How to Read Your Dog’s Vaccination Card: What Pet Hotels and Dog Daycares Require

Keeping track of your dog’s vaccinations is an important part of responsible pet ownership. However, vaccine cards can sometimes be confusing, especially with all the stickers, abbreviations, and medical terms.

Understanding your dog’s vaccine card helps ensure they stay protected — and it also helps when booking daycare, boarding, or grooming services that require proof of vaccination.

At Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union, we ask pet parents to bring their dog’s vaccination card so we can confirm that every guest in our care is properly protected. This guide will help you quickly understand what those stickers and entries mean.

Why We Wrote This Guide

One thing we’ve noticed while running Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union is that many pet parents don’t carry their dog’s vaccination card with them.

Sometimes families are visiting La Union for the weekend and they suddenly realize they need daycare or overnight boarding for their pup. But when we ask for the vaccination card during check-in, they realize it’s been left back home. Other times, pet parents do bring the card — but the vaccines listed are no longer up to date.

Unfortunately, without proof of current vaccinations, many pet hotels and daycare facilities — including ours — cannot accept a dog for daycare or boarding. This is simply to protect the health and safety of every dog staying with us.

It means some pups miss out on what could have been a fun little staycation.

That’s why we wrote this guide.

Understanding your dog’s vaccination card makes it easier to keep their records organized and ready when needed — whether you're visiting the vet, traveling with your dog, or booking a stay at a daycare or boarding facility like Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to read your dog’s vaccine card and what those stickers and entries actually mean.

What Is a Dog Vaccination Card?

A vaccination card is a record provided by your veterinarian that documents your dog’s vaccines and parasite prevention treatments.

It helps ensure that your dog stays protected from common infectious diseases and parasites.

It also serves as proof of vaccination when visiting veterinarians, traveling, or booking a stay at a dog daycare or boarding facility such as Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union.

The Main Sections of a Vaccination Card

Most vaccination cards have two main sections:

1. Vaccinations: This section lists all vaccines your dog has received.

2. Anti-Parasitic Treatments: This records treatments for internal and external parasites such as worms, ticks, and fleas.

Keeping both sections updated is important for your dog’s long-term health.

What Information Appears on Each Entry

Each vaccination or treatment entry usually contains the following details:

1. Date Given: The day your dog received the vaccine or treatment.

2. Vaccine Sticker: These stickers come directly from the vaccine vial and confirm the exact brand and type used.

3. Next Due Date: The recommended schedule for the next dose.

4. Veterinarian Information: This includes the veterinarian’s name, signature, and PRC number, confirming that the vaccine was administered by a licensed vet.

Common Dog Vaccines and Treatments

Below are the vaccines and treatments you will most often see on your dog’s vaccination card.

1. 5-in-1 / 6-in-1 / 7-in-1 / 8-in-1 (DHLPP): These combination vaccines protect against several serious diseases including:

   1. Distemper

   2. Hepatitis

   3. Leptospirosis

   4. Parvovirus

   5. Parainfluenza

The number refers to how many diseases are covered.

2. Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV): Rabies vaccination is required by law in many places and is essential for protecting both dogs and humans. Under the Philippine Anti-Rabies Act of 2007 (Republic Act 9482), dog owners are required to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies by a licensed veterinarian. This law was created to reduce rabies cases and protect both animals and people.

3. Bordetella (Kennel Cough Vaccine): Bordetella helps protect against canine cough, which spreads easily in environments where dogs interact with one another. Because of this, many dog daycares and boarding facilities require it.

4. Deworming: Deworming protects dogs from intestinal parasites such as roundworms and hookworms.

5. Tick and Flea Prevention: These prevent external parasites and may come as oral tablets, topical treatments, or collars.

Some treatments include stickers while others are written manually in the card.

Vaccines Required for Dog Boarding or Daycare

For the safety of all dogs in our care, Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union requires the following before accepting daycare or boarding guests:

• Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV)

• Distemper/Parvovirus Combination (DHLPP or equivalent)

• Bordetella / Kennel Cough Vaccine

• Tick & Flea Prevention

• Deworming

These requirements help ensure that every dog in our environment stays healthy and protected.

Why Vaccination Records Matter for Pet Hotels

When dogs stay together in shared environments such as daycare or boarding facilities, proper vaccination protects the entire group.

At Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union, verifying vaccination cards allows us to maintain a safe and responsible environment for all of our guests.

It also gives pet parents peace of mind knowing that every dog in our care meets the same health standards.

Always Consult Your Veterinarian

Vaccination schedules can vary depending on your dog’s:

• age

• lifestyle

• location

• overall health

Always consult your veterinarian to determine the right vaccination and parasite prevention schedule for your dog.

A Note on Titer Testing

At Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union, we support a health-first approach to vaccination. While keeping vaccines up to date is important for protecting dogs and the community, some pet parents and veterinarians may choose to use titer testing as an alternative in certain situations.

A titer test is a blood test that measures whether a dog still has protective antibodies from previous vaccinations. If antibody levels are sufficient, it may indicate that the dog still has immunity without needing an immediate booster.

For some core vaccines, we may accept recent titer test results issued by a licensed veterinarian as proof of protection. However, anti-rabies vaccination is still required by Philippine law, so a rabies titer cannot replace the legally required rabies vaccine.

If you are considering titer testing for your dog, we recommend discussing it with your veterinarian first to determine what is appropriate for your dog’s health and lifestyle.

Our goal is always the same: to protect the health of every dog in our care while respecting thoughtful, responsible veterinary guidance.

A Small Tip Before Your Dog’s Next Stay

If you're planning a trip, running errands around La Union, or simply want your pup to enjoy a day of play and enrichment, it helps to check your dog’s vaccination card ahead of time.

Make sure key vaccines are up to date, and bring the card with you when visiting your vet or booking a stay.

At Sit and Stay Baroro, Bacnotan La Union, we review vaccination cards before accepting daycare or boarding guests so we can maintain a safe and healthy environment for every pup in our care.

A quick check of your dog’s vaccine card today can help avoid last-minute surprises — and make it easier for them to enjoy their next little staycation.