Your puppy or kitten's vaccine timeline, with real dates

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Why it is a series and not one shot

Puppies and kittens get antibodies from their mother that fade at an unpredictable point between 6 and 16 weeks. While those antibodies are present they can block a vaccine from taking. So the core vaccine is repeated every 3 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or later, to make sure at least one dose lands after the maternal protection is gone. Skipping the last dose is the most common gap.

Core vs non-core

Dogs, core: distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus, and parainfluenza, usually one combined shot (DHPP or DA2PP), plus rabies. Cats, core: feline herpesvirus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia (FVRCP), plus rabies; feline leukemia (FeLV) is recommended for all kittens by the AAFP. Non-core depends on exposure: Bordetella and canine influenza for dogs that board or go to daycare, leptospirosis and Lyme for dogs that hike or live rurally.

After the first year

The one-year booster is the last one on a tight schedule. After that, most core vaccines move to every three years, and rabies follows your state or county law, which is usually one or three years depending on the product. The timeline above shows the three-year cadence; the vet will tell you which rabies interval applies where you live.

Keep the paperwork

Boarding, daycare, groomers, and travel all ask for proof, and the rabies certificate is a legal document in most places. Photograph every certificate the day you get it. That is the record VitalLedger was built to hold.