Does Your Dog Need The Leptospirosis Vaccine?
Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that can lead to serious symptoms like joint pain, fever, fatigue, and eventually kidney failure. It affects a wide range of mammals, including dogs, which means it is a disease you should be on the lookout for as a dog owner. There is a vaccination for leptospirosis, but not every dog needs to be vaccinated. Here is a closer look at the types of dogs that should be vaccinated, and why.
Hiking Dogs
Leptospirosis is largely spread through contaminated water. If an infected raccoon or skunk urinates near a water source and your dog drinks that water, they can become ill with the disease. If you have a dog who hikes or walks wooded paths with you, that dog is particularly likely to drink from streams and creeks that could be contaminated, which means he or she is at risk for leptospirosis and should be vaccinated. (Even if you make every effort to give your dog the sanitized water you drink, they will probably sip from a stream at some point if you ever let them off the leash.)
Hunting Dogs
Dogs can also contract leptospirosis by biting an animal that is infected. The average pet dog is never going to bite a raccoon or a skunk, but a hunting dog just might. So if you have a dog who goes out hunting with you, whether for small game, birds, or something else entirely, vaccination is smart.
Dogs Who Roam
If you live way out in the country where people tend to let their dogs roam free a little more, you should probably vaccinate your dog for leptospirosis. You may not have a stream on your land, but the neighbors' property could have puddles or ponds that are contaminated.
Dogs Who Live With Elderly Owners
Leptospirosis is transmissible to humans. The average person would probably not contract it from their dog as long as they were careful to wash their hands and avoid contact with contaminated urine. However, older dog owners who may not be physically capable of washing as thoroughly -- and whose immune systems are not as strong -- may be at a higher risk of leptospirosis themselves if their dog becomes infected. As such, vaccinating the dog may be a good preventative measure.
Talk to your vet today to learn more about which pet vaccinations are good choices for your canine companion.
