Jackson County Veterinary Hospital

04/09/2025

The lepto vaccine is now considered a core vaccine for all dogs. The disease itself is a nasty one; it can cause liver and kidney failure and can be transmitted to the other pets and humans in the household. Contact us if you’re not sure if your dog is protected!

LEPTOSPIROSIS: DID YOU KNOW?
Dr. Sharon Powell
Edison Park Animal Hospital

Leptospirosis is a serious bacterial infection that affects both animals and humans. This zoonotic disease (meaning people can get it too!) is dangerous for pets, especially dogs. Understanding the risks, symptoms, and preventive measures is essential for keeping your furry companions safe.

Leptospira bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments. The bacteria are commonly found in contaminated water, soil, or the urine of infected animals, including rodents, livestock, and wildlife. Pets can contract Leptospirosis through drinking or swimming in contaminated water sources such as lakes, puddles, or streams. Also living in areas of high rainfall causing stagnant water especially in areas with high rodent or wildlife populations. Sounds like our Florida environment year round but particularly in the summer months.

People can contract Leptospirosis the same way pets get Leptospirosis. People should always wear disposable plastic gloves while handling items that have come into contact with dog urine, and wash their hands thoroughly after.


Leptospirosis presents with a variety of symptoms, ranging from mild to severe. Common signs in pets include fever and lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, loss of appetite, jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes indicating liver involvement), muscle pain and stiffness, increased thirst and urination (a sign of kidney involvement) and respiratory distress or coughing in severe cases.

Not all dogs show signs of illness after becoming infected with Leptospira bacteria. And even once they do show ill effects, the immediate cause may not be apparent since fever and lethargy can be clinical signs of other illnesses. Typically, dog owners will see that their dog isn't feeling or acting normal with low energy, like refusing to eat, eating less, or vomiting.

Veterinarians diagnose Leptospirosis through blood tests, urine tests, and sometimes PCR or antibody tests to detect the presence of the bacteria.

Dogs will likely be outside at some point, regardless of where you live. Preventing Leptospirosis is essential for both pets and their owners. Effective measures include vaccinations to provide protection against the common Leptospira strains, avoiding stagnant water, rodent/wildlife control, good hygiene while cleaning pets living areas, and avoiding contact with urine.

03/27/2025

03/25/2025

Night-migrating birds, like songbirds and shorebirds, can be disoriented by artificial light at night. Turning off or dimming lights can help them complete their migratory journeys safely. Go from 11pm to 6am through May 30.

https://bit.ly/43f4b0a

Night-migrating birds, like songbirds and shorebirds, can be disoriented by artificial light at night. Turning off or dimming lights can help them complete their migratory journeys safely. Go from 11pm to 6am through May 30. https://bit.ly/43f4b0a

03/20/2025

If you’re worried your pet might be carrying some creepy crawlies, give us a call!!

03/19/2025

RECALL ALERT - Petdine, LLC. is voluntarily recalling select Zesty Paws soft chews due to potential Salmonella contamination. These products were distributed to one consignee in Illinois, with no further distribution. For more information and affected lots, visit: https://bit.ly/4hFCrar

03/17/2025

BIRD FLU: Keep cats safe! Cats are very susceptible to H5N1, also known as bird or avian flu, but at this time the overall risk for exposure and infection is believed to be low. The virus has ravaged poultry farms, leading to the mass killing of over 150 million birds. Now, it's been detected in dairy cows, cats—even humans.

Signs of H5N1 infection in cats:
⛔ Respiratory problems like coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, trouble breathing
⛔ Lethargy
⛔ Neurological disorders, such as disorientation or trouble walking
⛔ Sudden onset of severe disease or death without prior signs of illness or injury

Share this graphic to keep pets safe and read more at aspca.org/birdfluandcats 🧡

02/14/2025

Save This Life Microchips, a company our hospital and hundreds of other hospitals have used for over a decade, has suddenly and without notice shut down.

The URGENT issue is that they have unlinked their database from the national registries. Currently - if your pet were to become lost, there is NO easy way for any shelter or veterinary hospital to find your information.

Our distributor is working on a way to migrate all the chip numbers to a new registry, but in the meantime, you MUST register your pet's microchip with a new registry ASAP!

If you are unsure of your pet’s chip number, you can call our hospital and we can look it up in our records.

Here are two good options:
* Free Registry Service at www.freepetchipregistry.com
* This is a FREE database that is connected to the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup Tool.

* Registry with Datamars / PetLink at 1-877-PETLINK (738-5465) or Petlink Registration
* Customers can register Save this Life microchipped pets with petlink.net for only $1 using the discount code: STLDOLLAR
* This offer is valid through 3/31/2025

12/24/2024

We’re proud to announce that our clinic has been certified an official “Santa’s E.L.V.E.S.” (Emergency Landing and Veterinary Expert System) location!

In the event that Santa’s reindeer team needs to make an unscheduled Christmas Eve stop for sled repairs, refueling, or veterinary care, staff at this clinic will be available to provide needed assistance and ensure a safe and on-time delivery of Santa’s cargo.

Merry Christmas everyone!!

09/19/2024

Lights out from 11pm-6am from now till November!

As part of the greater Atlantic Flyway, our mountains serve as a migration route for hundreds of species of birds, many of which are declining in population. On a peak migration night during the Spring or Fall, over 50,000 birds pass over our area every hour!

Explore nightly migration data in your region

08/26/2024

Is anybody looking for a new family member??? Sam and Elmore were in for vaccines today, and they are both looking for a home. They are ~11-12wks old, 15-22 #, current on vaccines as of today, but will need one more round of vaccines in about a month. They are both very sweet and pretty laid back as far as puppies go. Look how well they can sit patiently for a treat!

07/11/2024

In this clip I teach you how to turn a pill popper into a delicious food dispenser! This technique will allow you to medicate your cat without any restraint and minimal handling! This is a very positive medicating strategy! Be sure to check out all of my medicating, behavior and training videos at f...

06/21/2024

🧨 🇺🇸🧨 4th of July is coming soon, are your pets ready?? 🧨 🇺🇸🧨

Make sure their collar tags and microchip info are up to date, and if you think they may need some meds 💊 to help them keep their cool, give us a call!

(And please don’t wait till July 3rd!! 😂)

06/19/2024

With the building heat wave, watch out for your pets, even walking them. Use the 7-second rule. If you can't hold your hand against the hot surface, then your pets should not be on it. They can burn their paws.