What Is Leptospirosis?
Leptospirosis is a serious disease of dogs and man caused by the leptospira bacterium. This bacterium is found throughout the world in many different strains. Recent research indicates that new strains of leptospira are emerging in Canadian dogs (and rarely in cats). Leptospirosis can be a life threatening disease, and may cause concern for anyone who owns a dog or cat.
How Serious Is This Disease?
Leptospirosis can be a severe disease. Symptoms or clinical signs vary with the age and immune status of the animal, environmental factors affecting leptospira survival, and the aggressiveness of the particular strain. These bacteria typically attack the liver and kidneys and cause severe damage to these organs.
What Are The Common Symptoms In Pets?
Leptospirosis can present with high fever, anorexia, painful abdomen, bloody urine, and lethargy, which comes on quickly.
How Can A Pet Become Infected With This Disease?
Infected wildlife and livestock may be carriers of leptospirosis. Infected animals shed the bacteria mainly in their urine. Your pet may become infected by direct contact with a sick or a carrier animal. Your pet may also become infected through exposure to contaminated water or soil, if the environmental conditions are correct. Leptospira needs a neutral to alkaline soil with moist conditions in the warm temperature range (7-36 degrees C) in order to survive. Stagnant water, such as in swamps or areas of poor drainage, meets these requirements. A high wildlife population in an area will increase the risk. Dogs typically become infected from drinking contaminated water. Hence, most of the cases come from rural areas or the outer limits of town. However, with ongoing urbanization, wildlife are being forced to inhabit populated areas.
In short, if your dog is a field or hunting dog or if you have skunks and raccoons visiting your yard, especially if your yard has poor drainage, then the disease should be a concern to you.
How Can Leptospirosis Be Prevented?
You can help prevent transmission of this disease by keeping your pets away from swampy areas, improving the drainage of your property, and making your yard less attractive to wildlife. Open areas with more sunlight will decrease dampness after a rainfall, and may act as a discouragement for wildlife. To minimize water collection, install drainage tile in swampy areas or raise the ground level with landscaping.
By not taking your pets off leash in wooded, swampy areas between July and the first hard freeze of winter, you can greatly reduce the risk of exposure.
There is a vaccine for some of the strains of leptospira, which may provide protection. Vaccines for a leptospira strain are strain specific and do not promote protection against other strains present in nature. The current vaccine protects against two of the strains that have been prevalent in this area in the recent past.
Leptospirosis can be transmitted to humans, and as such it is important to avoid contact with contaminated urine or stagnant waters. It is also prudent to thoroughly wash your hands after handling any animal.
If you have further concerns, do not hesitate to discuss this with your veterinarian.
Caution: These news items, written by Lifelearn Inc., are licensed to this practice for the personal use of our clients. Any copying, printing or further distribution is prohibited without the express written permission of Lifelearn Inc. Please note that the news information presented here is NOT a substitute for a proper consultation and/or clinical examination of your pet by our clinic veterinarian.
