Cat & dog vaccinations in Abu Dhabi

Why vaccinate?

Vaccines prevent diseases that, if your pet contracts them, are often fatal or extremely expensive to treat. Many of these diseases are still common in the UAE — particularly among unvaccinated street animals — and your pet can be exposed without you realising.

Dog vaccinations

Core vaccines (recommended for every dog)

• Distemper — viral disease affecting nervous and respiratory systems
• Parvovirus — severe, often fatal gastrointestinal disease
• Hepatitis (adenovirus) — affects liver and other organs
• Parainfluenza — respiratory disease, part of "kennel cough"
• Rabies — fatal in unvaccinated animals and a UAE legal requirement

Non-core (recommended based on lifestyle)

• Leptospirosis — bacterial, spread via standing water
• Bordetella (kennel cough) — important for dogs that board or socialise with other dogs

Cat vaccinations

Core vaccines

• Feline panleukopenia (FPV) — like canine parvo, severe and often fatal
• Feline viral rhinotracheitis (FVR) — respiratory and ocular disease
• Feline calicivirus (FCV) — respiratory disease, sometimes severe
• Rabies — required for travel and recommended for all cats

Non-core

• Feline leukemia virus (FeLV) — particularly important for outdoor cats or cats living with FeLV-positive cats

Vaccine schedules

Puppies & kittens

Start at 6–8 weeks, with boosters every 3–4 weeks until 16 weeks old. Then a 12-month booster. After that, annual or three-yearly boosters depending on the vaccine and your pet's lifestyle.

Adult pets

If you've adopted an adult pet with no records, we recommend starting with a full restart course rather than guessing. The cost is far less than the risk of an inadequately protected animal.

Vaccinations for international travel

Most countries require up-to-date rabies vaccination at minimum. The UK, EU, and many other destinations require a rabies titre blood test at least 30 days after vaccination. Timing is critical — see our pet travel page for details.