Our pets are beloved members of our family. As a dedicated owner, we know that you are concerned about your dog’s health. Recently, there have been reports across the country of dogs becoming ill with a bacterial disease, leptospirosis.
Leptospirosis (also called Lepto) is a bacterial disease that can infect both animals and people.[1][2] Lepto can make infected dogs severely ill, leading to fever, lethargy (inactivity), kidney damage, liver failure or death if left untreated. 12 The bacteria prefer warm weather and wet environments. Flooding and heavy rainstorms often scatter the bacteria through contaminated water.12
Leptospirosis can be transmitted by a variety of domestic and wild animals including raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, deer, and rats.12 Infected animals shed leptospirosis, the infective stage of the bacteria, in their urine. Therefore, a pet can become infected if they drink, swim, or walk through contaminated water.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be passed from animals to people. People can be infected with leptospirosis through recreational actives such as boating, freshwater swimming, and hunting or direct contact with infected rodent urine. 12
Canine leptospirosis vaccines are effective in helping to prevent disease and some vaccines are actually proven to prevent shedding of the disease. Dogs receive an initial vaccination and then a booster, usually within 2-4 weeks, and thereafter, should be given a single dose every year.
To learn more about leptospirosis, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website:
http://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/
[1] Sykes Jane E, Leptospirosis, World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings 2014.
[2] Sykes JE, Hartmann K, Lunn KF, Moore GE, et. Al: 2010 ACVIM small animal consensus statement on leptospirosis: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention. J Vet Intern Med 2011 Vol 25 (1) pp. 1-13.
Leptospirosis (also called Lepto) is a bacterial disease that can infect both animals and people.[1][2] Lepto can make infected dogs severely ill, leading to fever, lethargy (inactivity), kidney damage, liver failure or death if left untreated. 12 The bacteria prefer warm weather and wet environments. Flooding and heavy rainstorms often scatter the bacteria through contaminated water.12
Leptospirosis can be transmitted by a variety of domestic and wild animals including raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, deer, and rats.12 Infected animals shed leptospirosis, the infective stage of the bacteria, in their urine. Therefore, a pet can become infected if they drink, swim, or walk through contaminated water.
Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease, which means it can be passed from animals to people. People can be infected with leptospirosis through recreational actives such as boating, freshwater swimming, and hunting or direct contact with infected rodent urine. 12
Canine leptospirosis vaccines are effective in helping to prevent disease and some vaccines are actually proven to prevent shedding of the disease. Dogs receive an initial vaccination and then a booster, usually within 2-4 weeks, and thereafter, should be given a single dose every year.
To learn more about leptospirosis, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website:
http://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/
[1] Sykes Jane E, Leptospirosis, World Small Animal Veterinary Association World Congress Proceedings 2014.
[2] Sykes JE, Hartmann K, Lunn KF, Moore GE, et. Al: 2010 ACVIM small animal consensus statement on leptospirosis: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention. J Vet Intern Med 2011 Vol 25 (1) pp. 1-13.
