Vaccines, parasite prevention, first vet visits, dental care, and spay or neuter decisions. Straightforward answers for the health questions every new puppy owner has.
Puppy health is the quiet backbone of everything else in this blog. A well vaccinated, parasite free, dentally healthy puppy is easier to train, easier to socialize, and much cheaper to own across a lifetime than one where foundational care was patchy. Most of the big wins come from boring, consistent choices made in the first year, not from heroic interventions later.
This hub pulls together every Pawpy article about puppy health so you can prioritize the things that matter and skip the fads.
The core vaccines, distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies, are non negotiable for any puppy. Parvo in particular is a brutal, often fatal disease that is still common in unvaccinated puppies. Beyond the core list, your vet will recommend regional or lifestyle vaccines depending on where you walk, where you travel, and what your household looks like.
Our vaccination guide walks through each shot, what it protects against, the typical timing, and when it is safe to start full socialization in public spaces.
The first vet visit is not just about shots. It is a full nose to tail physical, a parasite screen, and a chance to flag anything the breeder or shelter may have missed. It also sets a baseline weight and body condition score that future visits compare against.
Bring a fresh stool sample if you can, and write down every question ahead of time. Vet memory fades by the car ride home.
Not every runny nose is an emergency, but a handful of symptoms are. Bloody diarrhea, repeated vomiting, lethargy, seizures, and pale gums should all prompt a same day call. Our common illnesses guide sorts symptoms by urgency so you can act quickly on the dangerous ones and save your wallet on the minor ones.
Fleas, ticks, heartworm, roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and giardia are all unfortunate parts of puppy life at some point. A year round parasite prevention plan, tailored to your region and your puppy's lifestyle, is much cheaper and kinder than treating a full blown infestation.
Dental disease is the single most common health issue in adult dogs, and it is almost entirely preventable with early habits. Daily brushing, appropriate chews, and yearly vet checks keep teeth and gums healthy and save thousands of dollars in anesthetic dental cleanings later.
Timing for spay and neuter has become more nuanced in recent years, particularly for large and giant breeds where early sterilization can slightly increase some joint and cancer risks. This is a conversation to have with your vet, armed with breed, sex, and lifestyle data rather than a single age rule.
Follow your vet's schedule, keep parasite prevention consistent, brush teeth, and show up for annual exams. Those four habits prevent the majority of expensive and heartbreaking health problems in adult dogs.
A complete guide to your puppy's first veterinary appointment, from scheduling and what to bring to vaccinations, deworming, microchipping, and building a relationship with your vet.
Everything you need to know about protecting your puppy from parasites, including fleas, ticks, heartworm, intestinal worms, and mites. Covers lifecycles, symptoms, prevention products, treatment protocols, and year-round strategies.
A thorough guide to puppy vaccinations covering core and non-core vaccines, the 6-to-16-week timeline, maternal antibody interference, titer testing, side effects, and regional requirements.
Everything you need to know about spaying and neutering your puppy - optimal timing, health benefits and risks, behavioral effects, surgery day prep, recovery care, and costs.
Core vaccines are distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, and rabies, with most vets administering DHPP as a combination. Non core vaccines like leptospirosis, Bordetella, and Lyme depend on where you live and what your puppy does. Your vet will tailor the schedule to your region and lifestyle.
Within the first week of bringing them home, even if the breeder already gave shots. The first visit is about a physical exam, a parasite check, and starting the relationship with your vet. It is also when you can ask every question you wrote down at 2am.
Repeated vomiting, bloody or black stool, lethargy, refusing food for more than a meal, a pale tongue or gums, a hard swollen belly, and any suspected toxin exposure all warrant a same day vet visit. Puppies dehydrate fast and compensate badly, so err toward calling your vet sooner.
The timing has become more nuanced. Small breeds are often done between six and nine months, while large and giant breeds may benefit from waiting until twelve to twenty four months for joint and cancer risk reasons. Talk through the evidence with your vet, including your puppy's breed, sex, and behavior.
Start within the first couple of weeks home. Put a little dog specific toothpaste on your finger, let the puppy lick it, then progress to a finger brush and eventually a soft puppy toothbrush. Daily brushing is ideal. Chews and dental diets help but do not replace it.