Blog post showing vaccination schedules for Dutch dogs
By Laure-Anne Visele, March 2015
About the author: certified dog trainer in The Hague
Canis bonus: Laure-Anne Visele
My name is Laure-Anne and I help with dog behaviour problems around The Hague (Canis bonus). I am also Head Trainer at OhMyDog! (dog training school in The Hague). I graduated in Zoology, and am a certified dog trainer and applied animal behaviourist.
If you live close to The Hague and are getting worried or annoyed about your dog’s behaviour, tell me about the problem. I’ll get back to you within two business days. You can always read up a little on how it works first if you’re not sure.
Dog vaccinations in The Netherlands
My position on dog vaccination is no mystery: I see it as a civic duty to keep our dogs up to date on their vaccinations. But exactly how often should these take place, and what are the dogs being vaccinated against?
As I needed to brief my staff at our dog training school in The Hague on vaccination policies, I sat down with the veterinary practice with whom I collaborate on behaviour work, and they gave me the low down on vaccinations. I figured my expat readers would be happy to see this information in English.
The big canine diseases
In the Netherlands, dogs are expected to be covered against four diseases:
- Distemper (hondenziekte in Dutch)
- Parvovirus
- Canine hepatitis (leverziekte in Dutch)
- Leptospirosis
If your dog attends a training school, or if he needs to stay at a dog pension or walks with a dog walking group, he will also need to be vaccinated against the two forms of kennel cough (kennelhoest in Dutch):
- Bordatella
- Parainfluenza
And if you brought your dog in from abroad or want to travel with him, he will also need to be vaccinated against rabies.
Dutch canine vaccination schedule
Dogs need to be vaccinated against all the diseases every three years, and against leptospirosis and kennel cough every year.
The vaccine for both variants of the kennel cough is delivered in one go, nasally.
The first set of vaccines is delivered to puppies on three separate occasions, every three weeks starting at six weeks old. So your pup should be fully vaccinated around twelve weeks.
Final note, make sure you ask for the L4 version of the Leptospirosis vaccine. This protects against a forth strain of the Leptospirosis bacteria, whereas the old version only protected against three strains. The forth strain has been known to strike in The Netherlands too, so it’s a good precaution.
Vaccines per dog age
If you want to see the detailed breakdown, here we go:
6 weeks: DP vaccine (Distemper + Parvovirus)
9 weeks:
- Small cocktail (Parvovirus + Leptospirosis (L4))
- Kennel cough (Bordatella + Parainfluenza)
12 weeks: Big cocktail (Parvovirus + Distemper + Canine Hepatitis + Leptospirosis (L4))
1, 4, 7, 10, etc. years:
- Big cocktail (Parvovirus + Distemper + Canine Hepatitis + Leptospirosis (L4))
- Kennel cough (Bordatella + Parainfluenza)
2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, etc. years:
- Leptospirosis (L4)
- Kennel cough (Bordatella + Parainfluenza)
That should cover you! Drop me a line if you have any questions or comments.
4 Comments
Hi! We have come from Ukraine and our 2-year-old Yorkie with us (born 17 May 2015). We have all the necessary vaccinations just as in the scheme provided by you above including against rabies. In May it was a time for yearly re-vaccination against rabies, but we have read that in the Netherlands it is done once in 3 years and the vaccine Nobivac guarantees 3-year immunity so we passed it in May. However, I just read that at 2 years we have to repeat the vaccination against L4 and Bordatella. In 11 days we’re going to leave the dog at a pet pension for a while. So the question is if we will make the vaccination today, is there any quarantine for him to stay on and avoid contacts with other dogs and if there is, are 10 days enough? Or would you suggest to make the vaccination afterward, in 2 weeks? When his vet was seeing his vaccinations in March he did not emphasize that we have to come and make this vaccination in May sharp and that is why I am concerned. I am right now making an appointment with him, however, it is interesting to know your opinion as from the web-site you appear to be very experienced in the matter))
Hi Alice. Thank you for writing in. I would check directly with a veterinarian.
Dear Alice,
You don’t have to repeat that vaccines at all once in a lifetime is enough, my Yorkshire died after over vaccination. After his death I’ve started educating myself about health of the dogs and I can tell that all that vacation every year or 3 it’s only to make money, not about that they care about your dog. Veterinarians know about it pretty well but they got a huge profit on vaccinations. The truth is the majority of vets are not going to change until they are forced to – which is not likely to happen due to politics and due to the lack of concern by the one entity that could protect the public and ensure animal welfare: the individual state veterinary medical boards …”
I advise you to download ebook called “Are you vaccinating your dog too much?”
Hi Roman
I am so sorry about the loss of your dog.
However, an e-book and ‘educating yourself’ does not make for a specialist veterinary degree. I am afraid that the University of Google and a very sad personal anecdote does not entitle you to responsibly give public health advice.
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[…] you want information about pet vaccination schedules in the Netherlands, check my overview or the Landelijk Informatie Centrum Gezelschapsdieren (in Dutch). The LIC article also has a […]