How to Vaccinate Dogs

You can save a lot of time, money, and effort by vaccinating your dog at home. As long as you know the correct procedure and follow the basic instructions, vaccination at home becomes simpler and safer. However, you need to make sure your dog is healthy and get it checked out before getting vaccinated. Vaccines should also be stored and transported properly to prevent health problems for your dog.

Table of Contents

Preparing to vaccinate your dog

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Take the dog to the vet. You need to take your dog to a general practitioner before vaccination. Your veterinarian will determine if your dog is healthy enough to be vaccinated at home. If the dog is sick or immunocompromised, vaccination will become ineffective or make the dog sicker.

Vaccinations can help protect your dog against many diseases, but you should not vaccinate your dog against rabies yourself. Only a veterinarian can give a dog rabies vaccine. ^{[1] X Research Source}

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Recognize reactions to vaccines. Dogs rarely react to vaccines, but you should still be aware of possible reactions. Dogs may experience swelling at the injection site, low-grade fever, weakness or loss of appetite, sneezing or coughing. ^{[2] X Research Source} One of the most serious reactions is anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention. If you find that your dog is having trouble breathing, has a slow heart rate, or has low blood pressure, you should take your dog to the vet right away. ^{[3] X Source of Study} If a dog has a decreased heart rate or low blood pressure, the dog may become unusually sleepy, weak, groggy and eventually faint within 20-30 minutes.

Most animal vaccines are given subcutaneously only to reduce pain and possible reactions.
If your dog has ever had a reaction to a vaccine, even a very minor one, you should not try to give any vaccine at home to prevent a more serious reaction.

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Know the basics of vaccines. Vaccines work by mimicking a virus or bacteria that causes an infection by stimulating the immune system to produce cells to fight the virus or bacteria. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to the source} Vaccines help prepare the immune system to fight off a virus or bacteria later on. So when a dog is vaccinated against a virus or bacteria, the dog’s immune system remembers how to fight the infection and how to produce cells to fight that virus or bacteria. . ^{[5] X Trusted Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Go to source}

In fact, except for some mild reactions (mild rash or fever), the vaccine mimics a virus or bacteria and does not cause infection in the dog.

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Scheduled vaccinations. For many vaccines, you can get the first two shots three to four weeks apart to keep your immune system working. After that, every 2-3 years, you can give your dog a booster dose so that the prevention is continuously updated.

Each vaccine has its own vaccination time, so you should consult with your veterinarian to determine when to vaccinate your dog. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Vaccinations for dogs

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Prepare for injection. Check to make sure the vaccine was transported properly and stored at the temperature indicated on the label. You may have to mix vaccines. If so, you need to combine the 2 vials of the vaccine exactly as directed on the label. After reconstitution, you will drain the solution into the syringe and remove any air bubbles by gently patting the surface of the syringe. You should point the needle up. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Most vaccines need to be stored at room temperature in the refrigerator.

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Prepare the dog. You should make sure to wash your dog thoroughly and remove all dirt from the skin around the neck. The dog’s coat must be dry before vaccination. You will pick up the skin on the back of the dog’s neck, creating an empty pocket under the skin to inject the vaccine into. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Unlike injecting people, you do not need to clean the injection site with alcohol before vaccinating your dog.

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Vaccination. Place the syringe across the dog’s back so that the bevel of the needle (the flat part of the needle) is along the part of the skin that is picked up. Gently insert the needle into the skin, while pulling the syringe back. Slowly push down on the syringe to inject the vaccine into the dog’s body. ^{[9] X Research Source}

If you see blood coming out of the needle, you should inject it elsewhere. Blood coming out of the needle indicates that you have punctured a blood vessel. You cannot inject the vaccine into a blood vessel.

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Pull out the needle. After pulling out the needle, you need to press on the injection site for about 30 seconds to stop bleeding. Place the needle and syringe in an appropriate trash bin or glass vial for treatment at the veterinary clinic. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Do not dispose of unsealed needles in the trash to avoid injury to environmental workers during the garbage disposal process.

Advice

If you are not confident about vaccinating your dog, you can take your dog to get vaccinated at the veterinary clinic.
If you feel the need to practice before giving your dog the actual vaccine, you can place a sock in an empty water bottle, and then pull the sock into a “dog-skin”-like cluster during the injection. You should practice injecting until you can comfortably inject with one hand. Practice using the syringe and grabbing the sock at the same time to get used to both of these movements before giving the actual injection to the dog.
You must be calm and collected to help your dog relax during the vaccination.
After the injection, reward the dog for being obedient. That way your dog will not be afraid every time he injects.

Warning

Only vaccines recommended by your veterinarian should be given.
Do not give the vaccine intravenously.
Do not vaccinate if your dog is sick or immunocompromised. In addition, dogs with diarrhea or vomiting should not be vaccinated.
Be sure to disinfect all vaccination equipment and follow proper sterilization procedures. Never use unsterilized equipment to vaccinate your dog.
Purchase vaccines from a licensed facility to ensure they are stored properly.

Steps

Preparing to vaccinate your dog

Vaccinations for dogs

Advice

Warning

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