New puppy- Where can we get in quickly to a Vet and how important is this ASAP?
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Anonymous
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On somewhat short notice, we are adopting a puppy that will come into our home at the end of the week at 9 weeks of age. He just had a visit yesterday and has been cleared with no issues, but it was recommended that we get him into our own vet as soon as possible to discuss heartworm/flea/tick medication and his next round of vaccinations that should occur March 9th or soon after. Our selected vet is overwhelmed and doesn't have appointments until mid to late March.
Is this ok or do I have to try to find a vet who can get him in sooner even if that is a temporary thing? Want to do what is best but worried this may not be limited to our selected vet. I put in 2 new patient requests and asked to be put on the waitlists (we could be at any of these 3 vets in under 10 minutes if they had a cancellation or no-show) but...how much more do I need to do or is it ok we have to wait to get him in? I have had several dogs but not a young puppy in many years. TIA |
Anonymous
| I can't answer your question about getting him in for his shots, etc. right now, but I would take this opportunity to consider if the vet of your choice will be able to fit your dog in when he's sick. Just like in picking your own doctor or pediatrician, you want a doctor who can squeeze you in when sick. I'd ask the vets you are considering how this normally works at their practice. |
Anonymous
+1. This is why I go to Friendship Animal Hospital, even though they're expensive--they have an ER and all the specialty care on site, and a couple different vets my dog is familiar with. |
Anonymous
| As an answer to your question, you are probably fine to wait until mid-late march for the vaccines. You will need to avoid exposure to unvaccinated animals, but socializing with fully vaccinated adult dogs should be ok. If there are any other concerns, though, you will need to get the puppy seen. |
Anonymous
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Just call several vets in your area and see when the next appt is available for a new puppy visit. It’s not too hard to get in.
As far as needing all the shots and meds. He/she should come to you with the first shot already, so you have a few weeks before the next one is needed. At 9 weeks old, they eat and sleep. You don’t need to worry about flea/tick/heart worm unless you’re going to be camping or dropping them off at a kennel this weekend. |
Anonymous
| It should be ok to wait - our vet recommended no outside walks or interaction with other dogs until fully vaccinated. |
Anonymous
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I wouldn’t wait. We adopted our 12 week old puppy who was cleared and it turned out he still had giardia. It is very hard to kick in puppies and sometimes they get false negatives.
It will give you peace of mind and ensure that the puppy is indeed healthy. |
Anonymous
| We went through this a few months ago - called around several vets, and only Friendship was able to get us in within the 3 day window required under the contract with our breeder. We subsequently bought a "puppy plan" and have been very happy with the care our puppy has gotten. |
Anonymous
You forgot about poop and pee..lol. Ask me how I know? I got an 8 week old puppy and I am up twice a night! |
Anonymous
| Where are you located, so people can make vet suggestions. |
Anonymous
I am in Dupont Circle and wanted to go to Dupont Vet as it is close and well-regarded, but also reached out to City Paws in Logan Circle. |
Anonymous
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We used this mobile pet vet for my puppy's first round of shots at home, when our vet of choice couldn't fit us in (as a new patient) for a few weeks.
https://www.myvetcalls.com |