What we do at the first visit
- Nose-to-tail exam
- Eyes, ears, teeth, heart and lungs, joints, skin and coat, belly — a baseline we compare against at every visit after this one.
- Weight and growth check
- We start the growth curve and talk food: how much, how often, and when a puppy food stops being the right food.
- Parasite screening
- A fecal check for intestinal worms — most puppies carry them — plus a look for fleas, ticks and ear mites.
- Records and microchip
- Bring whatever papers the breeder or shelter sent home. We build the record and talk through microchipping and how registration actually works.
The puppy shot schedule
- 6–8 weeks
- First distemper-parvo combination shot, plus deworming. Parvo is everywhere in Oklahoma soil — this series is not optional.
- 10–12 weeks
- Second combination booster. Bordetella (kennel cough) is added if your puppy will board, groom, or train around other dogs.
- 14–16 weeks
- Final puppy booster and the rabies shot, required by Oklahoma law.
- Boosters every 3–4 weeks
- Puppy immunity is a staircase, not a switch: each booster closes the gap as the mother’s antibodies fade. Missing one can mean starting the series over.
Starting right at home
- Heartworm prevention
- Oklahoma is mosquito country twelve months a year. Puppies start heartworm prevention by 8 weeks of age and stay on it monthly, for life.
- Flea & tick control
- Ticks here carry diseases that make dogs genuinely sick. We match a product to your puppy’s size and your yard.
- The socialization window
- Between roughly 3 and 14 weeks, puppies learn what counts as normal. Short positive outings — including happy vet visits with no needle involved — pay off for years.
Puppy shots
Parvo prevention
Deworming
First exams
Heartworm prevention
