Puppy worming and vaccination schedule in Australia

Worming puppies

Roundworm passes from a mother to her puppies, mostly before birth and also through her milk, so puppies can have worms by about a week old. That’s why worming starts early:

• Every 2 weeks from 2 weeks old until 12 weeks old.
• Then monthly until 6 months old.
• Then every 3 months for life.

Use a wormer made for puppies, dosed by weight, and check the label for the youngest age it can be given. Victorian breeding businesses must not give a puppy its first wormer or vaccine before 10 days old.

Worm the mother at the same times as the puppies while she’s feeding them. Ask your vet about worming her in late pregnancy too, and which products are safe while she’s pregnant.

Puppy vaccinations: C3 and C5

C3 protects against the three core diseases: parvovirus, distemper and infectious hepatitis (adenovirus). C5 adds parainfluenza and Bordetella, the main causes of kennel cough.

• First vaccination at 6 to 8 weeks old.
• Then every 2 to 4 weeks, usually at 10 to 12 weeks.
• The last puppy vaccination at 16 weeks or older.
• A booster from 6 months old, or 12 months after the last puppy vaccination, depending on the vaccine and your vet.

The Australian Veterinary Association recommends the last puppy dose at no earlier than 16 weeks, even where a vaccine is labelled for an earlier finish. After the booster, adult vaccines are given every 1 to 3 years: core vaccines can be every 3 years, and kennel cough and leptospirosis vaccines are usually yearly.

Leptospirosis vaccination is now recommended in parts of Sydney and NSW, where there have been outbreaks. Ask your vet whether your dogs need it.

Before puppies go to new homes

• NSW: the breeding code says puppies must be vaccinated against distemper, hepatitis and parvovirus, and wormed, before sale.
• Victoria: puppies should be vaccinated at least 8 days before they go to their new home.
• Tasmania: give the new owner a vet-signed vaccination certificate showing the dates, the diseases covered and when the next one is due.
• Everywhere: it’s good practice to give the new owner a record of every wormer and vaccine, with the next due dates.

Until 1 to 2 weeks after their last puppy vaccination, puppies should stay away from dog parks and dogs you don’t know. Well-run puppy classes and healthy, vaccinated dogs at home are fine.

Heartworm, fleas and ticks

• Heartworm prevention can start at 6 to 8 weeks old, depending on the product, or as an injection from 12 weeks, repeated at 6 months and then yearly.
• Every flea and tick product has a minimum age and weight on its label. For example, Advocate is for puppies from 7 weeks old.
• Paralysis ticks live along the east coast from North Queensland to Victoria. They’re around all year in the north and mostly from spring to late autumn further south. Search every dog every day, even when using a tick product, and never use a dog tick product on a cat.

How WhelpHQ schedules it

When you log a litter, WhelpHQ’s built-in Puppy Standard Protocol adds reminders counted from the birth date: worming at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks, and vaccinations at 8, 10 and 12 weeks.

Most puppies go to their new homes part-way through this schedule. Tell each new owner which doses their puppy has had, and that it still needs worming every 2 weeks until 12 weeks old and a last puppy vaccination at 16 weeks or older.

If your vet’s plan is different, for example a first vaccination at 6 weeks, or a 16-week vaccination for puppies you keep, change the schedule in Settings → Care Protocols → Manage Protocols, or create your own. Changes apply to litters you log afterwards.

When a worming or vaccination step is due, open the litter and tap Treat Litter to record the dose for the whole litter, then tick the step off in the litter’s Protocol Schedule.