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My puppy got one DHPP shot. Does he need a full vaccine series?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 3 months and 9 days old | 4 lbs

My puppy is 16 weeks now but has only received shots when he was 7 weeks. Is it really necessary for him to go through the process of doing a series of 3 DHPP shots? Could I just get him the DHPP vaccine once or does he really need to do it every 2 weeks

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 27th, 2018

The first vaccination by now will have lost all effectivity. So you are starting basically from the beginning. Your puppy will need three courses of DHPP as a basic core course of vaccinations. It will also need a rabies shot. These will need a booster after one year and then he will only need vaccinations every three years. If you only vaccinate once, the body will not make the specific antibodies necessary for the viral diseases covered, but will only initiate a general immune response. Only the second and third course will then entice the body's immune system to make specific antibodies. Vaccines are given in 2-3 week intervals.

6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on February 9th, 2020
That's too many vaccines for such a young. A puppy isn't old enough for their first vaccines until they are 6-8 weeks of age, and they must be given four weeks apart. In this case based on Kylo's age, he's only had one run of vaccines that count. He needs both those vaccines given again four weeks after they were given, then another round four weeks after that. He is old enough for his rabies vaccine at 12 weeks of age, and will need another one of those four weeks after the first.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH
Veterinarian
Published on August 15th, 2018
Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If Snowball has only received one vaccine since she was a puppy, she will need to be updated on the others soon now that she is 2 years old. She will need 2 rounds of the Canine Distemper-Hepatitis-Parvovirus-Parainfluenza vaccine (each round given 3-4 weeks apart) and 1 round of the Rabies Virus vaccine to help bring her up to date. The DHPP vaccine as well as the Rabies vaccine is typically given once a year or once every 3 years. Other optional vaccine such as Bordetella, Lyme, Leptospirosis, or the Canine Influenza vaccine can be given as well depending on Snowball's lifestyle and risk level for acquiring these infections which can be assessed during Snowball's veterinary visit.

I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on December 13th, 2019
If Nora only got one vaccine of 5 and 1 and one rabies vaccine, she is not covered at all. If she started her vaccine course at 16 weeks, she needed a booster of shot of each vaccine both given four weeks after the first to be fully protected. If this did not happen, she is vulnerable to serious diseases. You need to take her into a vet this weekend to start her vaccine course again.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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