posted 08-21-2003 09:53 AM            

Leptospirosis in Dogs
According to a recent scientific article, Leptospira grippotyphosa and other serovars like L. pomona and L. bratislava are becoming more important as causes of canine leptospirosis. Practitioners should be alert to continue to include leptospirosis in their differential diagnoses list for renal disease of the dog. Also, areas where canine leptospirosis from serovars other than L. canicola and L. Icterohemorrhagica may be endemic, inclusion of these other serovars in a vaccination program should be considered because limited cross-protection between serovars occurs.

Proceed with caution if other serovars are used for vaccination, because the risk of hypersensitivitiy reactions with leptospira bacterins is one reason (along with rarity of canine leptospirosis) that some institutional clinicians have considered dropping or have dropped the use of leptospira bacterins in dogs. Anaphylactic reactions from vaccination are more likely on any dose subsequent to the first leptospira bacterin injection. Use in puppies less than 9 weeks of age is not recommended. Leptospira bacterin should not be administered to any dog with a history of possible anaphylaxis following a previous vaccine combination injection containing leptospira antigens.

Remember that another important reason to vaccinate is to try to minimize the risk of transmission of leptospira organisms (mainly through contaminated urine) to humans. Subclinical canine leptospirosis is more common than the acute form and may go undetected until humans exposed to infected dogs develop leptospirosis. Although leptospira bacterins may not prevent canine infection and the development of the carrier state (with urine shedding of leptospires), vaccination may possibly reduce the number of organisms shed into the urine and thereby decrease the likelihood of human infection.

and here is a link to another site on the disease you have to scroll down to the section on dogs.
http://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/pbs/zoonoses/Leptospira/leptoanimals.html

posted 08-21-2003 10:07 AM            

Leptospira vaccines: This vaccine presents a dilemma for several reasons: In more recent times, several dogs seemed to have had allergic type reactions to the Leptospira component in the multivalent vaccines. It has also been suggested that the duration of immunity after vaccination only lasts for about 8 months. Recently, a new Leptospira vaccine has become available that contains four different serovars: grippotyphosa, canicola, icterohemorrhagica, and pomona. The vaccine is now purified, which may reduce allergic reactions and although titers drop significantly after 6 months, challenge with pathogenic forms of L. icterohemorrhagica and canicola one year after vaccination did not cause disease. Because of these recent developments we recommend this vaccine.

posted 08-21-2003 07:33 PM         

My Vet will NOT give the Lepto vaccine UNLESS the owenr demands it!!!

My Vet has witnessed numerous complications with the Lepto vaccine!!! They have ranged from temporary breathing problems to death.

Another reason my Vet will NOT give the Lepto vaccine is because there are many strains of Lepto, which means the dog is STILL subject to getting Lepto!

I chose NOT to give my dog the Lepto vaccine because too many Shetland Sheepdogs have suffered serious complications and/or death. The Lepto vaccine is the number one disputed vaccine when it comes to the Shetland Sheepdog.

The kennel my dog stayed at normally reqiures the Lepto vaccine, but, accepted my dog without it. I had a written note from the Vet and had printed information suggesting the Lepto vaccine not be given to a Shetland Sheepdog.

I would never suggest the Lepto vaccine to any dog owner!! To me, it's putting your dog at a very high risk of complications or death!!!!

posted 08-21-2003 07:47 PM            

1. the lepto vaccine available covers only a small percentage of the strains of lepto.

2. the strains of lepto it *does* cover are generally not life threatening, the life threatening strains are not covered by the current vaccine.

3. it is connected to the most allergic reactions including anephalactic(sp?) shock and auto-immune disorders of any of the vaccines.