10/27/2023
LEPTOSPIROSIS - rearing its ugly head again. And, of-course, there has been a lot of rain - it is sometimes called a "monsoon disease"
Leptospirosis is a world wide bacterial disease affecting humans and animals and can be transmitted back and forth. Generally, if your dog contracts leptospirosis, you are more at risk of contracting it from the same source rather than directly from the dog. The exception would be, an infected dog shedding the disease - if the urine contacts a sore or a mucus membrane, you can get the disease.
Vaccination is the best way to prevent the condition and, contrary to belief, the vaccine is well tolerated. All dogs in Western NY exposed to the following environments should be vaccinated:
- puddles, ponds, creeks, bird baths
- gutter run off
- very damp areas of soil
- anywhere a rodent can urinate
Dogs can be asymptomatic. When signs occur they can vary from simple lethargy (quiet) to fever, vomiting/diarrhea and lameness (muscle pain likely secondary to dehydration). The condition can be challenging to diagnose because these symptoms occur with a variety of diseases.
The disease can cause acute kidney failure - if this is not addressed soon enough, the condition likely will be fatal.
Please see the following:
Canine leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can have serious consequences in dogs and can also affect humans. There are multiple strains of the bacteria called Leptospira that cause leptospirosis. Prevention of leptospirosis includes vaccination, which protects against the four most common st...
