Puppy Vaccination & Deworming Schedule: What to Expect After Pickup

One of the most common questions we get from new owners is "what shots does my puppy still need?" Every puppy that leaves GuigaPaws has already been dewormed and started on their core vaccine series, but that series isn't finished at pickup — it continues on a schedule your vet will manage from there. Here's what that actually looks like.

What "already started" means

When we hand over a puppy, they've already received age-appropriate doses of the core vaccines: Canine Distemper, Leptospirosis, Adenovirus Type 2, and Parainfluenza, plus deworming. We give you a vaccination card showing exactly what's been given and when — bring this to your first vet visit so your vet can pick up the schedule without repeating doses unnecessarily.

The typical continuing schedule

Puppy vaccine schedules are usually given in a series of boosters, spaced a few weeks apart, because a single dose isn't enough to build full immunity in a young immune system. Your vet will confirm exact timing, but the general pattern most vets follow looks like this:

• 6–8 weeks: first combination vaccine (distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, parainfluenza) — this is usually the stage GuigaPaws puppies leave at.
• 10–12 weeks: first booster of the same combination vaccine.
• 14–16 weeks: second booster, plus rabies vaccine where required.
• 12–16 months: first annual booster, transitioning to yearly or every-three-years boosters depending on the vaccine and your vet's protocol.

Why deworming isn't a one-time thing either

Puppies are dewormed more than once because deworming medication only kills the parasites present at the time — it doesn't prevent reinfection, and puppies can pick up new parasites from their environment, mother's milk, or other animals. Most vets repeat deworming every 2–3 weeks until about 12 weeks old, then move to a monthly or quarterly schedule alongside heartworm prevention.

Signs to watch for between visits

Contact your vet sooner than scheduled if you notice lethargy that doesn't match normal puppy sleepiness, vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than a day, visible worms in stool, or a loss of appetite for more than one meal. Puppies dehydrate and decline faster than adult dogs, so it's better to call and be told it's nothing than to wait.

Keep the paper trail

Hold onto every vaccination and deworming record from day one — many boarding facilities, groomers, and even some housing complexes in the Philippines require proof of current vaccination, and having a complete record makes every future vet visit faster since your vet isn't starting from zero. A dedicated vaccination record booklet (see the recommendation alongside this article) keeps that history in one place instead of scattered across vet receipts.

If you ever lose track of what your GuigaPaws puppy already received before pickup, message us — we keep records on file for every puppy we place.