Farm health management: deworming, vaccination, and kennel hygiene

In breeding, health is achieved before problems arise. A rigorous health protocol — deworming, vaccination, kennel hygiene — costs infinitely less than a parvovirus epidemic in a litter. Here are the main principles, to be aligned with your veterinary surgeon.

Anticipate rather than treat

Puppies are born with an immature immune system. Initially protected by maternal antibodies via colostrum, they enter a window of vulnerability between the 6th and 8th week, when this protection collapses. The entire health challenge of breeding is to get through this period without losses, through prevention.

Deworming: mother and puppies

Intestinal parasites (roundworms, hookworms, etc.) are transmitted from mother to pups, including through milk. So both are treated in parallel. A commonly recommended schedule:

For puppies

• First deworming from the 2nd–3rd week of life;
• Then every 15 days until weaning (around 2 months);
• Thereafter once a month until 6 months, then 2 to 4 times a year in adulthood.

For the dam

• Before mating;
• Around farrowing;
• At the same time as the puppies during lactation, to break the cycle of reinfestation.

A stool analysis can adapt the frequency and molecule to the actual breeding context.

Vaccination: the primary vaccination schedule

The reference schedule (WSAVA type) is based on several injections spaced approximately one month apart:

• ~8 weeks: primary vaccination against parvovirus, canine distemper, and infectious canine hepatitis;
• ~12 weeks: booster, often with the addition of leptospirosis;
• ~16 weeks: booster (especially leptospirosis);
• Then a booster between 6 months and 1 year, then boosters according to valencies (often every 3 years for essential diseases, annually for leptospirosis).

In kennels with a high risk of parvovirus, the veterinarian may start as early as 6 weeks. A vaccine against kennel cough (intranasal route) is often justified in collective settings. Rabies is only mandatory for travel abroad or classified dogs.

Kennel hygiene: the key to success

The most dangerous viruses (parvovirus first and foremost) are extremely resistant in the environment. "Eyeballing" cleanliness is not enough: a protocol is needed.

• Clean then disinfect: organic dirt neutralizes disinfectants, order matters;
• Use an appropriate virucidal disinfectant (parvovirus is resistant to many common products);
• Practice all-in, all-out between two litters in the same area;
• Isolate new arrivals (quarantine) and separate litters;
• Control the environment: stable temperature, good ventilation without drafts, controlled humidity;
• Manage "forward flow": take care of the youngest/most sensitive first, wash hands between kennels.

Tracking: the health record

Every deworming, every vaccine, every weighing, and every treatment is recorded. This record is not just an administrative obligation: it's your breeding memory, the tool that alerts you when a litter falls behind, and proof of seriousness that you provide to the buyer. Reminder: from January 1, 2027, health monitoring information must be transmitted to I-CAD — it's a good idea to get into the habit now.

Specific protocols (molecules, doses, exact schedule) are the responsibility of your veterinary surgeon, who adapts them to your breeding, your region, and the status of your animals. This article is for informational purposes and does not replace veterinary advice.