Learning More About Leptospirosis in Dogs
What is leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that we worry mostly about in dogs, and something that they can pick up from the environment.
How do dogs get exposed to leptospirosis?
The way that we worry about dogs having exposure is typically from withstanding areas of water or areas of soil that are more wet or have been contaminated with standing areas of water. A dog might have contact by either going outside and drinking from a standing area or puddle, stream, creek, or slow-moving water, or if they walk through puddles and have open sores on their feet. That is how the bacteria could also get absorbed into their system.
What are the symptoms of leptospirosis in dogs?
The disease causes them to go into liver or kidney failure, which can be very serious and sometimes deadly. Symptoms typically include pets not eating, being very lethargic, sometimes vomiting, sometimes diarrhea, drinking a lot of water, or changes in their urination habits. All of these are reasons they need to be seen right away. Most dogs with leptospirosis are pretty sick, and it's clear something's wrong.
Is it difficult to diagnose leptospirosis in dogs?
The challenge with leptospirosis is that until you start running lab work and doing further testing, it can be difficult to diagnose until you can rule out some other things. Getting an answer can take a little more involvement in terms of testing.
Can leptospirosis be transmitted to humans?
It's really important that people are aware that this is a disease that can be passed to people from their animals. You want to be extra cautious with handling any bodily fluids, like vomiting or urine, making sure to clean them up while wearing gloves. Unfortunately, it can cause people to go into liver or kidney failure, so it's something we want to be extra cautious with.
Is there a vaccine for dogs for leptospirosis?
We do have a vaccine that can protect against lepto. It protects against the four main strains of leptospirosis that we see in the area. It is an important thing, and we recommend that all dogs be vaccinated, typically starting as puppies. Puppies are often out there getting their nose into things they shouldn't, so we vaccinate them as soon as it’s safe and still remain cautious, even with vaccinated dogs, not allowing them to drink from standing areas of water.
Has the leptospirosis vaccine changed over the years?
Back in the day, it was given standard with the distemper vaccine, and you didn’t even know your dog was getting vaccinated for leptospirosis 20-30 years ago. At that point, with the vaccine, they were seeing higher incidences of vaccine reactions, and so the leptospirosis vaccine got a bit of a bad reputation. They then separated that vaccine out, and a lot of dogs were not getting vaccinated for lepto. We found that smaller dogs, just living in people's yards, started getting sick with lepto. The vaccine recommendations have changed a lot and are now part of our core recommendations for vaccines for all dogs. The vaccine itself has also changed significantly over the years, and there is no statistical evidence that a leptospirosis vaccine has any higher incidence of a vaccine reaction compared to any other vaccines.
Why do some people still question the leptospirosis vaccine?
Sometimes people still question it, and sometimes breeders do too. It’s really just a conversation between you and the veterinarian you’re seeing about what your pet's risk factors are, as well as what we feel is the safety of the vaccine.
How is leptospirosis transmitted?
Leptospirosis, being a bacterial infection, the big concern we see is it being transmitted through wildlife, meaning rodents, squirrels, possums, skunks, raccoons, and other dogs. The rat population is a big concern, so even some of the more city areas can have issues with wildlife shedding that bacteria through their urine, contaminating different areas of soil or puddles that your pet then has exposure to.
When does leptospirosis peak?
Most of the time, we see leptospirosis peak in the spring and fall, with the weather conditions we have here. We want to ensure people are extra vigilant during those times of the year, but should be cautious all the time.
What is the treatment for leptospirosis?
If we suspect leptospirosis, the treatment is typically aggressive antibiotics. The response from the bacteria is generally pretty good with antibiotics, but the concern is that a lot of these patients are so sick that they need hospitalization, sometimes 24-hour care for IV fluids, supportive care, and medications to help their organ function improve and get them feeling better.
Are there any misconceptions about leptospirosis?
One misconception is that leptospirosis is only a concern for hunting dogs or big dogs in rural areas. We see more and more of it in our area, and my worst case of leptospirosis, which was 10 years ago, was a small Westie that lived in our Bluefield area. This dog just went into the backyard, went into severe kidney failure, and ended up making it through after having to have dialysis to improve kidney function. It can just be your small house dog that doesn't have a lot of exposure outside of your yard.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. We want to make sure we're doing what we can to get your pet protected as well as keeping your family protected. Please give us a call at the office at (248) 609-1625, or you can email us at [email protected]. Our staff would love to talk with you!
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