What Vaccines Does My Dog or Cat Actually Need, and When?
Every dog needs three core vaccines and every cat needs three as a kitten, and everything beyond that depends on how your pet actually spends its days. Puppies and kittens need a series of doses given every three to four weeks until they are at least 16 weeks old, then a booster one year later, after which most core vaccines are due every three years rather than every year.
That last part is the piece that surprises people, and it is the most useful thing to know before your next visit. “Annual shots” is a habit left over from an older protocol. Current guidance from the American Animal Hospital Association for dogs, and from AAHA and the American Association of Feline Practitioners jointly for cats, spaces most core boosters three years apart, with a few genuine exceptions that really are yearly.
The short version
- Dogs, core: the combination shot, rabies, and leptospirosis.
- Cats, core: the combination shot, rabies, and feline leukemia for every kitten.
- Puppies and kittens: a dose every 3 to 4 weeks from about 6 to 8 weeks, final dose at 16 weeks or later.
- The one-year booster: one year after the series finishes, both species.
- After that: the combination shot every 3 years, rabies every 1 to 3 years by product and local code, leptospirosis yearly.
- Lifestyle vaccines: kennel cough, canine influenza, Lyme, and the rattlesnake vaccine, chosen by where your pet goes and who it meets.
Dogs: the core schedule
| Vaccine | Puppy series | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Combination shot (distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, usually parainfluenza) | Every 3–4 weeks from 6–8 weeks, final dose at 16 weeks or later | Booster at 1 year, then every 3 years |
| Rabies | One dose at 12–16 weeks | Booster at 1 year, then every 1–3 years by product and local code |
| Leptospirosis | Two doses 2–4 weeks apart, starting at 12 weeks | Every year |
The combination shot shows up on your paperwork as DAP or DHPP, and it is doing the heaviest lifting on the list. Parvovirus in particular is brutal, expensive to treat, and largely a disease of undervaccinated puppies.
Rabies is the one with legal weight behind it, so its interval is set by local code as much as by medicine: a dose in puppyhood, a booster a year later, then a one- or three-year cycle depending on the product used. The St. George deadlines, who is allowed to give the shot, and how the certificate ties into a city dog license are all in our guide to rabies shots and dog licensing in St. George.
Leptospirosis changed status recently, and Southern Utah is part of the reason. It used to be treated as an optional, wet-climate vaccine. AAHA updated its canine guidance in 2024 to recommend it for essentially all dogs, starting at 12 weeks, with yearly revaccination after the initial two-dose series. The bacteria spread through the urine of wildlife and rodents and survive in standing water and damp soil, which sounds like someone else’s problem in a desert until you look at where dogs actually drink here: irrigated lawns, canal banks, the Virgin River corridor, and puddles that sit for days after a monsoon storm. St. George saw a cluster of at least 13 confirmed canine cases in 2019. Leptospirosis can also infect people, which is a fair thing to weigh alongside your dog’s own risk.
Dogs: the lifestyle vaccines
These are not lesser vaccines. They are the ones where the right answer genuinely differs from dog to dog.
Kennel cough, which you will see written as Bordetella, is usually given every 6 to 12 months depending on the product and your dog’s exposure. Many pet-care businesses require it a set number of days before arrival, so ask about their rule early.
Canine influenza is typically two doses two to four weeks apart, then yearly. It earns its place for dogs that travel, compete, or spend real time in group settings.
Lyme disease vaccination follows tick exposure, which is low in Washington County. For most local dogs this is a travel question rather than a home question.
The rattlesnake vaccine comes up constantly here, for obvious reasons. It is worth a real conversation rather than a reflex yes or no, and it is worth knowing that no vaccine changes what a bitten dog needs, which is immediate veterinary care.
Cats: the core schedule
Cats get short-changed in most vaccine guides, which is backwards. Panleukopenia is a parvovirus, it is highly contagious, and it kills unvaccinated kittens.
| Vaccine | Kitten series | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Combination shot (herpesvirus, calicivirus, panleukopenia) | Every 3–4 weeks from 6–8 weeks, final dose at 16 weeks or later | Booster at 1 year, then every 3 years |
| Rabies | One dose at 12 weeks or older | Booster at 1 year, then per product and local code |
| Feline leukemia | Two doses 3–4 weeks apart from 8 weeks, after a negative test | Booster at 1 year, then based on lifestyle |
Feline leukemia is considered core for every kitten under a year old, including kittens you intend to keep strictly indoors, and that catches owners off guard. Two things drive it. Young cats are meaningfully more susceptible to the virus than adults are, and a kitten’s living situation is far less fixed than it feels at eight weeks: cats get out, families move, and a second cat arrives. The vaccine follows a negative test, because vaccinating a cat that is already positive accomplishes nothing. Once your cat is past a year, whether to continue is a real lifestyle decision, and it usually comes down to outdoor access and contact with cats of unknown status.
The indoor cat question, answered honestly
An indoor cat needs a shorter list than an outdoor cat. It does not need an empty one.
Rabies applies regardless: city code requires it for cats, and the exposure route is plausible, because rabies in Utah lives mostly in bats, bats get into houses, and the cat is the household member most likely to find one. Panleukopenia is durable in the environment and travels indoors on shoes and clothing, with no animal contact involved. And indoor cats slip outside more often than their owners predict.
Why the series has to run past 16 weeks
This explains why you cannot stop early and save a visit.
A nursing puppy or kitten absorbs antibodies from its mother. Those antibodies protect it for the first weeks of life, and they also block vaccines from taking hold. They fade on an unpredictable timeline, usually between 8 and 16 weeks, and there is no way to tell from the outside which week it happens for a given animal.
The series covers that unknown window. Each dose is a chance that maternal antibodies have dropped far enough for the vaccine to work, and the final dose at 16 weeks or later is the one most likely to land. A puppy that got two rounds and stopped has had shots but may not have immunity, which is exactly the gap that lands parvovirus cases in hospitals. If your pet’s series was interrupted, ask about restarting rather than assuming it counted. Our first-year checklist for new puppies and kittens lays out how those visits stack up.
What it costs in 2026
Treat these as national planning ranges from published 2026 fee guides, not a quote. Prices vary by region, by practice, and by what is bundled.
| What you’re buying | Typical 2026 range |
|---|---|
| Individual core vaccine, full-service practice | ~$25–$60 per dose |
| Rabies | ~$15–$35 |
| Exam fee (usually separate) | ~$50–$100 |
| Puppy first year, vaccines across the whole series | ~$100–$300 |
| Kitten first year, vaccines across the whole series | ~$150–$300 |
The spread is mostly about what comes with the dose. A vaccine-only clinic prices the vaccine; a full-service practice prices a visit that includes an exam, which is where weight trends, dental disease, heart murmurs, and lumps get found. That exam does work the vaccine does not, which is why a wellness exam is worth booking even in a year when little is due.
Side effects, and the honest version of the risk
Most reactions are mild and brief: a sleepy day, a tender injection site, a smaller appetite. That is the expected outcome, not a problem.
Serious reactions are rare and need immediate veterinary care. In the minutes and hours after a vaccine visit, watch for facial swelling, hives, repeated vomiting, collapse, or trouble breathing, and do not wait to see how it goes.
In cats, there is a rare tumor that can develop at an injection site. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis pooled the published studies at roughly 8.8 cases per 100,000 vaccinations, about 1 in 10,000, while noting that the underlying studies disagree widely enough that the true rate is genuinely uncertain. Rare either way, and it is the reason veterinarians now place feline vaccines in a limb or a low site rather than between the shoulder blades. If your pet has ever reacted to a vaccine, say so before the next one, because the schedule and the approach can both be adjusted.
Antibody titer testing comes up here too. It can help in specific cases, particularly for a pet with a reaction history, but it does not substitute for rabies vaccination, where local code sets the interval, and it often costs about what revaccinating would. Ask about it for your pet rather than as a blanket policy.
A note from a hospital that isn’t open yet
Agave Animal Hospital is an independently owned practice being built in St. George now, expected to open in early 2027, so this is information rather than an appointment for the moment. When we open, dog and cat vaccinations will follow this kind of plan: core vaccines on the guideline schedule, lifestyle vaccines chosen from a real conversation about your pet’s life, and reminders so a three-year interval does not quietly become a five-year one. If you would like a local veterinarian once we open, join the opening list.
The bottom line
Three core vaccines for dogs, three for cats in kittenhood, a series every three to four weeks that runs past 16 weeks, a booster at one year, then a three-year rhythm for the combination shot, with rabies on its own legal clock and leptospirosis on a yearly one. Everything else is a conversation about your specific animal. If you take one thing from this: finish the puppy or kitten series, and stop assuming everything is annual.
Frequently asked questions
What vaccines does my dog actually need?
Three are considered core for every dog. The combination shot covers distemper, adenovirus, and parvovirus, and often parainfluenza; it appears on paperwork as DAP or DHPP. Rabies is the second, and in St. George it carries legal weight through city code. Leptospirosis is the third, and it is the newest: AAHA updated its canine guidelines in 2024 to recommend it for essentially all dogs rather than only high-risk ones. Beyond those three, kennel cough, canine influenza, Lyme, and the rattlesnake vaccine are chosen based on where your dog goes, who it meets, and whether you travel.
What vaccines does my cat actually need?
Three are core. The combination shot covers feline herpesvirus, calicivirus, and panleukopenia, and shows up as FVRCP on paperwork; panleukopenia is a parvovirus and it is genuinely lethal to unvaccinated kittens. Rabies is the second, and St. George city code requires it for cats as well as dogs. The third surprises people: feline leukemia is considered core for every kitten under a year old, indoor plans included, because young cats are more susceptible than adults and a kitten's future living situation is rarely as fixed as it seems. After the one-year booster, continuing feline leukemia becomes a lifestyle decision rather than an automatic one.
Why does the puppy or kitten series have to run until 16 weeks?
Because of antibodies inherited from the mother. A nursing puppy or kitten absorbs antibodies that protect it early on, and those same antibodies can block a vaccine from taking hold. They fade on an unpredictable schedule, usually somewhere between 8 and 16 weeks, and there is no way to know from the outside which week it happens for your animal. Giving doses every three to four weeks is a way of covering that unknown window, and the final dose at 16 weeks or later is the one most likely to be the dose that actually works. A puppy that stopped after two rounds is not fully covered, even though it looks like it had shots.
Do dogs and cats need vaccines every year?
Mostly no, and this is the most common misconception. After the initial series and the one-year booster, the core combination vaccine for both dogs and cats is generally due every three years, not annually. Rabies runs on a one- or three-year cycle depending on the specific product used and what local code requires. The real annual exception for dogs is leptospirosis, which needs yearly revaccination. Lifestyle vaccines such as kennel cough are also given more often, commonly every six to twelve months. Your pet still benefits from a yearly exam even in a year with few vaccines due, because the exam is doing separate work.
Does my indoor cat still need vaccines?
Yes, though generally fewer than an outdoor cat. Rabies is required for cats under St. George city code regardless of whether they go outside, and the exposure route is not hypothetical: bats get into houses, and a cat is the household member most likely to find one. Panleukopenia is durable in the environment and can be carried inside on shoes and clothing without any animal-to-animal contact. Indoor cats also get out more often than their owners expect, usually through a door someone did not think twice about. The honest version is a shorter list, not an empty one.
How risky are vaccine side effects?
The common reactions are mild and short: a day of sleepiness, a tender spot at the injection site, a smaller appetite. Serious reactions are rare but need immediate veterinary care, so watch the minutes and hours after a visit for facial swelling, hives, repeated vomiting, collapse, or trouble breathing. In cats there is a rare tumor that can form at an injection site; a recent systematic review and meta-analysis pooled the published studies at roughly 8.8 cases per 100,000 vaccinations, about 1 in 10,000, though those studies disagree widely enough that the true rate is uncertain. It is rare either way, and it is why veterinarians place feline vaccines in a limb or a low site rather than between the shoulder blades. If your pet has reacted before, say so in advance, because the plan can be adjusted.