Why vaccinate against leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a potentially fatal and zoonotic (transmissible from animals to pets) bacterial infection.
At Mackenzie’s Animal Sanctuary, we vaccinate all of our dogs against leptospirosis due to the severity of illness associated with leptospirosis and potential risks to humans. Leptospirosis is transmitted through contact of a healthy pets with standing water or urine contaminated by an infected animal, such as raccoons and rodents. Leptospirosis can lead to kidney failure and/or liver failure which can result in the infected dog acting “off”, having a fever, drinking excessively, refusing food, or other vague clinical signs. Leptospirosis is most commonly diagnosed during wet, warm months of the year. Therefore, April is a great time to talk to your veterinarian about your dog’s leptospirosis vaccination status.
Here is a reference from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding leptospirosis in pets: http://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pets/index.html
