Is it ok to give puppies shots yourself at home instead of letting the vet give them to them?

Question

Is it ok to give puppies shots yourself at home instead of letting the vet give them to them? We have a Tractor supply here that sells the shots. Do you think that the shots from the store are just as good as the shots at the vet? What should the shot have in it, like anti-parvo and what else?

Answer 1

It's OK if you know what you're doing - technically illegal in many places, but it's commonly done anyway.

Whether it's effective depends on the individual product, and whether it has been handled properly.  Almost all vaccines need to be kept refrigerated at all times until they're used.  I don't know Tractor Supply well enough to determine whether they do this.

Typical first shots at 8 weeks old are the distemper combination - DHPP for distemper, hepatitis (often written A2 for adenovirus), parvovirus and parainfluenza - and coronavirus.  It's increasingly common for the parainfluenza to be left out of the injectable product, and instead combined with intranasal Bordetella vaccines.

When in doubt, read the label.  You might be lucky enough to know a veterinary tech who can provide some guidance and technical pointers.

Answer 2

I would go with letting the vet do them its safer for ur pup!

Answer 3

Parvo/Distemper but your puppies need to be wormed also and checked out by a Vet.

Answer 4

You should only do it if you know how to do it.

You would get the 5-way or the 7-way shot.

It is exactly the same as the shots from the Vet.

Make sure they have been stored in a fridge. They will come in a little baggie, cold, with the vaccine and sterile water.

They will need 3 - 4 rounds of shots and 2 or 3 weeks apart. I think the shots tell you on the package... otherwise you need to find out.

Tractor Supply also carries rabies.

The only thing about giving shots yourself is that a Kennel, Vet's Office or Groomer will not honor the shots if not given by an actual Vet...

BUT a Vet will honor the shots if they are up to 8 or 12 weeks.... You just have to peel the labels off the little glass bottles and keep a record of the date you gave them the shots.

MOST IMPORTANTLY --- You should only do it if you know how to administer shots yourself. You can't just "figure it out" or "learn as you go" - if that's the case, go to a vet!

Good luck!

Answer 5

NOOOO

dont even think about IT

ur not tranied

even if u have the shot... even if it is cheaper

dont do it

cuz u could give them the shot in the wrong place

n they could die

and they will obviously be so scared,,, n everything

so i say NO... but try if u want... just make sure ur careful

Answer 6

It depends.  Do you know how to give a shot?  Do you know what to do if you have a reaction or if puppy flinches and you miss?  How experienced a pet owner are you?

Answer those questions and you will have a better idea.

Answer 7

you need to know what you are doing and buy vaccines from a reliable source that stored them properly also you will not be able to produce records if necessary. i do however give my own shots worming and heartworm preventative but i have been breeding for 13 years and have been around dogs and livestock my whole life it is best to use a vet but if done properly is ok to do yourself  

Answer 8

It is Ok to do it, but I reccomend leaving it to a professional vet who knows how to get it in the dog just right and knows how to do everything. The shots at Tractor Supply may or may not be as good as the ones at the vet, and I doubt they have every single shot they need, anyway. So please be smart and leave it to the vet, even if it costs more.

Answer 9

You can give your pup Parvo shots at home but must go to a licensed vet or mobile vet to give rabies.

You can do rabies also but if your dog was to bite anyone it would be no good, most ACO want proof of rabies, like a rabies certificate and tag.

They have 8 way and 7 way shots that vaccinate against a number of diseases.

I have always given my dogs their parvo shot. They are the same as if you were going to get it done at the vet.

Answer 10

The problem with doing the shots yourself is A) you can hurt the dog if you don't know how to do it. and B) if your dog ever needs surgery or boarding, you will need actual vet records showing they have had their shots.  

Answer 11

Keep in touch with a vet if you want to try this.  If the med is meant for a horse or cow instead of a dog, you could kill him.

Answer 12

i would strongly advise against for the puppy's benefit and yours, say if your were to do it and the dog got infected or air from the syringe you didnt notice went into the dogs bloodstream and it died you can actualli be done for animal cruelty!!!! be very carefull pleas

take care

ash

Answer 13

You can if you are confident in giving vaccines yourself..

You can injured your dog tho if you bend or break the needle while giving the shot.  Also you can hit a nerve if you give the vaccine in the wrong spot..  it is possible to do permanant damage doing this!

You dont really know if the vaccines have been properly stored and handled.

You wouldnt have any actual records of the dog recieving the vaccine should you need it for the purpose of boarding, training, etc.

Answer 14

No, you should not give your animals the shot yourself at home. Do not do this yourself, because certain vaccines require a higher dose. (vaccines are based off of weight.) Meaning that they get a certain dose based on how heavy they are.

The vaccines could be out of date. Who knows what they store in those places. What you are getting for your animal may not even be safe.

You don't want to give the vaccine in the wrong spot. You could injure your pets.

Also its best to do this at a vet. Because some animals have reactions to the vaccines. So they should be monitored for a time being after.

You also would have no record of your puppies getting vaccines. Which are needed once you do bring them to a vet.

I hope this helped.

Just please consider that its a safer bet to do this at a vet. And it would be a better situation for the puppies.

Answer 15

Many experienced breeders do their own shots - but there is a trick to it, and you need to know what to do in case of an adverse reaction, or you can lose a puppy fast. You also must keep in mind that since they are all so closely related, they could all have an adverse reaction, and you would be hard pressed to be able to handle that quickly enough without perhaps losing someone in the process.

  If you are not experienced, it is far better to have the vet do at least the first round - if you have a great vet, they might even be willing to show you what to do for later on.

As far as vaccines, they are perishable,a nd you have no way of knowing - really- whether or not they have been handled correctly.  For that reason, I buy vaccines only from old family-run companies such as Jeffers Vet or KV Vet Supply, both of which have always been very strict in their handling of vaccines, and very good about delivering them in good condition.

  Federal law now requires that you must buy them in their original packaging, so you will end up buying an entire flat of 25 vaccines - but if you get a good date on them, you will have plenty for later.  However, there is a lot of knowledge necessary to order the right kind of vaccines, depending upon the age of the puppies, and what diseases you are vaccinating them against.

  For now, I would say leave it to the vet - I have never had a vet visit from which I didn't learn something, and in which I didn't make a stronger bond with my vets - and it's a great opportunity for them to see your puppies.  It wokrs both ways, and you know you will always need them.  Better to chalk up the extra expense to education, at least for now.

Answer 16

what u say?

why wouldn't u let ur vet to get th vaccines?

u wanna do it wrong and kill the poor guy, and the store stuf for dogs are usually not good.vet has the stuff that ur uppy needs, belive me

Answer 17

No!  The vaccines at Tractor Supply ar not stored properly and can be a waste of your money!  Plus do you even know how or where to give the pups their shots??

The pups need to be seen by your vet so that they can properly give each pup a check up and then the right shorts for their weight.  Also the right wormer for their weight too.

Now is not the time to go cheap.  Get them into your vet and do things the right way!

Answer 18

well when I got my pup the breeder gave me a shot to give at 8 weeks but thats the only one I ever gave

Answer 19

Yess, it's okay.

you can buy them for like six bucks, but it doesn't include the rabies shots.

Answer 20

As long as the shots have air only in them.