Singapore dog vaccination schedule, explained

You’ve booked a first vet appointment, or adopted a dog whose vaccination paperwork is incomplete. Start by separating three questions: protection against disease, a clinic’s individual vaccine plan, and legal requirements for licensing or travel. They overlap, but they are not the same checklist.

Official Singapore source

Animal and Veterinary Service: dog vaccinations

Core vaccines: what every dog needs

Distemper, parvovirus and adenovirus are the core viral targets in the WSAVA guidance. Your vet considers health and vaccine suitability; “core” does not mean an identical product or date for every dog:

• Canine distemper virus (CDV): a serious viral illness affecting the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems. There is no cure; treatment is supportive only.
• Canine parvovirus (CPV-2): highly contagious, environmentally resilient, and often fatal in puppies. The virus can survive on surfaces and in soil for months.
• Canine adenovirus: CAV-2 vaccine protects against infectious canine hepatitis caused by CAV-1. Ask the clinic which other components are in the combination product rather than treating all abbreviations as interchangeable.

DAP refers to distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus. A longer combination name can include other components. Keep the product name, batch and dates in your records so a new clinic can interpret the history. Rabies and other vaccines are discussed separately below.

The puppy primary series: timing matters

Puppies are born with some maternal antibodies passed through their mother's milk. Those antibodies are protective early on but also interfere with vaccine response, and they fade at different rates in different puppies. This is why a single puppy jab is not sufficient. The series is staggered to catch the window when maternal immunity has dropped enough for the vaccine to work.

Use these WSAVA discussion points with your vet, not as appointments to book without checking the product and earlier doses:

• Starting the puppy series: generally 6 to 8 weeks, with doses every 2 to 4 weeks.
• Finishing the initial series: at 16 weeks or older; higher-risk settings can require a later final dose.
• Count ages, not just injections: three doses do not automatically complete a course if the final one was too early.
• Follow-up: discuss the WSAVA recommendation for a core dose at 26 weeks or older rather than routinely waiting until 12 to 16 months.
• Adult core viral protection: subsequent revaccination is generally no more frequent than every three years after an effective course; other vaccines have different intervals.

Ask the vet to write down which vaccine is next due, the date, and why. A reminder saying “annual visit” is not necessarily a reminder for every injection. Keep the health-review appointment even in a year when a particular vaccine is not due.

Rabies: not endemic here, but relevant in specific situations

Singapore is rabies-free, and there is no requirement to vaccinate your dog against rabies simply for living here. The vaccine comes into play in two situations:

• International travel: check the destination’s official entry rules and the requirements for returning to Singapore before buying tickets. Vaccine, blood-test and waiting-period requirements differ. Ask the vet to work backwards from your proposed departure date.
• Entering or returning to Singapore: AVS requirements depend on the exporting country’s schedule. Required rabies blood testing is arranged before export, not simply on arrival. Quarantine also depends on compliance and, for Schedule II, personal-import eligibility.

If you're travelling with your dog or importing one, check the AVS portal directly, as requirements are updated periodically.

Other vaccines and exposure questions

The core/non-core label can depend on local disease conditions and the guideline used. Do not dismiss a vaccine as optional without discussing your dog’s actual exposure and the available product with your vet.

Leptospirosis

Leptospirosis is caused by bacteria spread through the urine of infected animals, most often rats. It is serious, can be fatal, and is transmissible to humans. Singapore has a substantial urban rat population, and dogs that sniff around drains, storm channels, grassy areas, or any ground where rats are active face genuine exposure risk. That covers most dogs in most neighbourhoods here.

WSAVA considers leptospirosis vaccination core where disease is endemic and suitable vaccines are available. Discuss local risk and the product’s initial course and annual boosters with your vet.

Bordetella (kennel cough)

Kennel cough is a catchall term for infectious tracheobronchitis, most commonly caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, often alongside other pathogens. It spreads easily in any setting where dogs are in close contact: boarding facilities, daycare, grooming salons, and dog runs. If your dog uses any of these regularly, the bordetella vaccine is strongly recommended, and many Singapore boarding providers require it as a condition of entry. It is available as an injectable or intranasal form; your vet will advise on which is appropriate.

Canine influenza

Ask about canine influenza when discussing travel, outbreaks or particular group settings. Do not assume that visiting a dog-friendly cafe establishes a local influenza vaccine requirement. The useful question is whether there is a relevant exposure and an appropriate available vaccine.

Titre testing: an evidence-based alternative for adult dogs

Antibody testing can help a vet assess immunity to selected core viruses. It is not a universal “protected against everything” certificate or a replacement for every vaccine.

This matters for several reasons:

• Ask which infection the test assesses and how its result would change the plan.
• Ask whether the result will be accepted for the particular boarding or travel purpose you have in mind.
• If the vaccination history is incomplete, bring any available records rather than guessing the previous product or date.

Ask the clinic for the price, turnaround time and whether testing is performed in-house or sent away. Do not assume every Singapore clinic charges more than a booster or uses the same laboratory. Ask what a positive, negative or inconclusive result would mean before paying for the test. Our vet directory can help you find a clinic to discuss the options.

AVS dog licensing and your vaccination records

The current AVS fee table offers one- and two-year licences and a S$35 one-time licence for sterilised pets among the first three cats/dogs. Non-sterilised pets have one-, two- and three-year options. The listed one-year fees are S$15 sterilised and S$90 non-sterilised; different rules apply below five months and for additional pets. Listed prices exclude the 10% rebate for eligible payment methods. Check the row that applies to your household rather than assuming annual renewal.

Keep your dog's vaccination booklet or health record in good order. When you renew your licence or if your dog needs emergency veterinary care, having an accurate, up-to-date record saves time and can affect treatment decisions. If your vet issues digital records, download and back them up somewhere accessible.

What to bring to your puppy's first vet appointment

If you're heading in for the first appointment, come prepared:

• Any vaccination records provided by the breeder, pet shop, rescue, or previous owner, even if they look incomplete.
• The puppy's deworming history if known.
• Ask the clinic whether it wants a stool sample and how it should be collected and stored.
• A list of questions, including what schedule the vet recommends based on the puppy's current age and what they received previously.
• Your contact details and a rough sense of your dog's likely lifestyle, whether they'll be at daycare, dog runs, or mostly at home, as this affects non-core vaccine recommendations.

Adopted adult dogs with incomplete or unknown vaccination history

Ask the rescue or previous owner for the actual vaccination record, including product and dates. A rescue’s reputation is not a substitute for paperwork, and missing paperwork is not proof that nothing was given. Ask whether records can be obtained directly from the earlier clinic.

An adult dog does not automatically need the puppy series restarted. The vet chooses the course using age, history, product and risk. WSAVA notes that one modified-live core dose will likely protect most dogs over 26 weeks; some products or situations require a different plan.

Arrange the record review promptly, and ask which outings are appropriate while the plan is being clarified. Do not assume an undocumented dog is definitely unprotected or fully protected. Discuss careful socialisation as well as infection prevention.

The schedule above is a solid starting point, but it is exactly that: a starting point. Your vet knows your dog's individual health, weight, age, and exposure risks, and they may reasonably adjust timing, frequency, or specific vaccine choices based on all of that. Bring this guide as a reference if it helps you ask better questions, but let the final call sit where it belongs, with a vet who has examined your dog in person. If you're looking for a clinic, our Singapore vet directory lists practices across HDB towns and private estates.

Leave with a usable record

Before the appointment ends, check that you can read the vaccine name, date given, next-due instruction and clinic contact. Keep a photograph and a copy in your dog’s health records. If a boarding operator asks for something different, send the written requirement to your vet rather than adding or delaying a vaccine yourself.

Sources checked 12 September 2026

• WSAVA 2024 vaccination guidance
• AVS import conditions
• AVS licence fees