A recent news article from a local Denver news channel has prompted a new round of concern for an old disease – Leptospirosis. What is it, and are your dogs protected from it?

Leptospirosis (or Lepto) is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted through the urine of affected wildlife (coyote, deer, raccoons, etc). It is not only potentially fatal to dogs but it has the potential to spread to their humans as well.

If you’ve been a patient of our hospital for the last 30 years, your dogs should be protected. Lepto is not a new disease. There have been risks present in our area of Douglas County for quite a while. Parker was known as more of a rural area up til the last decade or so and saw frequent visitations from a large variety of wildlife.

However, since the massive and fast development of our town’s residential areas into areas that were previously rural, our pets are even more exposed than they used to be because contact with wildlife is even more common now.

In the past at our hospital, your dog was protected by getting a combination vaccine that contained protection against Distemper, Parvo, and Lepto (among a few other things). That vaccine was given annually.

We’ve now switched our Canine Distemper and Parvo vaccine to a 3-year variant over the last few years. Removing Lepto, which is a vaccine that needs to be given annually, allows us to use that longer-acting vaccine. Lepto is now given by itself on an annual basis to dogs that are at risk for exposure.

Which Dogs Are At Risk?

Any dog that has exposure to anywhere wildlife have been are at risk. Because the method of transmission is urine, if your dog goes into the backyard on a regular basis, they are at risk for exposure.

Yes, that also means that puppies who play outside are at risk of the disease as well. We routinely vaccinate puppies with Leptospirosis at around 12 weeks and 16 weeks of age in the combination vaccine with distemper and parvo.

Who would we not vaccinate?

  • Dogs with allergic reactions to vaccines
  • Dogs with certain pre-existing health conditions for which vaccines are not recommended (talk to us when you come in for your annual visit)
  • Dogs that never step foot outdoors (that also includes the very elderly dog)

What Are The Symptoms of Leptospirosis?

  • Anorexia (not eating)
  • Drinking and urinating a great deal in the beginning
  • Lethargy
  • Fever
  • Vomiting
  • Abdominal pain

There are certain values which will usually be elevated in any lab work that we perform that will help to point us to the diagnosis of Lepto. Special blood tests are used to confirm the diagnosis.

People Can Get Leptospirosis?

Yes!! They can get infected from urine as well, so if your dog gets it and they have a urinary accident in the house and you clean it up, you’re at risk. At the emergency clinics where it is most commonly treated, personnel there wear protective clothing, gloves, and eye protection to prevent their own exposure when dealing with dogs who have Lepto.

I’ve Heard The Lepto Vaccine Is Dangerous…

In my 20 years of practice, that used to be a correct statement in my mind. It seemed years ago that Lepto would cause more vaccine reactions than any other vaccine we used. However, as vaccine technology and protocols have improved, the vaccines produced now are far safer than they’ve ever been.

Can Leptospirosis Be Treated?

Yes, if caught soon enough, it can be treated with strong antibiotics and intravenous fluids. For those dogs that have been severely affected and come in with evidence of organ damage already, treatment is less effective.

In Conclusion

All dogs who go outside in this area of Colorado for any reason should be vaccinated for Leptospirosis annually. If there are any concerns about whether or not your dog should get this vaccine, check with your veterinarian!

We are located at 10225 S. Parker Rd in Parker, Colorado (303)-841-2120