Leptospirosis: What is it, and how does my dog get it?

Today I want to talk a little bit about Leptospirosis. If you own a dog, most likely, your dog at some point has received a Leptospirosis vaccine - either as a part of the Distemper combination vaccine (sometimes listed as DHLPP) or by itself. We've noticed that recently, many of our local vets are splitting the Leptospirosis part of the Distemper combo vaccine out. This means that, in the future, your dog may receive a Distemper combo vaccine that does NOT contain the Leptospirosis part, and may instead get a separate Leptospirosis vaccine. My personal vet is doing this - the Distemper vaccine is still good for 3 years; the Leptospirosis vaccine is only good for 1 year. One of the main reasons vets are separating the Lepto vaccine from the others is that, when a dog has a vaccine reaction to the old Distemper combo vaccine, many times it was the Lepto portion of the vaccine the dog was reacting to. If the vaccines are separated, vets can better control vaccine reactions.

So what is Leptospirosis? Leptospirosis is an organism that occurs almost everywhere. There are many strains of Leptospirosis (called serovars) - of these, there are approximately 8 that affect dogs. The canine vaccination only vaccinates against a few of these 8 serovars, and protection against those doesn't help against the other types. A dog can get Leptospirosis from the urine of an infected animal (often, rodents) when that urine comes in contact with mucous membranes. Stagnant or slow-moving water also is a suitable habitat for the Leptspirosis organism. 

What are symptoms of Leptospirosis? A fever, shivering and muscle tenderness are the first signs. Dehydration (and vomiting) are usually present also. In advanced cases, the kidneys and liver can be affected. Usually, treatment is with antibiotics and fluids. Leptospirosis CAN be transmitted to humans from dogs as well, so if your dog has Leptospirosis, your vet will give you instructions on how to keep from getting it yourself.

So should you vaccinate your dog against Leptospirosis? The answer is, it depends. Your vet can help you decide if your dog might come in contact with the Leptospirosis organism, and if so, if the vaccine is warranted. Also, your vet should know if your dog has reacted to the Lepto vaccine in the past. I personally live in a small community with lots of ponds and paths around those ponds. Those paths also run through some woods. So my dogs might be more able to come in contact with the Leptospirosis organism. In addition, none of my dogs has reacted to the Lepto vaccine. So my vet gives my dogs the Lepto vaccine every year. But your situation may be different. You should work with your vet to decide if the Lepto vaccine is needed for your own dog.

At Dog Days Playcare, we do not REQUIRE the Lepto vaccine, although we do suggest it if your dog is part of the population that might get it. It is a very contagious disease, so obviously, any kennel situation (such as a dog daycare or traditional boarding kennel) will increase the spread of the disease if a dog comes in with it. But because some dogs can't tolerate the vaccine, or don't live in an area where they might come in contact with the organism, we leave the decision up to you and your vet.