[quote=“Stray Dog”]Sorry - was in a rush earlier.
Pups need the 8 in 1 vaccination 2 times - once at about 8 weeks and again at about 12 weeks - and then again every three to five years. This will protect the dog against distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus types 1 and 2, parainfluenza, coronavirus, leptospira canicola and leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae. Older dogs just need the vaccination once before repeating every three to five years. The vet will give you a book with the shots listed in them.
There is no rabies in Taiwan, but vaccination is required by law: one time only initially then yearly boosters. The vet will give you a separate rabies book and a tag, which the dog should wear at all times; it prevents (for a while) dogcatchers grabbing the dog and it allows anyone to trace you should the dog wander off.
You will also need heartworm preventives - heartworm is prevalent here and very nasty. The dog should be checked for heartworm and, if positive, treated accordingly before starting the preventive course. Ivermectin based drugs are popular here, and Heartguard is a good one, as it also protects your dog against hookworm; there are three dosages you can get, depending on the size of your dog. The medicine comes in meaty chunks that dogs love, and although the box will recommend giving every month, there is a 15 day grace period, so if you are averse to giving your dog a pesticide to eat any more than you have to, you can give him or her Ivermectin every six weeks with full protection. (The preventives only kill the microfilia, not the adult worm, which as mentioned before must be treated differently and very carefully.)
If you intend to keep the dog around many other dogs or board him or her at any point, you would do well to vaccinate against kennel cough (bordetella).
In this climate particlularly, it is also advisable to provide your dog with essential fatty acids (omega 3, 6 and 9) in his or her diet. Most good vets and pets stores carry an all-in-one liquid that is excellent for this, or just add fresh animal or vegetable oils to your dog’s diet regularly (fish oil, flaxseed oil, etc.). Many of the dogs you see with porr skin here would benefit from some omega oils in their diet.
A monthly spray of Frontline will keep your dog free of fleas and ticks, which also carry some nasty diseases. Always check around your dogs toes immediately after walking through long grass or undergrowth.
That’s all I can think of for now, though I’m sure I’ve forgotten something, so I’ll probably add some more later.
Great that you are keeping the pup, by the way! 
:bravo:[/quote]
SD, thanks for this, are there any issues / side effects if the start of the vaccinations is delayed, reason for asking is that we have no idea whether the pup has received anything prior or not, and is now approx 5 - 6 months old.
I have amended the title.
