Pet Vaccine Glossary: Terms on Your Vet's Records
Plain-English definitions of the words on vaccine records and kennel forms, from DHPP and FVRCP to boosters and titer tests, each based on veterinary guidelines.
- Core vaccine
- A vaccine recommended for every dog or cat, whatever its lifestyle, unless there is a medical reason not to give it. For dogs: distemper, adenovirus, parvovirus, leptospirosis and rabies (AAHA 2022, updated 2024). For cats: panleukopenia, herpesvirus-1, calicivirus, rabies, and FeLV for cats younger than 1 year (AAHA/AAFP 2020).
- Noncore (lifestyle) vaccine
- A vaccine recommended for some pets based on lifestyle, where they live and their risk of exposure, such as Bordetella, Lyme disease or canine influenza for dogs (AAHA 2022).
- Booster
- A later dose that renews or completes protection after the first dose of a vaccine; the last dose of a kitten or puppy series is a booster (AAHA/AAFP 2020).
- Titer test
- A blood test that measures antibodies to judge whether a pet is protected, used before or after vaccination (AAHA/AAFP 2020). Some boarding businesses do not accept titers instead of vaccines.
- DHPP, DAPP, DA2PP
- Names for the dog combination vaccine against distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parvovirus and often parainfluenza. AAHA 2022 calls it DA2PP.
- FVRCP
- The cat combination vaccine against feline viral rhinotracheitis (herpesvirus-1), calicivirus and panleukopenia (AAHA/AAFP 2020).
- FeLV (feline leukemia virus)
- A retrovirus of cats that can become part of the cat's own genes (Cornell Feline Health Center). The vaccine is core for cats younger than 1 year (AAHA/AAFP 2020).
- Bordetella (kennel cough)
- Bordetella bronchiseptica, a bacterium behind canine infectious respiratory disease, often called kennel cough. Its vaccine is noncore, but it is often on boarding and daycare requirement lists, such as PetSmart's.
- Leptospirosis
- A disease caused by Leptospira bacteria found in contaminated water or soil (CDC). Since 2024, AAHA lists its vaccine as core for all dogs.
- Rabies certificate and rabies tag
- The certificate is the signed record of the rabies vaccination; in the US the standard form (NASPHV Form 51) includes the number of the metal rabies tag the pet wears on its collar. Keep the certificate: the tag alone is not the record.
- Microchip
- A small implant under the skin that carries an identification number a scanner can read. It is not a GPS tracker. Register the number with your contact details.
- Modified-live vs killed vaccine
- A modified-live vaccine contains germs weakened so they cannot cause disease; a killed (inactivated) vaccine contains germs that cannot multiply in the body (AAHA/AAFP 2020).
Use these terms in a document
Puppy vaccine schedule Kitten vaccine schedule Pet health record