How to Give Your Own Dog Vaccinations

Many people give their own vaccinations to their dogs, and they save a bundle of money by doing so. It's really not that hard. Just follow these easy steps.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vaccination meds
• Syringe
• Needle
• Alcohol
• Index card

1. Order your vaccinations.

2. Once your vaccinations arrive, either immediately use them or immediately get them into the refrigerator to preserve their freshness.

3. Mix the two vials. You will note that 1/2 your vaccination vials are a powder and the other half are liquid. Use your syringe/needle to draw up the liquid and then insert it with the same needle into the vial of powder.
   Shake really well.

4. Draw up the now mixed vaccination into your syringe.

5. Pour a bit of alcohol on your injection site. This will be the area at the back of the dog's neck, just in front of the front shoulder.

6. Lift the loose skin at the back of the dog's neck, near the front shoulder, to form a 'tent'.

7. Insert the needle under the skin of your 'tent' area.

8. Draw back on the syringe as if you were trying to draw something up into your syringe. You won't have to draw far. The purpose of this is to check to be sure you are not in a vein. If you draw up blood, start over. If no blood is present, your good to go.

9. Inject the vaccination liquid into the dog.

10. Pull out the needle and rub the injection site gently with your fingers while comforting the dog.

11. Remove the label on the vial that lists the type of vaccinations the vial contains. This will be a sticker. Place this on an index card or other record keeping material and date it along with the dog's name.
    
    The vial sticker will serve to answer any questions a vet may have on the exact type of immunization you have given and keep a record of batch #'s, etc should a problem ever arise. It can also be given to a new owner if your puppy/dog should change hands.

12. Most vaccinations need to be done on a yearly basis.

Tips & Warnings

• Call your veterinarian to ask what type of vaccination you should purchase. This can vary depending on the area of where you live.
• Pay the extra to have your vaccinations shipped as quickly as possible as they will lose their potency if left unrefrigerated. They are very fragile in this way!
• Monitor your dog for possible reactions. Have a bottle of epinephrine on hand in case of bad reaction. Many dogs will act 'punky' for a day or two, don't worry about that but do not push the dog to participate in any activities for a couple days.

Resources

• Guide To Ethical Dog Breeding
• Controlling Pests and Parasites

[meldiesel]

on 6/22/2009 I gave my pit bull puppy a vaccination today and now his injection site is swollen and sensitive to touch. Will he be okay?

[romansten9]

on 2/24/2009 I am a Paramedic and a Nurse. I enjoyed this information with ONE exception: Do not shake medications! This creates bubbles and makes it difficult to draw up an accurate dose. It can also damage certain meds. Roll the vial between the palms of your hands to mix it. thanks!

[showpup]

on 4/25/2008 realgem13 - Very good question. I will edit my article to reflect that very thing.

[realgem13]

on 4/24/2008 Self vaccinating your dog is much cheaper, but how do I record the shots on record? Where would I print off a vaccination record form?

[realgem13]

on 4/24/2008 where do I record my pets immunizations that I personally give to them?