Vaccinations play a crucial role in your puppy's health and survival. They boost his immune system to fight off deadly diseases. Most puppies receive their first vaccinations at six weeks of age, with booster shots at three-week intervals until they reach 16 weeks of age. Puppies require vaccinations against distemper, parvo, canine adenovirus and coronavirus. You can buy these vaccines at pet stores and vet clinics to administer them yourself. Vaccines are sold as a two-vial kit, and the two vials must be mixed together prior to administering the vaccine.
Instructions
Tighten the needle onto the syringe by twisting the needle clockwise.
Insert the tip of the needle into the vial containing the liquid vaccine. Tip the vaccine bottle upside down while the needle remains firmly inserted in the vial. Gently pull the plunger of the syringe back to suck out the liquid into the syringe. Once all the liquid has been sucked into the syringe, remove the needle from the vial. Discard the empty vial.
Insert the needle into the vial containing the freeze-dried vaccine. Compress the syringe to insert the liquid from the syringe into the vial containing the freeze-dried vaccine. Once the liquid is in the vial, remove the needle and gently swirl the fluid in the bottle by shaking it with your fingers. Look closely at the vial to make sure all of the freeze-dried vaccine has dissolved in the liquid.
Reinsert the needle into the vial, and tip the bottle upside down. Pull the plunger out of the syringe to suck up the fluid from the vial.
Remove the needle from the vial once all of the liquid has been suctioned out. Inject the air out of the syringe by compressing the plunger until only liquid is visible in the syringe. Do not worry if a couple of drops of the vaccine leave the needle while you're removing the air from the syringe.
Lift the skin of one of your puppy's shoulder blades. Insert the needle into the skin so it is just under the skin's surface. Pull the plunger slightly out to make sure that the syringe does not fill with blood. If there is no blood, then begin to slowly compress the syringe so the needle injects the vaccine under the puppy's skin.
Remove the needle from your puppy's skin, and gently rub the area. You may notice a hard lump for a few days, but the lump will gradually shrink as your puppy's body absorbs the vaccine. Your puppy may also show sensitivity in the area where the vaccine was administered, but this sensitivity will lessen after a few days.