Health & vaccination

Puppy health records, and how to read them

Health is the thing buyers worry about most and check least, usually because nobody has ever explained what they are looking at. A vaccination card is not complicated once you know what should be on it — and knowing that protects you far better than any promise a seller makes.

Ask about health records Call +91 77919 01085

Straight answer first

What we claim, and what we do not

Plenty of puppy listings carry words like fully vaccinated, health guaranteed, vet certified and DNA tested. Most of the time nobody can tell you what those phrases mean, because they are not defined and nobody is checking.

So we will be specific about our side of it. We show you whatever records exist for the particular puppy you are asking about — what was given, on what dates, and what is still due — during the enquiry, before any money is discussed. You read them and judge for yourself.

What we do not claim on this website: a health guarantee or warranty, genetic or DNA screening, breed-club registration, a certification of any kind, or a veterinary partnership. If any of that applies to a specific puppy, we will tell you when you ask and show you the document. We would rather under-promise here than have you discover the gap later.

See the full list of what comes with a puppy

The practical bit

How to read a vaccination card

A puppy’s first vaccinations are given as a course over several weeks rather than in one visit, so a card for an eight-week-old puppy will normally be partly filled and partly still to come. That is expected, not a warning sign.

The exact vaccines, the ages at which they are given and the gaps between them vary by veterinarian, by the products used and by the individual puppy. That is why the card for your actual puppy matters more than any general schedule, and why the timetable for the remaining doses should come from your own vet rather than from a website.

  • The puppy’s date of birth — every other date on the card only means something in relation to this one. If it is missing, ask for it before anything else.
  • What was actually given — the name of each vaccine, not just a tick. “Vaccinated” on its own tells you nothing.
  • The date each dose was given, in order, with no gaps that nobody can explain.
  • What is still due, and roughly when — so you know what you are taking on in the first weeks at home.
  • The batch or sticker for each dose, where the vet has recorded one. It is the difference between a record and a note.
  • Who administered it — a clinic name, a stamp or a signature. An unsigned card filled in by the seller is not a veterinary record.

Take a photograph of the card while you are there. It costs nothing, and it means your vet can see exactly what has been given before you get to the first appointment.

The other half

Deworming, and why it is repeated

Worms are extremely common in young puppies and are treated rather than prevented, which is why deworming is given repeatedly from a few weeks of age rather than once. A record showing a single dose is usually an incomplete record rather than a puppy that only needed one.

As with vaccination, the products and the intervals vary, so what you want from the seller is the honest history — what was given and when — and the next date from your own vet. Ask for the dates rather than the reassurance.

The rule that matters most

Why no puppy should leave before eight weeks

Sale of puppies under eight weeks of age is prohibited in India, and it is the single clearest line in the whole transaction. It is also the rule most often broken, because a very small puppy photographs well and sells quickly.

The weeks before eight are not idle time. They are when a puppy learns from its mother and littermates how hard it can bite, how to be handled, and how to be alone for short periods. A puppy taken early misses that and does not get it back later, which is why the problems tend to show up as behaviour months afterwards rather than as illness in week one.

Check it yourself using the date of birth. Not the age the seller quotes. If the two do not agree, that is the conversation to have before any other. How collection works.

Ask anyone

Six health questions worth asking any seller

Including us. What you are listening for is whether the answer is specific, and whether “I do not know” is something the seller is willing to say.

  • 01

    What is the date of birth?

    One date, not a range, and it should match what the vaccination card says.

    Hesitation on this question is more informative than the answer to any other.

  • 02

    Has a vet seen this puppy?

    If so, when, which clinic, and what did they find? If not, that is an answer too.

    “Vet checked” with no clinic name and no notes is a phrase, not a record.

  • 03

    What is still due?

    You are taking on the rest of the course. You should know what it consists of before you agree to anything.

    Then confirm the timing with your own vet, who will set it around your puppy.

  • 04

    Has this puppy been unwell?

    Loose stools, a cough, a course of medication. Ask directly and watch how readily it is answered.

    Puppies do get unwell. A seller who says one never has is telling you less than one who explains what happened.

  • 05

    What do you know about the parents?

    Size, coat, temperament, and any health history. It is the best available guide to what the puppy becomes.

    Why the parents matter more than the label.

  • 06

    What exactly is it eating?

    Brand, amount and how many times a day — not just “puppy food”.

    Keeping it identical for the first fortnight avoids the most common upset. The first forty-eight hours.

FAQ

Questions about puppy health

Will the puppy be fully vaccinated when I collect it?

Almost certainly not, and no honest seller should tell you otherwise. A puppy’s first vaccinations are a course given over several weeks, so a puppy old enough to go home is normally partway through it. We show you exactly what has been given and what is still due, and your vet sets the timing for the rest.

Do you offer a health guarantee?

We do not publish one on this website. Health guarantees on living animals are frequently written so loosely that they are worth very little, and we would rather show you the actual records than hand you a document that sounds reassuring. Ask us what applies to a specific puppy and you will get a straight answer either way.

Are the puppies DNA tested or genetically screened?

We make no such claim on this site. If screening has been done for a particular puppy or its parents we will say so and show you the report; if it has not, we will tell you that too. Treat an unevidenced “DNA tested” claim from any seller as marketing until you have seen the document.

When can the puppy go outside and meet other dogs?

Your vet will tell you, based on the course your puppy is actually on. It depends on which vaccines were given and when, so it is not something a website should be putting a date on. Register with a vet in your area before collection day and ask at the first appointment.

What if the puppy becomes unwell soon after coming home?

See a vet promptly rather than waiting, and tell us. We stay reachable through the settling-in weeks and we would far rather hear about a problem early than find out about it much later.