Leptospirosis in Pets
@nanette64 (20363)
Fairfield, Texas
October 19, 2016 11:00am CST
There has been an uptick in infections of this virus in dogs lately and since this can be a deadly disease, you should be aware and if nothing else, have your dog tested. It is a simple blood test that vets recommend every 3 years along with the standard shot.
As many pet owners know, your dog loves to drink from rivers, lakes and streams and if they see a rat or mouse, may try to catch it. Since dogs use their nose as their biggest scent mechanism, smelling the ground where an infected rat, mouse or another infected dogs urine is located is a bad thing.
There are a multitude of flu-like symptoms and the bad thing about this virus is that it can be transferred to humans; particularly children.
Cats can also be infected as they are natural 'mousers'. Some vets are in disagreement as to whether to have the shot given every year or every 3 years but in any case, it is extremely important to have your pet checked out. This is a deadly virus that can kill your pet.
https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/Leptospirosis.aspx
Leptospirosis is an infection of bacterial spirochetes, which dogs acquire when subspecies of the Leptospira interrogans penetrate the skin and spread through the body by way of the bloodstream.
8 people like this
9 responses
@LadyDuck (502208)
• Italy
21 Oct 16
@nanette64 I love Willy, I would not want to see him sick, poor kitty.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Oct 16
Good idea @LadyDuck ; ya never know.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117206)
• El Paso, Texas
19 Oct 16
It is also a disease that people can get. Now I'm wondering if those 2 cats I took in could have it .... but then they aren't acting sick either and all my furbabies stay indoors, Ally usually goes out to pee or what not and if I'm out with her she likes me to chase her. Thankfully she's never near rivers or standing water outside of that which I fill her outdoor tub with and mostly it's birds who drink from that.
Good to know though.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117206)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Oct 16
I hate that disease @nanette64 it's so quick and people rarely realize their dog has it until it's too late.
1 person likes this
@granny2015 (432)
• United States
15 Nov 16
@nanette64 Aww those poor dogs , its possible the neighbor could not afford to get the dogs vaccinated
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Oct 16
@rebelann I was so mad at him. He just let them run loose all the time and that just made them more susceptible to contracting it.
@louievill (28846)
• Philippines
19 Oct 16
Very informative, our own pets can become carriers as well when they are infected and could pass it on to humans. Btw the causative agent is a bacteria not a virus like rabies so it would respond well to antibiotic treatment.
Vaccination is good but it does not guarantee complete immunity since the microorganism has numerous subtypes.
Human patients in the Philippines are given Doxycycline as prophylactic treatment even before diagnosis is confirmed and it responds well, not sure if this will work with pets but it would most likely do, the main culprit here is rodent urine in flooding during typhoons.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
19 Oct 16
Very true on all counts @louievill .
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40026)
• Toccoa, Georgia
19 Oct 16
That is interesting. I didn't know about this. Thanks for the info.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
20 Oct 16
You're welcome @LeaPea2417 ; better safe than sorry.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
19 Oct 16
Since Ruby is never in a place like that I don't have to worry. She drinks pool water but no other water outside. I am sure there are rats in the world, but not in her world LOL.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20363)
• Fairfield, Texas
19 Oct 16
Sounds like Ruby is pretty safe @AbbyGreenhill . I think dog parks should really be watched closely as it can pass from one dog to the next.
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
20 Oct 16
thanks fer sharin' this info, hon. 'tis most important to get our lil fur babes their shots'n a regular basis...'n tested jest'n case.
1 person likes this
@Carmelanirel2 (8085)
• United States
22 Nov 16
Thanks for the info, I wonder back when my dogs were puppies and why my vet asked if they drank out of the lake where we live. I guess there is a vaccination for this (or maybe for another disease) so when he found out they don't go near the water, he didn't give them the shot.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54714)
• United States
24 Oct 16
Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
19 Oct 16
That is a scary thing for pet owners. I will pass this info along to my daughter and her few months old Chihuahua. I know they are in the process of getting all the shots though.
1 person likes this
