Ask The Vet: Internet pup not quite as advertised

Dear Dr. John,

We have just adopted a dog off the internet, who is absolutely adorable, to keep our 5-year-old golden retriever company. Our cost was just under $500. She came to us already spayed and we were told that she was 14 weeks old, dewormed and had all of her shots for distemper and rabies. We were also advised to have her assessed by our own vet. Much to our surprise, the vet saw her today and informed us that she was younger than indicated, as based on her teeth, suggesting that she was not yet 3 ½ months old. The vet also showed us that she only had two distemper shots two weeks apart and the last one was given a month ago when she was 10 weeks old. We were advised to give the dog another distemper shot and one for kennel cough as well. Should we be concerned with the misinformation that we were given or just move on? She seems to be otherwise healthy and adjusting well to her new home. Is there anything else that we should do for her? — C.F.

Dear C.F.,

Your experience with an adopted dog from the internet is not uncommon and one that I see far too often. There are some wonderful internet dog placement sources, but I would be less than honest if I did not tell you that there are a lot of adoption businesses out there that prey on good natured people looking for a dog. The fact that one pays $500 to receive a dog that is not vaccinated properly or aged inappropriately is just one of many different issues that these animals often present with. Distemper vaccines should typically be given three to four weeks apart starting at around 6 to 10 weeks of age and stop at around 14 weeks of age. Many states require a dog to be 3 months old to be vaccinated for rabies and it seems that your puppy may have been vaccinated too early. Despite that, if you have documentation stating otherwise, then she is legally compliant. As for her age, there are charts that describe the teething patterns for dogs, cats and other mammalian species. These can be easily found on the internet or elsewhere and veterinarians are trained to be able to assess age based on teeth. If your puppy still has all of her deciduous or baby teeth then she is not quite 3 ½ months old since the front teeth, or incisors, start to come in starting between that age and 4 months. While there can always be some variability based on breeds, these teething patterns are quite reliable. At this time, I suggest you just move on and work with your veterinarian to ensure that she remains healthy and is vaccinated and protected against whatever she should be. Given the area we are in, vaccinating against Lyme disease and leptospirosis might be worthwhile as well as getting her on a heartworm preventative and one for fleas and ticks as well. Good luck and congratulations on giving a puppy a good home.

Dr. John de Jong owns and operates the Boston Mobile Veterinary Clinic. He can be reached at 781-899-9994.