Leptospirosis a risk to Pets and People!
By Dr. Maria Krenz, DVM – ZimmVet-763-856-4848
Leptospirosis (Lepto) is an infectious disease and can cause serious illness in dogs and people. This disease is from a spiral-shaped bacteria called Leptospira which live in water or warm wet soil. Any type of animal can potentially get infected. In fact, this has been a problem for years but is now more prevalent; which means Leptospirosis is a risk to all!
How Pets and People get Infected
Lepto is spread through bacteria in the urine of the infected animals. Humans and animals can potentially become infected through skin, bodily fluids (except for saliva), and mucus membranes (such as eyes, nose, and/or mouth). Dogs can pass the disease to each other as well as to people.
Lepto has become more problematic with the increase in development in areas that were once rural. As a result, pets may be exposed to more wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, squirrels, opossums, or deer that have been infected with the disease. In the event that your pet does become infected, it could mean that your pet may have been drinking, swimming, or walking through the contaminated water or soil.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs can vary and are nonspecific. However, some pets do not have any symptoms.
- Common signs to list that have been reported in dogs are:
- Fever
- Vomiting
- Abdominal Pain
- Diarrhea
- Refusing to eat
- Severe weakness
- Depression
- Stiffness
- Severe muscle pain
- Inability to have puppies
- Younger dogs (less than 1 year of age) tend to get the most severe forms of the disease.
- 87-100% of dogs that have been infected will have some degree of kidney dysfunction.
Treatment
The disease is treated with an antibiotic. More often than not pets will need other supportive treatments. Unfortunately, in some cases the disease has caused too much damage to the pet’s liver and kidneys which means the pet doesn’t recover.
Prevention
- Firstly, vaccinating your pet is key in preventing the infection for your dog. See below link for more information on vaccines.
- Second of all, the American Animal Hospital Associations guidelines recommend the vaccination for all dogs regardless of lifestyle!
- Unfortunately, there is no current vaccination for cats.
- The vaccination is often combined with the distemper which is considered a combination vaccine. The vaccine is administered yearly.
If your pet is diagnosed, make sure that you avoid contact with their urine. During this time, if your pet has an accident in the house ensure you wear gloves and clean well with disinfectant. Lastly, make sure you wash your hands!
In conclusion it is recommended that you vaccinate your pet; no matter what lifestyle you and your pet live! That way you can both continue to live a happy and healthy life.
CDC Fact Sheet: https://www.cdc.gov/leptospirosis/pets/index.html
Disclaimer: This written content is meant to be educational and is not medical advice. Always consult a veterinarian about medical advice for your pet.
