I took my puppy for his second vaccination today and a lot of it was on the table rather than in the dog, the vet didn't seem too bothered, but as the day has gone on I'm worried he's not got all the vaccine,I phoned the vet, I'm still waiting for him to return my call.This is twice I've been to this practice on both occassions they didn't weigh the puppy or check his ears heart or anything I think I'll have to find another vet.

Ahh how sad! keep on to them and demand answers if you aren't happy! i've been there where you feel like you're being a pest but don't stop until you're satisfied! A vaccination is very important so make sure you get your answers honey!

You are entitled to a complete puppy health check when the vet examines a puppy prior to vaccination.  My vet spends ages checking pups prior to vaccination, and also checks the eyes for me.  I expect a vet to check that a puppy is well enough to be vaccinated, and I would be spitting feathers in your situation.  My own vet checks my adults prior to boosters, and will delay jabs if a dog is off colour.

I agree that you need to change vets, but you have an issue to deal with first.  Having paid for a service, you need to sort this first.  Even if it means speaking to a senior partner in the practise.

My own practise started a new procedure which I was never happy with.  Full health check and first jab with a vet.  Second jab with a veterinary nurse.  I took a very small puppy for a second jab, and the nurse stuck the needle through the pups scruff, and shot the vaccine down my hand.  And didn't bat an eyelid!

The following week I saw the head vet in the small animal department, and mentioned that I was not happy that my pup had received sufficient vaccine.  He didn't seem too happy that I had complained, but tough!  He told me to book an appointment with the head nurse, and my pup had her second jab, and her card amended.  I understand that the head nurse took a session with her nurses, telling them that they had to report any unsatisfactory jabs!

I have never accepted a nurse appointment for puppy jabs since!  If questioned by the receptionist, I just smile and say 'I always like a vet please.'  My average vet bills at the practise is over £4,000 a year, although has been double that in a bad year, so I assume that they wouldn't want to lose my custom. 

Remember that you are the customer.  I would not accept being fobbed off.  Once you have had the second jab, ask around for recommendations in the area - and change vets!

Jean, i didn't think nurses were allowed to give a vaccine?

Yes they can, as long as there's a qualified vet on the premises.

A puppy doesn't need all the vaccine in order to be immunised:  Why do you think that chihuahuas and great danes are both given the same amount of vaccine, regardless of size?

As long as some of it goes in the puppy, s/he is covered.

It would be far more dangerous to give your puppy ANOTHER vaccination, since it would overburden the immune system.  So, by all means, have a go at your vet (and eyes and heart should have been checked, yes), but I really wouldn't recommend any more vaccination.  (Besides which, most puppies are fully protected from just the 1st vaccination anyway.)

you can have a blood test to check to see if he has imunity if your worried he may not be covered.

I would think the second vaccine is the more important one as it is given primarily in case the first didn't take due to being negated by maternal antibodies still being too high.

Now that vaccines are given earlier than in the past and finishing at 10 weeks rather than over 12 this is more of a worry and I suspect there are quite a number of pups totally uncovered by their vaccinations until they receive their first booster.

it is strange that the latest advise from 2011 in the USA is that puppy vaccines can be given from 6 weeks at two to four week intervals with the last one being at 16 weeks when the immune system is deemed to have matured, so that most pups get three jabs.

There doesn't seem to be such a fuss about socialisation as the advice is that the pups are generally fine to go out as normal after second vaccine.  After all I don't think any puppy under 16 weeks should be being exposed to unrestricted canine socialisation and long trecks in the park where there is the heaviest dog traffic, they simply are too young to walk very long or far.  Lots of socialisation can be done in relatively low infection risk environments.