Dog Vaccinations in Bloomfield Hills, MI
What vaccines do you offer for dogs?
Here, we offer six different vaccines for your dogs to help keep them protected throughout their life.
The three core vaccines that we recommend for all dogs, regardless of their lifestyle, are:
- Rabies
- DHPP (distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza)
- Leptospirosis (zoonotic bacterial disease)
We also recommend three non-core vaccines based on your dog's lifestyle:
- Bordetella (kennel cough; recommended, and often required, for dogs in boarding, daycare, grooming, and training)
- Canine Influenza (a severe respiratory illness; recommended, and often required, for dogs in boarding, daycare, grooming, and training)
- Lyme (a tick-borne illness; recommended for outdoor dogs)
What is the rabies vaccine, and why is it important for my dog?
Rabies is a fatal viral disease. It's zoonotic, meaning that if your dog gets infected with it, it can be passed to you or your family members. Rabies is transmitted most commonly through bite wounds, and it can be from animals such as bats, skunks, raccoons, or other infected dogs or even cats.
Although rare, there are cases that have been reported in North America and specifically in the Midwest, which is why it's absolutely crucial to keep your dog protected against this disease. The rabies vaccine is required by law in the state of Michigan.
What is the distemper vaccine and what does it protect against?
The second core vaccine is a vaccine called distemper, which protects against the distemper virus. Distemper is a highly contagious viral disease that is incurable and often fatal. Distemper is spread by direct contact. It can also be spread through bodily fluids such as respiratory droplets, saliva, sneezing, or even urine.
What is the leptospirosis vaccine for dogs?
Our third core vaccine is for leptospirosis, and this can actually be given in combination with our distemper vaccine. We do have a video on leptospirosis if you'd like to learn more about it.
What is the Bordetella vaccine for dogs, and what dogs should get it?
Bordetella is a non-core vaccine that we recommend for all of our K9 friends that are in very social settings such as doggy daycare, grooming, dog parks, or boarding facilities. The Bordetella vaccine helps to prevent and reduce the severity of kennel cough. Kennel cough is a broad term that's used to describe a variety of highly contagious upper respiratory infections. Kennel cough is easily spread in highly populated areas through direct contact, aerosol droplets, or even inanimate objects.
What is the canine influenza virus vaccine, and what dogs should get it?
The second non-core vaccine that we offer here at DePorre Veterinary Hospital is for the canine influenza virus. Similar to the Bordetella vaccine, we recommend this vaccine for dogs that are in highly populated areas where they'll be having social interaction with other dogs. K9 influenza is easily spread among dogs in highly populated areas through direct contact, respiratory secretions, or even inanimate objects. This vaccine works to help reduce the severity and duration of disease if your dog were to become infected.
What is the Lyme vaccine, and what dogs should get it?
The Lyme vaccine is our third non-core vaccine that we offer. We highly recommend this in dogs that spend a lot of time outdoors in wooded areas or in tall grassy areas. This vaccine helps not only to prevent Lyme disease, but also, in dogs that have been previously infected with Lyme disease, to help reduce the risk for reinfection as well.
In addition to staying current on your monthly flea and tick prevention, we highly recommend this vaccine for dogs that are spending a lot of time outdoors or spending a lot of time specifically in wooded areas or tall grassy areas.
What side effects can occur after vaccinating my dog?
As with any sort of medication or medical procedure, there are side effects that are associated with vaccines. The most common vaccine reactions that we see are swelling at the injection site or being a little bit more tired after vaccination. These are typically very mild and resolve within 12 to 24 hours of vaccination. Although rare, there are more serious side effects to vaccinations such as facial swelling, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes even difficulty breathing.
However, our team works very closely to monitor your pet after vaccination and treat appropriately if a reaction does occur. An overwhelming majority of our patients will not experience an adverse reaction to vaccines throughout their life. Vaccines are highly effective and essential for helping to keep your pet safe and protect against these potentially fatal diseases.
When should puppies start vaccines?
Your new puppy should receive their first vaccine around 6 weeks old. At this first visit, your veterinarian will work very closely with you to determine the vaccination schedule for your puppy moving forward. Our vaccination schedule for puppies typically concludes at around 16 weeks with the rabies vaccine.
How often do dogs need vaccine boosters?
Boostering vaccines is essential for helping to ensure immunity and protection for your pets. While each vaccine varies, typically our boosters are recommended once a year or once every 3 years. Typically, the leptospirosis and the Bordetella vaccine require a booster every year. Our puppy vaccines are a little bit different and require more frequent boostering, something that your veterinarian will talk to you about at their first puppy visit.
Should my dog get vaccines if they are sick?
If your dog is sick and also due for vaccines, we likely will recommend holding off on vaccines until your pet is feeling better. This will allow their immune system to be able to create an appropriate response to the vaccination and provide the appropriate amount of protection.
What should I do if I miss my dog's vaccine appointment?
If you have missed your dog's vaccine appointment, it's very important that you reschedule this to ensure that your dog remains protected against these diseases.
If you’re looking for veterinary care you can trust, call us at (248) 609-1625 or email [email protected]. We’re here to keep your pet healthy, happy, and thriving!