Vaccination against leptospirosis may or may not be necessary for your dog, depending on his lifestyle. Photo Credit: tonamel/Flickr.com
Leptospirosis is a disease that is relatively common in dogs and in other animals as well. The disease is caused by a bacteria and primarily spread through contact with infected body fluids, especially urine.
Dogs are most often infected through contact with food or water contaminated with infected urine. Rodents are frequently infected with leptospirosis and drinking from puddles or other standing bodies of water contaminated with rodent urine is a frequent means of infection for dogs.
Leptospirosis affects the kidneys and/or liver of infected dogs. The disease can be fatal if left untreated.
Fortunately, there are vaccinations that can be given to protect your dog against leptospirosis. However, there are some caveats with the vaccine that you should be aware of before you decide whether or not to vaccinate your dog.
Leptospirosis Vaccination for Dogs
Leptospirosis vaccines are classified as non-core vaccines. Consideration must be given to the lifestyle of the individual dog when deciding whether to administer a vaccine against canine leptospirosis. In each case, a risk to benefit assessment must be considered.
Here are some facts you should know about leptospirosis in dogs and the canine leptospirosis vaccination.
- Leptospirosis vaccines are among the most reactive of canine vaccinations. On the whole, leptospirosis vaccines are more likely to result in unwanted side effects than other vaccines, such as distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus or rabies.
- Adverse reactions can happen in any dog and cannot be predicted prior to the event. However, small dogs are more likely to suffer side effects than larger dogs.
- There are many different serovars (strains) of leptospirosis that can infect dogs. Currently available vaccines protect against only two or four of these serovars, depending on the type of vaccine. None of the vaccines protect against all potential infective strains. As a result, leptospirosis vaccination may not be totally effective.
- Leptospirosis is more common in some locations than in others. In some communities, leptospirosis is endemic and is fairly commonly diagnosed. In other areas, leptospirosis is rarely seen. Your veterinarian should be able to provide more information about how common leptospirosis is in your locality.
Should My Dog Be Vaccinated Against Leptospirosis?
If your dog’s risk of exposure to the disease is high, vaccination may be considered. However, vaccination is not necessarily recommended for each and every dog. Your veterinarian can help you decide if vaccination against leptospirosis is appropriate for your dog.
I can tell you my vet suggested us giving our dog(s) this shot. We live in an area with many deer and other wild game roaming and yes, my dogs do like the “deer treats”. Not to mention we visit family in the mountains of Pennsylvania a few times a year. However our vet now does not give out or suggest this vaccine any longer. He has had many reactions to this, as did our dog. Our Boxer was given this shot and with in the hour his face swelled up 3x the normal size and was having labored breathing. Luckily we caught our vet before he left for the day and was able to reverse the effects in a few days. He found that some breeds, such as Boxers have a higher chance of this adverse reaction. I suggest that anyone thinking of getting this vaccine for their dog does their homework thoroughly, speak in depth with their vet AND ESPECIALLY have it done under close supervision.
Beverly – I’m so glad you were able to get immediate treatment for your dog’s reaction. I know Lorie has talked about the possibility of vaccine reactions in pets before http://www.untrainedhousewife.com/dog-and-cat-vaccines-what-all-pet-owners-should-know-about-vaccinations
Thanks for sharing your story.