Every shot, on the calendar.

Why vaccinate?

Vaccines prevent diseases that are common, serious, or expensive to treat. Parvovirus still circulates in Los Angeles and can survive in soil for months. Rabid bats are found in LA County every year. Leptospirosis and canine influenza have both caused LA outbreaks. A puppy hospitalized for parvo can cost thousands; the vaccine series costs a fraction of that.

How we time the shots: maternal antibodies

Newborns absorb antibodies from their mother’s first milk. Those antibodies protect early on, but they also cancel out vaccines. They fade at an unpredictable point, usually between 6 and 16 weeks, and there’s no practical way to know when for any one pet.

So we vaccinate every 3 to 4 weeks until at least 16 weeks old. That way one dose lands soon after the mother’s protection fades, shrinking the “window” when a puppy or kitten is unprotected. Protection is solid about 2 weeks after the final dose. Some kittens hold maternal antibodies longer, which is why AAHA and AAFP recommend an extra FVRCP booster at 6 months.

The vaccines, briefly

• DAPP (dogs, core): distemper (neurologic, often fatal), adenovirus (liver), parainfluenza (cough), and parvovirus (severe vomiting and diarrhea). Series, a 1-year booster, then every 3 years.
• Rabies (dogs and cats): always fatal and transmissible to people. Required for dogs by California law by 4 months; strongly recommended for cats. A 1-year booster, then every 1 to 3 years depending on the vaccine.
• Leptospirosis (dogs, recommended for every LA dog): bacteria shed in the urine of rats and wildlife into water and soil. Causes kidney and liver failure and can spread to people. Two doses, then yearly.
• Bordetella (dogs, social): the main cause of kennel cough. Required by most daycares, groomers, and boarders. Yearly.
• Canine influenza (dogs, social): H3N2 and H3N8 dog flu spread fast where dogs gather. Two doses, then yearly.
• FVRCP (cats, core): panleukopenia (feline parvo, often fatal in kittens) plus herpesvirus and calicivirus, the main causes of cat colds. Kitten series, a booster at 1 year, then every 3 years.
• FeLV (cats): feline leukemia, spread by close contact between cats. Recommended for every kitten and for adults that go outside.

Side effects

A sore spot or a sleepy day is common and normal. Rarely, pets have an allergic reaction within a few hours: facial swelling, hives, vomiting, or trouble breathing. If you see any of these, call us right away. Let us know if your pet has reacted before; we can space vaccines out or pre-treat.

Common questions