Puppy Vaccination Schedule in India: Shots, Ages, Costs

In its 2015 report on Asia, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) noted that India had no national policy on vaccinating dogs, and that most vets in the countries it visited, India included, still gave every vaccine every year (WSAVA Asian guidelines, 2015). This guide follows WSAVA’s 2024 vaccination guidelines and the Indian vaccine labels. Your vet sets the final schedule for your puppy.

The vaccines

Core: every puppy needs these.

• Distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus) and parvovirus. In India they come in one combined shot, usually with parainfluenza: DHPPi. Parvo and distemper still kill puppies here.
• Rabies. WSAVA counts rabies as core wherever the disease is present, which includes India, “even if there is no legal requirement” (WSAVA 2024). Rabies is fatal to dogs and people once symptoms start.
• Leptospirosis (“lepto”), a bacterial disease spread through water and rat urine, which can also infect people. WSAVA treats it as core where it is common and a vaccine is available, as in India. It is often added to the combined shot: DHPPi+L.

Optional, depending on lifestyle:

• Kennel cough (Bordetella and parainfluenza): worth it if your dog will board, go to daycare or groomers, or join classes. Boarders often ask for it.

Not recommended: WSAVA says coronavirus and Giardia vaccines are “not recommended for pet dogs” (WSAVA vaccination table). Some combined vaccines sold in India still include coronavirus, so check the label.

What “7-in-1” and “9-in-1” mean

These are shop names, not standard ones. They count the diseases or strains in a combined vaccine: a “7-in-1” is usually the core shot (DHPPi) plus two leptospirosis strains, and a “9-in-1” the same with four (VOSD). The numbers vary by brand, so read the label or ask your vet what’s in it.

The schedule

Why so many puppy shots? Puppies get antibodies from their mother that fade at an unpredictable age, somewhere up to about 16 weeks, and while they last they also block the vaccine. Repeating the shot until 16 weeks or later makes sure one of them works (WSAVA 2024).

Rabies: WSAVA’s 2015 Asian guidelines suggest a second puppy dose about 4 weeks after the first where rabies risk is high, as it is in India, so many vets give two. For boosters, the Nobivac Rabies label in India allows a 3-year interval but recommends a yearly booster where rabies is common (MSD India, Nobivac Rabies), which is why most Indian vets give it every year.

Adult core boosters: WSAVA says the core vaccines alone need not be given more often than every 3 years. In India they often come bundled with lepto, which is yearly, so many dogs get them yearly. You can ask your vet whether a separate lepto vaccine is available; MSD sells Nobivac DHPPi and Nobivac Lepto separately in India.

What it costs

Voice of Stray Dogs gives these 2024-25 figures as a general guide for India, and says metro cities such as Bengaluru tend to be at the higher end (VOSD):

• DHPPi+L: ₹800 to ₹1,500 a dose
• Rabies: ₹300 to ₹700
• Vet consultation: ₹300 to ₹1,000 a visit

Four or five DHPPi doses, two rabies doses and the visits in the first six months add up to roughly ₹5,000 to ₹14,000 at these prices. Many clinics sell a puppy package for less: VOSD lists ₹3,500 to ₹8,000 for a full puppy series. For the full first-year budget, see the cost of raising a dog in Bangalore.

Vaccine brands in India

Ask your vet which brand they use. Brands sold in India include:

• Nobivac (MSD Animal Health): DHPPi, Lepto, L4, Rabies, Kennel Cough
• Canigen (Virbac)
• Megavac and Raksharab (Indian Immunologicals, Hyderabad)

Puppies and parks: when is it safe?

This is the question dog parents argue about most. Two things are true at once:

• Socialising early matters. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior says puppies should be socialised before they are fully vaccinated, because the first three months shape how a dog copes with the world. Puppy classes can start at 7 to 8 weeks, at least 7 days after the first vaccine and a first deworming (AVSAB).
• Parks are where the risk is. The same statement says visits to dog parks and other areas “highly trafficked by dogs of unknown vaccination or disease status should be avoided”, and WSAVA says to keep puppies away from places outside the home that may be contaminated until the series is finished at 16 weeks or later.

So, until your vet says the puppy series is done:

• Yes: carrying your puppy outside to see traffic, people and sounds; visits to friends with healthy, fully vaccinated dogs; puppy classes held on floors that are cleaned.
• No: public parks, streets where community dogs gather, pet stores and other places where unknown dogs have been. Parvovirus survives on the ground for a long time and you can’t see it.

When your puppy is ready, see which Bangalore parks allow dogs. Cubbon Park and the city’s lakes ask for proof of rabies vaccination, so keep the certificate on your phone.

Deworming

Deworming is separate from vaccination. The tropical parasite guidelines (TroCCAP) advise (TroCCAP):

• Puppies: from 2 weeks old, every 2 weeks until 8 weeks old (the mother at the same time), then monthly.
• Adult dogs: monthly, with a stool test at least every 3 months.

Dewormers sold in India include Drontal Plus, Kiwof Plus and Milbemax. Your vet will pick one by weight and age.

After a vaccination

Normal for a day or two: a little sleepy, a slight fever, a sore spot where the needle went in, eating a bit less.

Call the vet if your puppy isn’t back to normal within two days, or a lump at the injection site grows (VOSD).

Emergency, go back now: swelling of the face or around the eyes, hives, repeated vomiting, trouble breathing, or collapse. Serious allergic reactions are rare and usually start soon after the shot, which is why it’s worth waiting at the clinic for a little while after your puppy’s first vaccines.

FAQs

Can I delay a vaccination if my puppy is unwell? Yes. Tell your vet. They will usually wait until the puppy has recovered.

Is rabies vaccination compulsory in Bangalore? We found no law in force that requires it for pet dogs. A draft pet dog policy for Bengaluru, not yet notified in September 2026, would make vaccination compulsory (Deccan Herald, 16 Sep 2026), and Cubbon Park and the city lakes already ask for a rabies certificate. Vaccinate anyway: rabies is fatal and present in India.

Does a small puppy need a smaller dose? No. Vaccine doses are the same for a small or a large breed.

Are titre (antibody) tests available? WSAVA supports titre tests from 20 weeks of age, at least 4 weeks after the last shot, to check whether a puppy responded. Ask your vet whether one is available locally. For travel abroad, the rabies antibody test usually has to go to a lab outside India: no Indian lab was on the EU’s approved list in October 2026 (EU list).

What if I adopted a street puppy with no vaccination history? Start with a vet visit, deworming and a tick check, then the normal puppy series. For an adult street dog with an unknown history, WSAVA says a single dose of the core vaccine is very likely enough, plus rabies. See adopting an indie dog.