Leptospirosis

At Clark Animal Care Center, we strive to provide the best possible care for your dog. We would like to share some important information with you regarding Leptospirosis, a re-emerging infectious disease in our area.

Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease of dogs, spread primarily through contact with the urine of infected wild animals.  This is seen most often when wild animals, like rodents, contaminate soil and water with their urine.  Symptoms in dogs may include: increased thirst and urination, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain, cough and breathing problems.

Infection can lead to kidney and liver failure, and subsequent death, if the disease is not treated promptly.  With treatment, the survival rate is 80%, but some of these dogs may have residual kidney disease after treatment.

Leptospirosis is contagious to humans via infected urine from their dogs.  Humans are, however, more likely to become infected through contaminated soil and water in the same way that dogs may become infected.  Approximately 90% of human cases are mild and self-limiting, but it can be more severe in people who are immune suppressed.

Leptospirosis is more common in outdoor dogs, or in dogs who spend time in moist environments populated by rodents and wildlife. This includes hunting dogs, dogs that hike or camp with their owners, and dogs that catch and eat wildlife, like rabbits, mice or chipmunks. The disease is also more common in dogs that live in poorly drained yards. The disease is common from July through November, especially after a wet season. It is believed that many dogs are exposed to Leptospirosis, but only a few dogs develop symptoms of disease. Clark Animal Care Center has confirmed some cases of leptospirosis over the past few years.

There are several different serovars, or strains, of the disease.  There is currently a vaccine available which immunizes against 4 serovars. Years ago, many veterinarians stopped using the old Leptospirosis vaccine because it was associated with vaccine reactions (vomiting, diarrhea, hives and rarely anaphylaxis), and the serovars for which we were vaccinating were not found in our area.  The newer vaccine is considered to be much safer and more effective, but vaccine reactions can still rarely occur.

If your dog is at an increased risk of getting leptospirosis due to your environment, or your dog's lifestyle, we recommend having your dog vaccinated against Leptospirosis. The vaccine will initially be given as 2 doses 3-4 weeks apart, and then once yearly.  The vaccine should not be given to puppies under 4 months of age because of the increased potential for allergic reactions.