Vaccination and deworming are the only two things in a dog's health that are entirely in the owner's hands and are planned in advance. Unlike inherited diseases, here there is no heredity and no luck involved, only a schedule.
This article gives the usual schedule for a puppy and for an adult dog, explains what the dog is protected against and what happens when a date is missed.
Why there is a schedule at all
A puppy is born with protection it receives from its mother's milk in the first hours of life. That protection weakens over the first months and disappears somewhere between the sixth and sixteenth week.
The problem is that the exact day it disappears is unknown, and while it lasts it also prevents the vaccine from working. That is why the first vaccines are given in several doses spaced apart, to catch the moment when the maternal protection no longer interferes but the dog is still unprotected.
That is also why one dose is not enough in a puppy but is enough in an adult dog.
What the dog is protected against
The core vaccination covers diseases that are severe and often fatal:
- Distemper, a viral disease affecting the airways, the gut and the nervous system
- Parvovirus, a gut virus that kills puppies within days
- Infectious hepatitis, a viral disease of the liver
- Parainfluenza, part of the kennel cough complex
- Leptospirosis, a bacterial disease spread through water and rodents that also passes to humans
Rabies is a separate vaccine and a legal requirement. Without it the dog can neither travel nor attend a show.
There are also vaccines given as needed, for example against kennel cough in dogs that often spend time among other dogs. The vet decides on those according to the dog's way of life.
Schedule for a puppy
The usual schedule here looks like this. Exact dates are set by the vet according to the vaccine used.
- 6 to 8 weeks: first dose of the core vaccine
- 10 to 12 weeks: second dose
- 14 to 16 weeks: third dose
- from 12 weeks onwards: rabies vaccine
- at 12 months: prva revakcinacija
The breeder usually gives the first dose before the puppy goes to its new home and records it in the passport. When you collect the puppy, ask for the passport with the date entered and the vaccine label attached.
A puppy is fully protected only a week or two after the last dose. Until then, parks, places where dogs gather and contact with unknown dogs are avoided. Socialisation during that period is done safely, in the controlled company of vaccinated dogs.
Schedule for an adult dog
After the first booster at one year, the schedule thins out.
The core vaccine is renewed at an interval that depends on the manufacturer and the disease — for some components once a year, for others every two to three years. Leptospirosis is the exception and is almost always given annually, because protection lasts a shorter time.
Rabies is renewed according to the legal deadline, in our country once a year.
In practice that means one visit to the vet a year, easily combined with the general examination and the cardiac check-up.
Deworming
Protection against internal parasites runs on its own schedule, separate from vaccination.
In puppies it is done often, because parasites are passed on through the mother as well:
- first at around the second week of life, then every two weeks until weaning
- then once a month until the sixth month
- always a few days before every vaccination
The last item matters and is often skipped. A dog burdened with parasites responds less well to a vaccine, so deworming is done before it, not after.
In an adult dog every three to four months is usual, and more often in dogs that go into nature, eat grass or live with small children.
External parasites
Protection against fleas and ticks is not a vaccine, but it belongs to the same schedule because it is easily forgotten.
Here it is recommended all year round, not only in summer, because ticks remain active through mild winters. The product and the interval are set by the vet according to the dog's weight and way of life.
In Cavaliers this has an additional significance: fleas are the most common cause of scratching, and in this breed persistent scratching at the neck must first be ruled out as parasitic before a neurological cause is considered.
What if a date is missed
It depends how much time has passed and which dose it concerns.
In a puppy, a missed dose in the series usually means the series continues, but full protection shifts later. If a lot of time has passed, the vet may decide to start again.
In an adult dog a short delay of a few weeks is usually not a problem. A longer delay may mean two doses spaced apart instead of one.
With rabies a delay also has a legal side, since a dog with an expired vaccination is not in compliance with the regulations.
Reactions after a vaccination
A mild reaction is common and passes on its own. The dog may be sleepy, less inclined to play and have a tender injection site for a day or two.
Go to the vet straight away if there is:
- swelling of the muzzle or eyelids
- vomiting or diarrhoea soon after the vaccination
- hives, that is swollen spots on the skin
- difficulty breathing
- lethargy lasting more than two days
Such reactions are rare, but they occur in the first hours, so it is sensible not to plan travel or exertion right after a vaccination.
What to ask for when collecting a puppy
- a passport with the date entered and the label of every vaccine given
- the date of the last deworming and the name of the product
- the microchip number entered in the passport and matching the paperwork
- the vet's stamp and signature
This is the easiest part of checking a breeder, because it is all in one place and visible in a minute.
Conclusion
The vaccination schedule is not complicated: three doses by the fourth month, a booster at one year, then once a year alongside a routine check-up. Deworming runs separately and always before the vaccine, not after. In Cavaliers flea protection has a side benefit, because it removes the most common harmless reason for scratching and thereby makes it easier to spot the one that is not harmless.
Note: this article is informational and does not replace examination and advice from a veterinarian. The specific schedule and choice of vaccines is determined by the vet.
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- Heart murmur in Cavaliers: what it means and when it is a cause for concern
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- Why Cavaliers scratch their neck and shoulder — when it is a sign of illness
- Which health tests are required for the parents of a Cavalier litter
- The expected lifespan of the Cavalier and what affects it
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- Living with a Cavalier diagnosed with MVD
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