine prior to the two- or three-week time frame. You have effectively skipped the vaccines contained in the dehydrated portion of the vaccine. This means that your puppy may not be protected by the distemper, adenovirus, parainfluenza and parvovirus vaccine during this interval.

    Professional Help

    • A veterinarian might be able to rehydrate the dry portion of the vaccine with a benign liquid and administer it to your puppy. Do not attempt to rehydrate the dry portion yourself. A sterile and safe solution must be used. If the dehydrated portion of the vaccine is not administered, protect the puppy from exposure to these diseases.

    Continue the Schedule

    • Two to three weeks after the incorrect injection, resume the vaccination schedule as directed. Be sure to include the dehydrated portion of the vaccine. If the dehydrated portion of vaccine was not administered in the first shot, check with your veterinarian about whether to replace the missed vaccine with an additional vaccine at the end of the series.

    General Guidelines

    • Consult with your veterinarian regarding puppy health and vaccination schedules. Veterinarians are aware of illnesses spreading through the community and can alert you to any additional vaccines your puppy might need. In addition, a veterinarian knows vaccination protocol and is not likely to make an error in administering a vaccine. For this reason, puppy shots should not be administered without veterinary supervision.