Care Calendar

Oct 2026

Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Today's Care

No reminders set

Add reminders

What's worth tracking, and how often

Preventive care fails in small, ordinary ways — a booster that slipped by two months, a heartworm dose skipped in November, a medication nobody can quite remember starting. A calendar turns those from memory problems into reminders. Here is what most dogs and cats actually need on a schedule.

Vaccinations

Puppies and kittens get a series, not a single shot, because maternal antibodies fade at different times between 6 and 16 weeks and can block a vaccine from taking. Under AAHA and AAFP guidance the series runs from 6-8 weeks with doses every few weeks, and the final dose must land at 16 weeks or older — that last one decides whether the series worked. After that, boosters come at about 12 months and then on the interval your vet and local rabies law set.

Parasite prevention

CAPC recommends year-round monthly prevention for heartworm and intestinal parasites in both dogs and cats, including indoor pets. Puppies are dewormed starting at 2 weeks and repeated every two weeks until about 8 weeks, then monthly to 6 months. Flea and tick prevention is also year-round in most of the US. Monthly doses are exactly the kind of thing a reminder saves.

Medication, weight, and the things you'll forget

Track the start date and dose of any medication, not just that it exists — that is the first thing a vet asks and the hardest thing to reconstruct. Weight is worth logging a few times a year: gradual gain or loss is easy to miss when you see your pet daily, and unexplained weight loss is a meaningful early sign in older cats. Note dental cleanings and when you last had bloodwork done.

FAQ

When are puppy and kitten vaccinations due?
The series generally starts at 6-8 weeks with doses every few weeks, and the final dose must be given at 16 weeks of age or older. Enter your pet's date of birth in the vaccination schedule calculator to get the actual dates.
Does an indoor cat need parasite prevention?
Yes. CAPC recommends year-round prevention for indoor cats too — mosquitoes carrying heartworm get indoors, and there is no approved treatment for heartworm in cats, only prevention.
What should I do if we miss a dose?
Give it when you remember and ask your vet whether the schedule needs adjusting. Do not double up. For a missed vaccine in a puppy or kitten series, timing matters more than it does for an adult booster — ask rather than guess.