Wellness Center

Distemper, Hepatitis and Adenovirus, Parvovirus, Parainfluenza:​

Canine distemper is a highly contagious, potentially fatal viral disease that attacks white blood cells and severely affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems.  The virus is usually transmitted by aerosolized droplets from an infected animal and does not require direct contact.  It is often fatal without aggressive symptomatic treatment.

Canine Parvovirus is shed in the feces and can survive for years in the environment.  It attacks the gastrointestinal system causing severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration. Parvovirus is also frequently fatal with or without aggressive symptomatic treatment.

Canine Hepatitis, Adenovirus, and Parainfluenza are all potentially fatal communicable diseases.

Puppies should receive a series of either 3 or 4 DHPP vaccinations every 3-4 weeks starting at 6-8 weeks of age and ending at 16 weeks of age.   Adults should receive an annual booster starting 1 year after completion of the puppy series.

Puppies older than 16 weeks and unvaccinated adult dogs should receive a series of 2 DHPP vaccines 3-4 weeks apart followed by annual boosters thereafter.

The state of Michigan requires by law that ALL dogs over the age of 16 weeks be vaccinated against Rabies. Rabies is a viral disease that can infect all mammals, including humans, and is 100% fatal. In Michigan the #1 carrier of rabies is the bat. All puppies should be vaccinated at 16 weeks of age and adults should receive an annual booster starting 1 year after the first vaccination. At Tail Waggers 1990 we currently only offer the 1 year rabies vaccine.

A bacterial disease that is spread via contact with the urine of infected animals. In and around the Detroit area, Leptospirosis is mainly spread by rodents, opossums, raccoons, skunks, and deer. It causes severe, acute liver and kidney failure and is often fatal even with aggressive symptomatic treatment. Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be transmitted to humans and causes the same symptoms. We recommend puppies be vaccinated with a series of 2 vaccines at 12 and 16 weeks of age followed by annual boosters thereafter.

Bordetella is the most common bacterial component of the upper respiratory syndrome known as Kennel Cough. It mainly causes upper respiratory symptoms such as severe cough, nasal discharge, and congestion. Cases left untreated can result in pneumonia, which can be fatal. This vaccine is recommended for all dogs that are boarded, groomed outside of the house, in obedience or doggy day care classes, or go to dog parks or dog shows. There are two types of vaccines, an injectable and an intranasal version. The intranasal vaccine is recommended to be given to puppies at least 8 weeks of age in conjunction with a core vaccine and is to be boostered annually. The injectable form is a series of two vaccines 3-4 weeks apart in puppies greater than 8 weeks old followed by an annual booster thereafter.

If your dog is a hunting dog or accompanies you in the woods on camping or hiking trips, if you have a heavily wooded backyard, or if you travel to the west or northern parts of the state, vaccination is highly recommended. Lyme disease is a bacterial disease spread by ticks and is becoming more prevalent in the state of Michigan. Tail Waggers’ keeps a limited supply of the Lyme vaccine in stock.

Zoonotic diseases are diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans and vice versa. The most common zoonoses in pets are parasitic diseases and children seem to be most susceptible. It is highly recommended that all pets have a fecal sample submitted at least once per year for parasite testing.

Roundworms and hookworms are very common parasites of dogs and cats. Virtually all puppies and kittens are infected with roundworm. When transmitted to humans these parasites can cause serious skin, organ, and ocular disease. Roundworms can be transmitted to humans via the fecal-oral route. The eggs hatch in the intestine and the larvae can then migrate to the liver, lungs, brain, eyes, or other organs. Hookworms are transmitted via skin contact with the eggs and can cause skin lesions. It is recommended that all puppies and kittens receive a series of dewormer.

Giardia is also a common intestinal parasite of dogs and cats. It is spread to humans via fecal-oral route and can cause severe, sometimes bloody diarrhea.

Heartworm is a potentially fatal, but easily preventable, parasitic disease of dogs and cats. Dogs are much more severely affected than cats. The parasite is transmitted via mosquitoes and the adults live in the heart and pulmonary arteries. This disease is becoming more prevalent in the state of Michigan. Common signs of heartworm infection include coughing, exercise intolerance, failure to grow, and labored breathing. The severity of the signs is often related to the dog’s activity level and many dogs will show no symptoms at all until the disease is very advanced. Due to the high risk of heartworm disease in our area, we recommend year-round preventative medication and annual heartworm testing for all dogs. Puppies should be started on a heartworm preventative at 8 weeks of age and should remain on a monthly, year-round preventative for the rest of their lives. All dogs should be tested for the disease between 7-10 months of age and annually thereafter. The preventative medication not only prevents heartworms, but treats and protects against multiple intestinal parasites, including round and hook worms.

Dog and cat microchipping is a simple procedure. A veterinarian simply injects a microchip for pets, about the size of a grain of rice (12mm), beneath the surface of your pets skin between the shoulder blades. The process is similar to a routine shot, takes only a few seconds, and your pet will not react any more than he would to a vaccination. No anesthetic is required.

Learn to separate microchipping facts from fiction! Read our Microchipping Fact from Fiction.

Canine Influenza is transmitted through droplets or aerosols containing respiratory secretions from coughing, barking and sneezing. Dogs in close contact with infected dogs in places such as kennels, groomers, day care facilities and shelters are at increased risk of infection. Canine influenza can be spread indirectly through objects (e.g., kennels, food and water bowls, collars and leashes) or people that have been in contact with infected dogs. It is important to clean and disinfect objects that have been in contact with an infected dog to avoid exposing other dogs to the virus. Likewise, people who have been in contact with an infected dog should wash their hands and clean their clothing to avoid spreading the virus.

The virus can remain viable (alive and able to infect) on surfaces for up to 48 hours, on clothing for 24 hours, and on hands for 12 hours. It is important to implement biosecurity protocols and disinfection procedures to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

H3N8 has an incubation period of 1 to 5 days, with clinical signs in most cases appearing 2 to 3 days after exposure. Dogs infected with H3N2 may start showing respiratory signs between 2 and 8 days after infection. Dogs are most contagious during the incubation period and shed the virus even though they are not showing clinical signs of illness. Some dogs may show no signs of illness, but have a subclinical infection and shed the virus.