What is non-core vaccines?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
Non-core vaccines are vaccines recommended only for pets whose location or lifestyle puts them at risk of a particular infection. For dogs they include kennel cough (Bordetella and parainfluenza), canine influenza and Lyme disease vaccines; for cats, Chlamydia, Bordetella and, in some places, FIV vaccines. Your vet decides which your pet needs.
Also called non-core vaccine, optional vaccines, lifestyle vaccines, not recommended vaccines.
Key facts
- WSAVA calls non-core vaccines highly recommended only for animals whose location or lifestyle, such as outdoor access or a multi-pet home, puts them at risk. WSAVAstudy
- Not recommended vaccines are those with too little scientific evidence to justify their use anywhere. WSAVAstudy
- Canine coronavirus and Giardia vaccines are on WSAVA's not recommended list for dogs. WSAVAstudy
- The FIV vaccine is non-core and available only in Japan, Australia and New Zealand. WSAVAstudy
- Bordetella vaccine is not routinely used in pet cats; WSAVA suggests it only for cats in unusually large colonies. WSAVAstudy
Which vaccines are non-core for dogs and cats?
WSAVA's 2024 guidelines, with the situations each is meant for. Some are not sold in India.
| Who it is for | |
|---|---|
| Kennel cough: Bordetella and parainfluenza (dogs) WSAVAstudy | Dogs that board, go to day care or meet many dogs. Nasal or oral forms protect after one dose; injectable forms need two. |
| Canine influenza (dogs) WSAVAstudy | Licensed only in the USA, for co-housed dogs in kennels, shows or day care. |
| Lyme disease, Borrelia (dogs) WSAVAstudy | Dogs at high risk of tick exposure where the disease is endemic. Tick control is the mainstay. |
| Leishmaniosis (dogs) WSAVAstudy | A supplement to, never a substitute for, careful sandfly and parasite control. |
| Chlamydia felis (cats) WSAVAstudy | Multi-cat homes where infection with illness has been confirmed. |
| Bordetella bronchiseptica (cats) WSAVAstudy | Not routine for pet cats; considered for cats kept in unusually large colonies. |
Does my dog need the kennel cough vaccine before boarding?
It is the non-core vaccine Indian owners meet most. Kennel cough spreads fastest where dogs share air, so a dog going to a boarding sitter, a day-care group or a busy grooming salon is exactly the dog WSAVA describes as at risk. It reduces the chance and severity of illness but does not stop every infection.
No national rule in India says which vaccines a boarding sitter must ask for, so each sitter sets its own policy. The nasal or oral vaccine protects after a single dose; the injectable form needs two doses a few weeks apart. Ask your vet at least two weeks before a stay.
Which vaccines does WSAVA not recommend?
For dogs, canine coronavirus vaccine (often added to 9-in-1 combinations), Giardia vaccine and ringworm (Microsporum canis) vaccine. WSAVA says the evidence that canine coronavirus is an important disease in adult dogs is weak, and that puppy infections are usually mild and often come before the first vaccine. For cats, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP) vaccine, Giardia and ringworm vaccines are on the same list.
WSAVA also prefers modified-live parvovirus vaccines to killed ones for pet dogs where they are available, because they are more potent and last longer. Read the label of a combination vial to see what you are paying for.
Are non-core vaccines given yearly?
Most of them, yes. Kennel cough, Lyme, Chlamydia and most other non-core vaccines give shorter protection than the modified-live core vaccines and are repeated every year for as long as the risk continues. That is why a yearly vet visit still matters for a dog whose core boosters fall only every three years.
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Questions owners ask
What is the difference between core and non-core vaccines?
- Core vaccines are for every dog or cat, because the diseases they prevent are widespread and severe. Non-core vaccines are for pets whose location or lifestyle puts them at risk of a particular disease, such as kennel cough for a dog that boards. Your vet weighs the risk for your pet.
Is the coronavirus vaccine for dogs necessary?
- WSAVA's 2024 guidelines list canine coronavirus vaccine as not recommended. The evidence that the virus is an important disease in adult dogs is weak, and puppy infections are usually mild. Some combination vaccines sold as 9-in-1 include it; ask your vet whether the one offered does.
Does my indoor cat need non-core vaccines?
- Usually not. Non-core cat vaccines such as Chlamydia and Bordetella are for cats in multi-cat or colony settings with confirmed infection. An indoor cat still needs its core vaccines and rabies. FeLV depends on whether the cat goes outdoors or lives with cats that do.
Is the kennel cough vaccine required for boarding in India?
- Not by any national rule. Each boarding sitter or facility sets its own vaccine policy, and many ask for kennel cough cover. Check the policy before booking and ask your vet at least two weeks ahead, because the injectable form needs two doses.
Keep reading
Related terms
More in vaccines and parasites
- BabesiosisBabesiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Babesia, tiny parasites that live in and destroy red blood cells. It is spread mainly by ticks, and in India one species, Babesia gibsoni, also spreads through dog fights and blood transfusions. Signs are anaemia with pale gums, weakness, jaundice and red or brown urine. Dogs that recover can relapse.
- Booster vaccineA booster is a repeat dose of a vaccine that tops up or confirms a pet's protection. Puppies and kittens get a booster at about 26 weeks after their first course. After that, modern core vaccines for distemper, parvovirus and panleukopenia protect for years, while leptospirosis, kennel cough and most killed vaccines need a booster every year.
- Brown dog tickThe brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is the most common tick on dogs in the tropics, including India. Unlike most ticks it lives and breeds indoors, in homes and kennels, as well as outdoors. It spreads ehrlichiosis and one form of babesiosis, the infections Indian owners call tick fever, so tick control is needed all year.
- Core vaccinesCore vaccines are the vaccines every dog or cat should have, wherever it lives, because they protect against widespread, serious diseases. For dogs they cover distemper, adenovirus and parvovirus; for cats, panleukopenia, herpesvirus and calicivirus. In India rabies is core for both, and WSAVA also treats leptospirosis vaccine as core for dogs where the disease is endemic.
- DewormingDeworming is giving a pet medicine, chosen by your vet, to kill intestinal worms such as roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms. Puppies can be born with roundworms and catch more from their mother's milk, so deworming starts in the first weeks of life. Some dog and cat worms can infect people, especially children, so regular deworming protects the family too.
- DHPPi vaccineDHPPi is the combined core vaccine for dogs printed on many Indian vaccine cards. The letters stand for distemper (D), hepatitis from canine adenovirus (H), parvovirus (P) and parainfluenza (Pi). DHPPiL adds leptospirosis (L). It is the same vaccine group that US cards call DHPP or DA2PP, and puppies start it at 6 to 8 weeks.
- EhrlichiosisEhrlichiosis is a disease of dogs caused by Ehrlichia canis, a bacterium carried by the brown dog tick. Signs appear 1 to 3 weeks after infection: fever, dullness, bleeding such as nosebleeds or bruising, and enlarged lymph nodes. Some dogs seem to recover but carry the infection silently and later develop a severe chronic form.
- Flea and tick preventionFlea and tick prevention means regularly protecting a pet from these parasites with a product your vet recommends, plus checking the coat and treating the home. Tropical guidelines say dogs and cats in places like India should be protected all year, including indoor pets. Use products licensed for the species, and never put a dog product on a cat.
- FleasFleas are small, wingless, blood-feeding insects. The cat flea, Ctenocephalides felis, is the most common flea on dogs and cats worldwide, and the main flea on dogs studied in India. Fleas cause itching, flea allergy, tapeworm and, in heavy infestations, anaemia in puppies and kittens. Most of the flea life cycle happens in the home.
- FVRCP vaccineFVRCP is the core combined vaccine for cats. It protects against feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus), calicivirus and panleukopenia. Indian cards often show a brand name from the vial sticker instead, such as Tricat. Kittens start at 6 to 8 weeks, with doses every 2 to 4 weeks until 16 weeks or older, then a booster at about 26 weeks.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- WSAVA: Core and non-core vaccines for pet dogs (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: Core and non-core vaccines for pet cats (opens in a new tab)
- PDSA: Kennel cough (opens in a new tab)
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Kennel cough (canine infectious tracheobronchitis) (opens in a new tab)
- WSAVA: 2024 guidelines for the vaccination of dogs and cats (WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group, Journal of Small Animal Practice) (opens in a new tab)
- AAHA (JAAHA): 2022 AAHA canine vaccination guidelines (opens in a new tab)