# Anyone understand Lepto vaccines/titers?



## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

If so, maybe you can help me make heads or tails of this.

I took Gunner for his annual check-up last week. I told the vet that I didn't want him getting any booster shots. He'd had them every year for 5 years (before I knew better.) 
Last year, I had them do the titers for everything and he showed full immunity to everything but Lepto. I went ahead and vaccinated for Lepto, only. 
Now this year, I didn't even bother with the titers for distemper and parvo, since I'm thinking he's more than likely still immune. The only one I was concerned about was Lepto, so I had them titer for that. My vet just called and said that, just like last year, Gunner is showing low immunity to 5 of the 6 Lepto strains that they test for. 
I'd love to hear some opinions on this from people who understand these titers. Is it possible that he's still not fully immune to Lepto?

I should add that my vet isn't one who necessarily "pushes" vaccines. I get the impression that he disagrees with not vaccinating annually, but he says "You do whatever you believe is right, and I'm okay with it." But I want to make sure that what he's telling me about this is right.

I should add, too, that with Gunner's condition (EPI) I'm a little leary of ANY vaccines, but Lepto is a concern in this area so I really don't know which way to lean on this one.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Lepto is an interesting and concerning vaccine. My regular vets do advise it(and give it to their own dogs- I quiz them on this), because lepto-striken dogs are in such terrible pain and hunch all up and can easily die. They see many lepto dogs in a year. Dogs like mine are out in the woods all the time, and might pick it up from a racoon, etc. However, our board certified internal medicine specialist , one of the best vets in Maine, does not vaccinate her own JR Terriers for lepto, notr does she believe my goldens should be - because there are so many, many strains but the vaccine only covers a limit number. Since she specialized in canine oncology, she really believes in being very careful with over-vaccination, especially for goldens and boxers.

My head spins over the lepto vaccine.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

Lepto vaccines last for less than a year, so it is very likely that he has no to little immunity to lepto.

Whether you choose to give him the lepto shot is a matter of risk management. I live in the country with lots of wildlife in the area where my dogs run, so I do the lepto shot (the new one that covers more serovars), although I do the regular booster shots only every 3 years. My friend who lives in a very busy metropolitan area, chooses not too. My vet has seen several cases of lepto, while my friend's vet has not seen any.


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## Finn's Fan (Dec 22, 2007)

Lepto vaccinations are a big "what to do" issue here, too. My vet has had four of his clients' dogs die from lepto, and we have a ton of wildlife even in suburbia (especially raccoons), so he pushes the lepto vaccine to be given every six months! I have been in the clinic when two dogs, on separate occasions, had adverse reactions to this vaccine and needed emergency treatment so they wouldn't die. Finn doesn't seem to have any immune-mediated medical problems, but I still vaccinate as little as possible. I do not give him the lepto vaccine, much to my vet's dismay, after reading everything I can get my hands on. I do, however, use a giant Have-a-Heart trap and catch the ****** raccoons in my yard


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

My friend who tracks and does field work give the lepto vaccine every 6 months. She is a Nurse Practioner who is very observant of her dogs, and even with that, she almost lost one to lepto. It was touch and go for awhile but her dog did make it. The vet told her that if she had waited even a couple of hours, it would have been too late.

It is definitely a risk management issue. I should add that neither she nor I have ever had a dog with a negative response to a vaccine, and I think that makes a difference as well. It was my understanding that the new lepto vaccine causes fewer reactions than the old one.


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

Wow, it is scary. My dogs haven't had vaccines for two years. Gunner will get his vacs again next year and Selka , I don't plan on vaccinating again as he is 10.

We do have rabbits and opossums in the yard. The boys had a run in with a possum and her babies a week ago. I read they can get it from urine in the grass. 
What a dilemma....


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Tahnee GR said:


> *Lepto vaccines last for less than a year, so it is very likely that he has no to little immunity to lepto.*
> 
> Whether you choose to give him the lepto shot is a matter of risk management. I live in the country with lots of wildlife in the area where my dogs run, so I do the lepto shot (the new one that covers more serovars), although I do the regular booster shots only every 3 years. My friend who lives in a very busy metropolitan area, chooses not too. My vet has seen several cases of lepto, while my friend's vet has not seen any.


Thank you! That explains it and that's what I needed to know. I'd rather play it safe and vaccinate for Lepto, as long as I know that there's a good, legitimate chance that he needs it. 



Debles said:


> I read they can get it from urine in the grass.


That's my understanding, too. It's a big concern for me since we have raccoons all over the place around here.

I've also heard (and I don't know if this is actually true or not, since it came from my previous vet who is an incompetent jack--s) that if they contract Lepto, they can pass it on to us. Maybe someone else can verify that, if it is true?


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