Getting home a cute puppy is more than just the funny antics that will keep you on your toes. You need to take care of its health and mind you this is not as simple as it sounds. Just as a newborn baby needs to be vaccinated, a puppy needs to be vaccinated to keep away any dog health problems that may affect your cuddly pet. Visits to the vet for the common dog illnesses that your puppy may fall prey to are necessary.

Injections your Pup Needs

When you bring home a puppy, you will need to visit the vet more often during the first year. This is because you will need to follow a proper puppy shot schedule. Apart from the shots, the puppy will be prone to different dog health issues like a parasitic infection, dog worms or upset stomach. You will be vaccinating the puppy when he is two, three and four months of age. Adult dogs that are un-vaccinated will be given two rounds of shots three weeks apart. Puppies and dogs will be given booster shots annually. All puppies need to be given the basic shots. These puppy shots include distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenze, leptospirosis and coronavirus. They are administered to the puppy in the form of combination vaccines. You should give your puppy his rabies shots according to the local pet laws.

How Much They Cost

You need to follow a proper schedule for shots in order to give your puppy optimum protection from diseases. The following is a list of approximate cost that you may have to bear during the first year of bringing home a puppy.

Cost for a 9 Week Schedule
These first shots cost about $35 to $50 depending on the vet and the area you live in.

Cost for a 12 Week Schedule
These shots cost about $35 to $50 depending on the vet and the area you live in.

Cost for a 16 Week Schedule
These shots are for about $7 to $40 and the cost depend upon the vet you visit.

Parvo/Distemper Shots Cost
These cost about $25 depending on the area and vet.

Annual Rabies Shot Cost
The rabies vaccine costs about $18.

Heartworm Preventative
This costs about $40 to $100 per year. The cost depends on the dog size and the type of preventive measure you choose. The heartworm prevention for dogs tablets costs about $68 for 12 tablets (you need to give one tablet every month).

Spray or Neutering
This is a one time expense that you may have to carry out. It may cost about $45 to $110.

Total Minimum Cost

The minimum amount of money you will be spending on the puppy vaccination and medication will be around $350 to $400. The vaccinations that cost minimum $20 to $150 dollars in the first year, will cost about $10 to $100 every following year. By the end of the year, you must have spent approximately $700 for vaccinations, heartworm medications, flea management, spray/neutering surgery, food and other requirements related to dog care.

Other Expenses for Puppy Care

Apart from the costs that you will incur on this, you will be spending money on other essential necessities of raising a dog. You will spend about $200 per year on dog food, dog treats and dog biscuits. Dog grooming will cost you about $100 annually and investing in kennels and carriers will cost about $30 to $350.

After summation of the all the expenses that includes these costs and other essential necessities, you will have spent about $900 the first year. These are some of the unavoidable expenses. You may find the costs too high, but if you follow these puppy shots schedule diligently, you will be avoiding major expenses in the future. Your puppy will grow up to a healthy and active dog, that means, lesser visits to the vet. Make sure you take all the possible expenses into consideration before bringing home a puppy. A pet is a responsibility for the owner and you should make sure you are able to provide all the basic essentials to your puppy. Speak to your local vet for more information.