Protect Your Pet from Rising Threat
Is your dog at risk for leptospirosis?
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. - Septmeber 15, 2005
Like most pet owners, Jane Babinsky loves animals and worries if any of her dogs get sick. When Petey, her energetic Welsh corgi, became lethargic, experienced dramatic weight loss and was having frequent accidents, she had him tested for leptospirosis, which came back positive. Later, she experienced headaches, fatigue and a painful urinary tract infection and believed she may have also contracted the disease. Both were treated with antibiotics, but because the disease left its mark on Petey, she had all three of her dogs vaccinated. Pet owners can prevent leptospirosis in their dogs with vaccination and avoid the debilitating symptoms associated with this potentially fatal disease.
"I was fine in about three days. Petey is okay too, but he still has bouts of urinary tract infections. The disease has aged him a lot," she adds. Leptospirosis, or "lepto," is a bacterial disease spread through water contaminated by wildlife and domestic animals. According to Kenneth Harkin, DVM, DACVIM, Kansas State University, "lepto" is on the rise nationwide.
"We see a fair number of cases of canine lepto at Kansas State University and not just during the summer or fall, the peak season, but also in spring and winter," he comments.
And though leptospirosis has been recognized as a disease for almost 100 years, it is not as well known as rabies or even Lyme disease, and veterinarians and pet owners do not know its symptoms. Dogs typically contract the disease by drinking or swimming in water in which other animals, such as rats and raccoons, have urinated. Thus, lepto is just as likely to be found in urban areas as in the country. It is also much more common to see cases of lepto in dogs than in their owners.
Dogs with lepto usually vomit, are lethargic, and may have joint and muscle pain. In severe cases, it can result in kidney failure, as well as liver disease. Left untreated, it can lead to death. In people it most commonly presents as a severe flu-like disease, although it can produce kidney and liver failure and meningitis. Dogs can shed the organism in their urine while not showing symptoms and this puts other pets, as well as humans, at risk. While dogs contract the disease by drinking contaminated water, their owners can also get it if they have a cut or opening in their skin that comes into contact with urine of an infected dog.
The symptoms for human lepto vary, but may include weight loss, vomiting, fever, diarrhea and abdominal pain. It is often under-diagnosed because blood tests may not reveal the infection.
"Dogs don't have to exhibit clinical signs of the disease or test positive for lepto to shed the disease-causing leptospires in their urine," says Dr. Harkin. "This places pet owners at risk if they come into contact with the urine."
In a recent study, Dr. Harkin evaluated 500 dogs without regard to health status to compare three methods of leptospirosis testing. Results of the study revealed blood tests may not indicate the presence of leptospirosis. In the study, 8.2 percent of dogs tested were shedding the bacteria in their urine. Dr. Harkin's study found clinically normal dogs shedding leptospirosis may pose a health risk to their owners.
Whether you live in a rural community or in a suburban neighborhood, every dog that shares an environment with wild or domestic animals is at risk for contracting leptospirosis and transmitting it to other dogs, as well as people. Dogs that spend more time outdoors are at greater risk of contracting leptospirosis.
Dr. Harkin adds once leptospirosis is diagnosed, treatment with antibiotics is usually effective. But, he says, it is possible to prevent the infection in dogs by using a broad spectrum 4-serovar leptospirosis vaccine, such as the one made by Fort Dodge Animal Health. Because this potentially life threatening disease among dogs is highly preventable, Dr. Harkin recommends talking to your veterinarian to find out if vaccinating against leptospirosis is right for your family's "best friend."
Fort Dodge Animal Health, a division of Wyeth (NYSE:WYE), is a leading manufacturer and distributor of prescription and over-the-counter animal health care products for the livestock, companion animal, equine, swine and poultry industries in North America and international markets. Key products include the Duramune® product line, LymeVax®, EtoGesic® Tablets, Fel-O-Vax® FIV, CYDECTIN® Pour-On, QUEST® Gel and Innovator® equine vaccines, including West Nile Innovator®. The company is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.
