Parvo, distemper, and rabies are the three killers of street dogs in India — and all three are preventable for a few hundred rupees. Whether you've adopted a pup, foster a rescue, or feed a street dog you care about, this is the schedule that keeps them (and you) safe.
Start with a vet visit, not a vaccine
A sick or heavily worm-infested dog responds poorly to vaccination. The first visit should be a general exam and a deworming plan; vaccines start once the dog is reasonably healthy. Take whatever history you have — even 'found near the market, roughly 3 months old' helps.
Puppy schedule (start at 6–8 weeks)
- 16–8 weeks: first DHPPi + L combination shot (distemper, hepatitis, parvo, parainfluenza, leptospirosis).
- 2Every 3–4 weeks after: booster combinations until the pup is 16 weeks old — usually 3 shots in total. The series matters; a single early shot protects almost nothing once maternal antibodies fade.
- 312–14 weeks: first anti-rabies vaccine, with a booster as your vet schedules it.
- 4Until one week after the final parvo/distemper shot, keep pups off public ground and away from unknown dogs — parvo lives in soil for months.
Adult rescues with unknown history
Treat an adult with no records as unvaccinated: one DHPPi + L shot, a booster 3–4 weeks later, and an anti-rabies shot the same day as the first visit. After that, it's a single combination + rabies booster every year. If the dog stays on the street, the annual rabies shot is the non-negotiable one — for its safety and the neighbourhood's.
Deworming and parasites
- Puppies: deworm at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 weeks, then monthly until 6 months.
- Adults: deworm every 3 months, or monthly for dogs living on the street.
- Dose by weight — weigh the dog, don't guess. Your vet will pick the right dewormer.
- Ticks and fleas carry deadly blood parasites (ehrlichia, babesia) that are rampant in India. Ask the vet for a monthly spot-on or chewable preventive; a heavy tick load is itself a vet visit, not a bath.
Records, costs, and free options
Keep a vaccination card from the first shot — you'll need it for boarding, travel, adoption paperwork, and any bite incident. If cost is the barrier: municipal ABC (Animal Birth Control) centres vaccinate strays against rabies free during sterilisation, many NGOs run free vaccination camps, and government veterinary hospitals charge a fraction of private clinic rates. A street dog you feed can get its full protection for almost nothing — it just needs one human to organise it.
After any vaccine
A quiet day and mild soreness are normal. Facial swelling, hives, vomiting, or collapse within hours are an allergic emergency — go back to the vet immediately.