# Leptospirosis vaccine



## retrieverbear (Jan 19, 2014)

Did you give your dog the Leptospirosis vaccine? If so, at what age? Did you experience side effects?


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I do it after 16 weeks of age. Lepto is all around me out here in the country. I've never had any bad effects yet.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I do the same as Linda. Even though the Lepto vaccine may not get all the strains, we hike constantly and live with so much wildlife right in our property. Having seen the suffering of a lepto dog, I fear the disease so I want to proactively try to prevent it.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

Yes, I definitely always have my dogs vaccinated for Lepto. My dachshund was a bit sore the next day but other than that, no side effects. 
My golden pup got the Lepto vaccine in his third booster and because there have to be two Lepto vaccines done for the first time vaccinating for it, he had a fourth booster with the Lepto. 
I live in the country - I am not taking any chances.


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## Martin (Feb 21, 2011)

I do vaccinate against Leptospirosis, but couldn't vote because none of the options were applicable: my family and I have never had a dog younger than a year old, and so I never had to make a decision as to what age the dog had to reach first.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

Most definitely. One of my Bridge boys was one of the first dogs who contracted leptospirosis in my county after the disease was rather dormant for years. At that time veterinarians didn't recommend the vaccine. It's everywhere in my area now, and it's something even a dog who only goes outside in their backyard to potty can contract since it is spread by wildlife that can easily climb fences and get in your yard (here- raccoons).


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## thorbreafortuna (Jun 9, 2013)

My vet said he only needs it if he spends a lot of time outdoors where there is wild life (such as when hunting, hiking, camping). I haven't vaccinated Thor for if but I think I'm going to. We haven't done real wilderness hiking yet but we plan to, and we do live in an area near woods and reserve land where we do often take short hikes. He also loves the lakes and ponds, I think he needs it.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Just fyi.... here in Michigan there was a pretty sizable outbreak a couple years ago and there still are a number of cases being reported - if the dog owners followed through and had their dogs properly diagnosed. 

That's more rural area, areas like I live (mixture of rural and suburban meshed together), and it's also more urban areas as well.

The outbreak a couple years was in a more urban area - and primarily spread by rats and mice. 

And might add - it's also carried by dogs who have been out in various areas. So particularly if you do dog parks or go places where other dogs are peeing - that's another concern. 

So there should be no false comfort as far as living in city areas. 

Biggest issue with lepto is that by the time your dog is diagnosed, it generally is because the dog is going into renal failure. A lot of dogs out there go undiagnosed.


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

My vet believes in it so much that she gives the second booster for free, so people come back for it. I was against it for a long time until one day I saw a coyote pee in the same spot my dogs do, I called that afternoon for an appointment.

People have to remember that it is zoonotic which means it can be passed to people.


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## thorbreafortuna (Jun 9, 2013)

Megora said:


> Just fyi.... here in Michigan there was a pretty sizable outbreak a couple years ago and there still are a number of cases being reported - if the dog owners followed through and had their dogs properly diagnosed.
> 
> That's more rural area, areas like I live (mixture of rural and suburban meshed together), and it's also more urban areas as well.
> 
> ...



Making an appointment tomorrow!


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

My Dogue de Bordeaux had Leptosporsis at a young age. Between one and two. He became so sick so fast had I not ignored my own Vet (previous vet I'll add) and gone to the ER, I was told he would have died within the next two days. I live on Long Island, NY a very populated area but we do have raccoons and oposums.
Even though he had the disease, he received the vaccine every year as does Murphy. I always give two benedryl an hour before the appointment.
By the way I had insurance on Shamus and the bill was well over $4000.00 which included follow up liver and kidney bloodwork. Thankfully he recovered.


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## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

cubbysan said:


> My vet believes in it so much that she gives the second booster for free, so people come back for it. I was against it for a long time until one day I saw a coyote pee in the same spot my dogs do, I called that afternoon for an appointment.
> 
> *People have to remember that it is zoonotic which means it can be passed to people.*


Exactly! After Barkley was diagnosed the owner of the clinic called me to discuss it because she was starting to see similar cases coming in from my area of town. She mentioned this to me and said that in checking around she found out a woman was diagnosed with it after going out and working in her yard doing gardening. She wanted to make sure that my husband and I were aware of the symptoms, just in case one of us started feeling bad. 

In our case we had taken the dogs hiking in a forested city park area across the street from the vet clinic on a damp day with lots of dead leaf cover and we think that's where he contracted it. On the morning we first noticed symptoms he woke up lethargic and vomiting. I got him in at 7 a.m. when the clinic opened and the first vet who saw him sent us home without diagnosing it. It was her first week on the job anywhere (fresh out of vet school) and she obviously didn't consider it was a possibility. We lived about 2 minutes from this clinic and I was not pleased about her dismissive attitude. Before I even unloaded him from the car once home I hopped out and called the clinic back from my garage phone and the receptionist told me to come right back and she would get us in with another vet. She listened carefully, asked the right questions and decided to do bloodwork for testing immediately. She also decidced to go ahead and treat him for it pending results, assuming this diagnosis and she was right. He survived without any long term damage. About two weeks later my good friend's yorkie started showing similar symptoms and also tested positive for it. After a few more weeks the hospital sent a letter out to all clients advising of the epidemic and advising everyone consider the vaccine for their pets. By then we'd already vaccinated Toby, at our vet's suggestion.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

We don't have lepto here in Alaska. But I'm traveling down to the states with one of my dogs, and I did make sure to get her lepto and booster before we go.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

Re: Dallas Gold
The ER vet I took Shamus to also began treatment without knowing for sure it was Lepto, as it takes a few days for the Lab results. She knew the symptoms and blood work from my own Vet with very high liver and kidney values.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Unfortunately there are over 200 strains of lepto. Last year I had a friend take her chessies to chessie national. 2 of her dogs got lepto even though they had the shots. So don't think your dog still can't get lepto because they got the shot.


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## cgriffin (Nov 30, 2011)

The drawback with the Lepto vaccine is, that it does not last a full year - so yes, I suppose the closer you get to that year mark, the chances increase that your dog can still get Lepto. 
Around wildlife frequented areas, it is important to not let your dogs drink from any puddles or standing water - that also goes for trying to prevent Giardia.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Well the issue is they only put 4 or 5 different strains in a vaccine, whereas there are over 200 strains of lepto. So your dog could still get lepto, which is what happened to my friend's chessies. They just got a strain that wasn't in the vaccine. It's like the flu shot. The companies that make the flu vaccine try to predict what strains of flu will be around and create a vaccine to prevent those flu strains. The companies really try hard to predict everything, but can't always be perfect.


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## murphy1 (Jun 21, 2012)

You're correct Alaska....we must still be very careful!


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## Goldens&Friesians (May 31, 2014)

My 3 yr old gets it, but my 14 yr old stopped getting it several years ago. She always had severe vaccine reactions-like bad enough we dreaded that time of year because we worried she'd die. She would get extremely lethargic and was barely able to stand up-the older she got, the worse it got. Then, 7 yrs ago when I started working at a vet clinic as a groomer, I was telling one of the techs how I dread getting Autumn's vaccines done. She suggested leaving out lepto and see what happens. To date she has never had a vaccine reaction since stopping lepto. We live in the country and she goes camping with us, so I know there is a risk, but I'd rather risk getting the disease and having her die from that, than trying to prevent it only to have her die from the vaccine.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Alaska7133 said:


> We don't have lepto here in Alaska. But I'm traveling down to the states with one of my dogs, and I did make sure to get her lepto and booster before we go.


That is a really interesting thing- no lepto! Do you have ticks/ lyme?


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