Things to Know About Vaccinating Your Dog
📝 Summary
Vaccination is the best shield against viral disease. Puppies start at 35 days, then every two weeks for three shots. Only healthy dogs qualify — no vaccines during illness or within 2–3 weeks of serum — and deworm first; an allergic reaction is treated with epinephrine.
1 Dog Vaccination: What to Watch
Before an outbreak, injecting a vaccine to prevent a specific disease is called immunization, or ‘prevention shots.’
Right now it’s the best measure against contagious — especially viral — disease in dogs. Mainland China mainly uses the five-in-one (distemper, rabies, parvovirus, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza) and the six-in-one (adds coronavirus).
Puppies get the first shot at 35 days, then repeat every two weeks for three total.
Before use, dilute each dose with 2 ml of sterile water, shake well, and inject under the skin.
Notes:
Vaccines are only for healthy dogs’ prevention, not emergency treatment during an outbreak — for that, use hyperimmune serum.
A dog given serum must wait 2–3 weeks before vaccine, or immunity suffers.
Don’t vaccinate a dog with non-infectious illness like a cold, fever, or enteritis.
During the vaccine period, avoid outings and changes of environment; strictly keep the dog from sick dogs.
Deworm before vaccinating, or immunity suffers.
Buy carefully — no broken, spoiled, or expired vaccine; transport below 0°C.
For an allergic reaction to the vaccine, inject 0.5 ml of epinephrine subcutaneously as rescue.
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