Routine vaccines and preventive care for pets in Spain

Key rules

• Rabies: There is no single national rabies duty for pets: each region decides, so ask your vet or regional department what applies where you live.
• Puppies and kittens: The first series starts at about 6 to 8 weeks and the first booster comes at 12 months.
• Leishmania vaccine: It lowers risk but does not replace repellents and avoiding sandflies.
• Parasite control: Treat against fleas, ticks, sandflies and mosquitoes all year in most of Spain.

What your pet needs at a glance

Your vet sets the plan by your pet's age, lifestyle and region. The basics are core vaccines, year-round parasite control and, where your region requires it, rabies. The timeline and checklist below show the order and what to ask for.

Core vaccines for dogs

Dogs get a combination vaccine against distemper, parvovirus and infectious hepatitis (adenovirus), often with parainfluenza. Leptospirosis is usually added. Vets commonly use a four-strain version.

Optional extras are kennel cough, Lyme disease and leishmania. Your vet will tell you which fit your dog.

Core vaccines for cats

Cats get the trivalent vaccine: panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. Some products also cover chlamydia.

Feline leukaemia is routine for kittens and for cats that go outdoors or meet other cats. The cat is tested first and must be negative.

Rabies: it depends on your region

There is no single national rabies duty for pets: each region decides, so ask your vet or regional department what applies where you live.

Many regions require it for dogs, and some extend that to cats and ferrets. Catalonia dropped the requirement for dogs and cats, but you still need it for travel. In some regions, such as the Basque Country, the Balearics and the Canaries, the rule differs or applies only for travel. Rules have changed over time, so confirm before you act. Your regional agriculture or health department, or the provincial vets' association, can tell you.

Leishmania

Leishmania is spread by sandflies. It is a risk for dogs living in or visiting most of the Mediterranean coast, the south, the centre and the Balearics.

A vaccine exists. The usual route is a negative test first, then the vaccine, then a yearly booster. It reduces risk and severity but does not give full protection. Keep using repellent collars or spot-on treatments, and keep your dog indoors at dusk and dawn, roughly May to November. A dog that tests positive is treated and monitored instead.

Puppies and kittens: the first year

• The first series starts at about 6 to 8 weeks: two or three doses, 3 to 4 weeks apart, finishing at 12 to 16 weeks.
• Rabies, where it applies, is given from 12 weeks.
• The first booster comes at 12 months.

Boosters after that

Clinics differ. Many Spanish vets still repeat the combination vaccine, leptospirosis and rabies every year. Others follow international guidance and repeat the core vaccines every three years. Leptospirosis, kennel cough, leishmania and feline leukaemia (for cats at risk) stay yearly. Rabies is yearly or every one to three years, depending on the product and the regional rule. Ask your vet which schedule they use and write down the next dates.

Parasite prevention

• Puppies and kittens: deworm every 2 weeks from about 2 weeks old until 12 weeks, then monthly until 6 months.
• Adults: deworm every 3 months. Do it monthly if your dog hunts, scavenges or lives with young children, or is at risk of hydatid disease (rural dogs that eat raw offal).
• Fleas, ticks, sandflies and mosquitoes: treat all year in most of Spain, because the climate is mild. Risk peaks from spring to autumn. Products last one or three months depending on type: spot-on, tablet or collar.
• Heartworm: in at-risk areas such as the coast, the Canaries and Andalucía, use a monthly or injectable preventive.

For a reminder schedule, use the yearly pet health calendar below.

Choosing between options

How often should core vaccines be repeated after the first booster?

• Every year: Your clinic follows the annual schedule for the combination vaccine, leptospirosis and rabies, which is common in Spain.

• Every three years for core vaccines: Your vet follows the three-year schedule for distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus, panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. Leptospirosis, kennel cough, feline leukaemia in at-risk cats and leishmania still stay annual.

Both schedules start with the primary series and a first booster at 12 months. After that, follow the schedule your vet sets for your pet's age, lifestyle and region.

Timeline and deadlines

• Start the first vaccine series for a puppy or kitten: at about 6 to 8 weeks of age

• Give the first rabies vaccine where it applies: from 12 weeks of age

• Give the first booster: at 12 months of age

• Repeat boosters: every year, or every three years for core vaccines at clinics that follow that schedule

• Deworm an adult: every 3 months, or monthly for dogs that hunt, scavenge, live with young children or are at hydatid risk

• Treat against fleas, ticks, sandflies and mosquitoes: all year in most of Spain, with peak risk from spring to autumn

Yearly pet health calendar for Spain

Year-round

Book one full check-up a year. It covers weight, teeth, heart and blood tests. Senior pets go every six months.

Keep external parasite protection going all year against fleas and ticks, with a monthly or three-monthly product depending on the type (spot-on, tablet or collar). Most of Spain is mild enough for parasites to stay active through winter.

Deworm adults inside every 3 months. Dogs that hunt, scavenge, eat raw offal or live with young children need it monthly.

Put every product on a phone calendar with a reminder, so no dose slips.

Spring (March to May)

• Leishmania: Have your dog tested and give any booster before sand flies appear in May or June.
• Heartworm: Start prevention in April if you live in an at-risk area, such as the coast, the Canaries or Andalucía. It is monthly or by injection, and continues until late autumn. Add a yearly test.
• Ticks: Expect a peak in spring.
• Processionary caterpillars: They are most dangerous from February to May, and any contact is an emergency. Keep dogs on a lead near pines, avoid white silky nests, and go straight to a vet if your dog sniffs or licks one.
• Vaccines: Book boosters now if they fall due. Your vet sets the interval, because clinics differ. Many vets give the combination vaccine, leptospirosis and rabies yearly. Others give the core vaccines every three years. Rabies is compulsory in many regions and for travel.

Summer (June to September)

• Sand flies: They are active from about May or June to October or November, and longer in the south and islands. Use a repellent collar or spot-on all season, and keep your dog indoors at dusk and dawn.
• Mosquitoes: Keep heartworm prevention going.
• Heat: The risk runs from June to September, and heat waves can start in May. Walk early or late, carry water, and never leave a pet in a car.
• Grass seeds: Check ears, paws and between the toes after every country walk.

Autumn (October to November)

• Sand flies and mosquitoes: They stay active into November, so do not stop protection early. In the Canaries, mosquitoes are around almost all year.
• Ticks: They peak again in autumn.
• Heartworm: Finish the season's prevention in late autumn.
• Check-up: Autumn is a good time for the yearly check-up, with blood tests.

Winter (December to February)

• Processionary caterpillars: In warm areas they can appear from January, so start the lead-near-pines habit early.
• Parasites: Keep fleas and ticks covered. Do not pause.
• Planning: Book the spring leishmania test and review which vaccines are due.

Puppies and kittens

Follow this schedule from the first weeks instead of the adult one:

Seasons shift with local climate and altitude, so ask your vet to adjust this calendar to your pet's age, health and area.

Checklist

• Ask your vet which vaccines suit your pet's age, lifestyle and region.

• Ask for the dog combination vaccine against distemper, parvovirus and hepatitis, with leptospirosis added.

• Ask for the cat trivalent vaccine against panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus.

• Ask for a feline leukaemia test and vaccine if your cat goes outdoors or meets other cats.

• Ask your vet or regional department whether rabies vaccination is required where you live, and whether you need it for travel.

• Ask about a leishmania test and vaccine if your dog lives in or travels to the Mediterranean coast, the south, the centre or the Balearics.

What to watch out for

• The leishmania vaccine does not give full protection: The vaccine lowers the risk and severity of leishmaniasis but does not stop it completely. Relying on it alone leaves your dog exposed to sandfly bites.

• Booster dates differ between clinics: Some clinics give annual boosters and others every three years for core vaccines, while leptospirosis, kennel cough and leishmania stay annual. Missing a yearly one leaves a gap in protection. Ask your vet which schedule applies and book the next booster before you leave the clinic.

• Stopping parasite treatment in winter: Fleas, ticks, sandflies and mosquitoes are a risk all year in most of Spain, and heartworm is a risk on the coast, in the Canaries and in Andalucía. Pausing treatment leaves your pet unprotected. Keep up the monthly or 3-monthly product all year, and ask about heartworm prevention if you live in an at-risk area.

• Skipping deworming for puppies and kittens: Young animals need frequent deworming, and dogs that scavenge, hunt or eat raw offal need it more often than adults at home. Deworm every 2 weeks until 12 weeks of age, then monthly until 6 months, and monthly for dogs at hydatid risk.

Frequently asked questions

Does a dog need a test before the leishmania vaccine?

Yes, a dog needs a negative rapid or serological test before the leishmania vaccine, and then an annual booster.

How often are core vaccines repeated after the first booster?

Core vaccines are repeated every year at some Spanish clinics and every three years at others, after the first booster at 12 months. Leptospirosis, kennel cough, feline leukaemia in at-risk cats and leishmania stay annual. Ask your vet which schedule the clinic follows.

Does a cat need the feline leukaemia vaccine?

Yes, a cat needs the feline leukaemia vaccine if it is a kitten, goes outdoors or has contact with other cats. The vet gives a test first, and the vaccine only follows a negative result.