The vaccination schedule every Nigerian dog and cat owner should know
Which vaccines matter in Nigeria, when each shot is due, and why the booster you skipped is the one that counts.
Vaccination is the cheapest veterinary care you will ever buy. A full vaccine course costs a fraction of treating the diseases it prevents, and some of those diseases, like rabies, have no treatment at all once symptoms appear.
The core vaccines for dogs
In Nigeria, the vaccines that matter most for dogs are DHLPP (covering distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parvovirus and parainfluenza) and the anti-rabies vaccine. Parvovirus deserves special mention: it spreads through contaminated soil and surfaces, survives for months in a compound, and is one of the most common killers of unvaccinated puppies in Lagos.
- 6 to 8 weeks: first DHLPP shot
- 10 to 12 weeks: second DHLPP shot
- 14 to 16 weeks: third DHLPP shot plus anti-rabies
- Every year after: DHLPP and rabies boosters
The core vaccines for cats
Cats need protection against feline panleukopenia, calicivirus and rhinotracheitis (usually combined in one shot), plus anti-rabies. Kittens follow a similar rhythm to puppies: a first shot around 8 weeks, a booster three to four weeks later, and rabies from about 12 weeks.
Why the schedule matters more than the shot
A single vaccine dose in a puppy or kitten is not full protection. Young animals carry antibodies from their mother that can neutralise a vaccine before it teaches the immune system anything. That is exactly why the course is repeated. Owners who stop after one shot often believe their pet is covered when it is not.
What about the yearly booster?
Immunity fades. The yearly booster keeps protection topped up, and it also gives your vet a scheduled chance to examine your pet from nose to tail once a year. Most serious conditions we catch, we catch at booster visits.
Keep the card
Your pet's vaccination card is a legal and medical document. You will need it for boarding, travel, estate registration and insurance claims. At Nexara we bring vaccines to your home on a logged cold chain and update the card on the spot, so the record is always current.
Overdue on any shot on that card?
Bring the schedule current in one home visit: vaccines on a logged cold chain, card updated before we leave.
