What Actually Happens at Your Puppy's First Few Visits

Bringing a new puppy home is exciting, and it comes with a to-do list. We see a lot of new puppies here at Best Friends Veterinary Care in Iowa City, and the same questions come up almost every time: when should the first visit happen, what shots does a puppy actually need, and why does the vaccine series take several appointments instead of one. Here's what the process actually looks like, visit by visit.

Get that first visit on the calendar early

Our advice is simple: bring your puppy in as soon as you can after you bring them home. The vaccination series typically starts between 6 and 8 weeks of age, so an early first exam gives Dr. Vercande and her team a chance to check your puppy over, talk through your puppy's specific circumstances, and get the vaccine schedule started on the right timeline instead of playing catch-up later.

The vaccine series, one visit at a time

Puppy vaccines are given as a series rather than a single shot, because a young puppy's immune system usually needs more than one exposure to build real, lasting protection. Over the course of the series, your puppy will be protected against:

• Rabies
• Canine distemper
• Adenovirus type 2
• Parvovirus
• Parainfluenza
• Bordetella (kennel cough)

Depending on your puppy's lifestyle, we may also recommend vaccines for leptospirosis and Lyme disease. If your dog is going to spend time around standing water, wooded trails, or other dogs at a park or daycare here in the Iowa City area, ask us whether those make sense for your puppy specifically. There isn't one right answer for every dog, which is exactly why we talk it through rather than applying the same protocol to everyone.

Roundworm testing, and why it matters more than people think

Part of the early visits includes testing for roundworms and treating for them if we find them. Puppies commonly pick up roundworms from their mother before or shortly after birth, and left untreated they can affect a puppy's growth and digestion. Roundworms are also zoonotic, meaning they can pass to people, which is one more reason we take testing seriously, especially in a household with young kids or other pets.

What we're checking in a nose to tail exam

Every visit includes a full physical exam, not just the vaccine itself. That means checking your puppy's eyes, ears, and skin, listening to the heart and lungs, and going over the neurological, gastrointestinal, and skeletal systems for anything worth flagging while your puppy is still small and easy to manage. This is also where something like a soft heart murmur or a small hernia tends to get caught, long before it would ever show up as something you'd notice at home.

Microchipping, and why the collar still matters

At some point during that first set of visits, we'll usually talk to you about microchipping. It's a small chip placed under the loose skin at the back of your puppy's neck, and if your dog is ever lost, any vet clinic or shelter can scan for it and help get your puppy back to you. It's permanent, which is its biggest advantage, but we still recommend a collar and ID tag as well. A microchip needs a scanner to read it. A tag with your phone number on it is something anyone who finds your dog can read immediately, no equipment required.

A few practical things worth knowing

We offer free parking at the clinic, which makes juggling a wriggly puppy and a carrier a little easier. Our hours vary through the week (we're open until 6pm on Mondays, close at noon on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and are closed Sundays), so it's worth checking before your first appointment. Between visits, our online pharmacy is linked from every page on the site if you need to reorder anything your puppy's on.

If any of this feels like a lot to track, that's normal. It's exactly why we walk through it with you one visit at a time instead of handing you a checklist on day one. If you have questions about timing, the schedule, or anything else before your puppy's first visit, call us at (319) 341-7111 or email ask@bfveterinarycareic.com.