# Lepto Vaccine



## Dallas Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

We started giving it for our dogs in late 2005 after our Barkley came down with lepto. We almost lost him. It turned out he was the first in a rash of cases that fall/winter. We vaccinated Toby immediately and Barkley got his after he recovered. Our vet believed it was carried by raccoons in the area, urinating on wet dead leaves and ground surfaces (it was a rainy year) and the dogs walking over it, getting it on their paws, licking the paws and then coming down with it. She said even dogs that never left their backyards were at risk because the infected wildlife can climb over fences and urinate, contaminating the yard. 

We never want to see one of our dogs suffer from it again so for us, we'll vaccinate. We do spread the vaccinations out though and always do the lepto separate from others because it has a high reaction risk.

I didn't vote since the vaccine was given to adult dogs.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

My dog has had the lepto vaccine a few times and it didn't bother him.


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## Rainheart (Nov 28, 2010)

Usually the only reactions we see are in puppies less than 5 pounds. We are also weary of giving it to doxons. Beamer got his with no problems at 10 weeks and then boostered accordingly.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I give it after 12 weeks, and have had no adverse reactions. Do be aware that it does not last for 12 months, so depending on risk and where you live, your dogs may need to be vaccinated more than once every 12 months.


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Good point! I live in Canada where he only needed it for the summer.

Now that he's an older dog and he doesn't swim I haven't given it to him.


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## Sophie_Mom (Jan 21, 2009)

We do give it, but not until they were a bit older. Wanting this vaccine left out when they were 8 weeks, 12 weeks, etc. was the cause for us to interview MANY vets. Almost all of them in my area do the combo with the Lepto included. All of the vets in my area agree that this area is endemic for Lepto. Sawyer didn't have the vaccine until he was a year old (being born in May, we didn't give it to him that first summer, and then the risk was fairly low during the winter). He had no reaction and was fine. Knowing that the vaccine doesn't last a whole year and living in Wisconsin, the vet and I have decided that vaccinating them in the spring is the best choice. They are protected through the thaw and summer, and then the risk goes down when everything is frozen throughout the winter. We take the dogs on the river and on sandbars where there are critters, so I definitely feel that the benefits outweigh the risks.


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## EverclearMatrix (Sep 2, 2011)

*Thanks!*

Thanks for all the helpful hints and for answering the poll. I definitely agree the benefits outweigh the risks if the exposure is likely. I'm also wondering if it's more of a spring/summer disease? Being it already November, it might make sense for us to wait until the spring given that it doesn't always provide 12 months of immunity.

Thanks again for all your help! I'm so thankful for the creators of this forum as this is our first Golden!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

All I can say is that in summer the dogs are outside sniffing and licking puddles and eating contaminated grass or whatever outside.

And in winter all of those squirrels and raccoons are still running around outside. Plus, there are all the field mice moving indoors because of the cold.

The animals who carry this disease are most definitely around all year round. 

As far as vaccinating - Lepto is the only shot our guys get every year. Everything else is on a 3 year schedule.


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## IowaGold (Nov 3, 2009)

EverclearMatrix said:


> Thanks for all the helpful hints and for answering the poll. I definitely agree the benefits outweigh the risks if the exposure is likely. I'm also wondering if it's more of a spring/summer disease? Being it already November, it might make sense for us to wait until the spring given that it doesn't always provide 12 months of immunity.
> 
> Thanks again for all your help! I'm so thankful for the creators of this forum as this is our first Golden!


It can happen any time of the year, but spring/summer is the most likely time. I'd probably wait until Feb/March to start the series (it will need to be boostered once 3 weeks after the initial vaccination, then yearly or if your vet recommends it, twice yearly). It won't come due with the rest of his vaccines, but that's not such a bad thing.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

Mine get the lepto vaccine. Here it is an issue in Spring and Fall when the soil is alkaline. I have started to wait until 16 weeks and the reactions seem to have gone away.


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## EverclearMatrix (Sep 2, 2011)

*Vaccine*

Trooper got his vaccine today. No problems, just a little sleepy. He will go back in 3 weeks for his booster. Given the risks, definitely think the vaccine is worth it. Thanks for all the advice!


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## LifeOfRiley (Nov 2, 2007)

Riley gets a Lepto vaccine every year and I've never noticed any kind of reaction.
The risk of exposure in this area is just too high NOT to get the vaccine.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

I don`t. To me the risks of the vaccine out weigh its benefits and i do field with my dogs and live on a farm but i also raw feed, no chemicals and give very few vaccines so my dogs have a healthy robust immune system. 

 The lepto exposure risk is med-low where i am , and basically nil during cold weather. The vaccine can produce significant adverse reactions in the vaccinated dog , IF any of my dogs seems ill with potential lepto symptoms, it’s easy to approach; 1) take the dog to my local vet ; get Lepto titer measured and while waiting immediately start penicillin type antibiotic or doxycycline. The lepto organism is rapidly killed by these antibiotics.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

BeckyB said:


> I don`t. To me the risks of the vaccine out weigh its benefits and i do field with my dogs and live on a farm but i also raw feed, no chemicals and give very few vaccines so my dogs have a healthy robust immune system.
> 
> The lepto exposure risk is med-low where i am , and basically nil during cold weather. The vaccine can produce significant adverse reactions in the vaccinated dog , IF any of my dogs seems ill with potential lepto symptoms, it’s easy to approach; 1) take the dog to my local vet ; get Lepto titer measured and while waiting immediately start penicillin type antibiotic or doxycycline. The lepto organism is rapidly killed by these antibiotics.


Not quite so easy as that. My girlfriend who is a nursing instructor and very well tuned into her Goldens, took her girl to the vet the minute she went off her food. By the time they reached the vet, she was deathly ill with lepto. It was touch and go for a long time. She now vaccinates with lepto every 6-9 months, and is a strong advocate of it in our area, although she is very conservative in general regarding vaccines.

I feed kibble, do minimal vaccines and my dogs also have a very robust immune system but there are some things I will not take chances with.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

I also wanted to say....
Immunologist Dr. Ronald Schultz lives in a lepto endemic area and he does not vaccinate his own dogs for it,
I think that tells you something about both the safety and efficiency of the vaccine.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

What Dr Schultz does is his own opinion on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Many many vets and epidemiologists as well as owners and lay people will disagree.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Tess will not get another Lepto vaccine. The first time she got it, was together with the Lyme vaccine and she went into anaphylactic shock. No idea whether it was the Lyme or the Lepto, but I am very careful...


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

inge said:


> Tess will not get another Lepto vaccine. The first time she got it, was together with the Lyme vaccine and she went into anaphylactic shock. No idea whether it was the Lyme or the Lepto, but I am very careful...


How old was Tess when this happened? I am on the fence regarding the Lyme vaccine but always try to space vaccinations out, to avoid stressing the immune system too much.

Years ago, a puppy I bred went blind after being given the Lyme vaccine. He eventually regained his sight, but it left an indelible impression on me.


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## 3 goldens (Sep 30, 2005)

My KayCee had no problem with her puppy vax, nor her first set of annual vax, but we almost lost her withing an hour of her her 2ed aset of annual vax at age 2 1/2. My vet was 99.99% sure it was the lepto that she had the reaction ot.

Even tho he was sure it was the lepto, he decided to never vaccinate her again for anything other than law required rabies, and even then he bucked the "city law" by only giving it to her every 3 years reather than every year.

Since had had only ever treated one case of lepto (our machanics standrard poodle), i have not gotten lepto vax for anyof my dogs since almost losing KayCee. HOWEVER if we do have a hurricane, Honey will ger vaccinated becaue of contaminated water risk.


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## inge (Sep 20, 2009)

Tahnee GR said:


> How old was Tess when this happened? I am on the fence regarding the Lyme vaccine but always try to space vaccinations out, to avoid stressing the immune system too much.
> 
> Years ago, a puppy I bred went blind after being given the Lyme vaccine. He eventually regained his sight, but it left an indelible impression on me.


She was 4 months old.


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## geenz (Aug 3, 2011)

Murphy had 3 needles at both 12 and 16 weeks. Lepto, kennel cough, and one other that for the life of me I can't remember, must have been parvo I think. The Lepto one made him squeal really loudly (the vet said that it stings more than the others). About a week after his 12wk needles he got a lump at the site that was big and gradually shrunk down again after about a week and a half or so. I mentioned it to the vet and she said its the Lepto one that usually gets the swelling. He didn't get it as bad with the 16wk dose, was only teeny and didn't stick around for very long at all.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

inge said:


> She was 4 months old.


Yeah, that's pretty young for both of those. I'm surprised the vet did it that way.


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## Sally's Mom (Sep 20, 2010)

The killed vaccines are the ones most likely to cause reactions. They include rabies, Lyme, bronchicine, and lepto. It is because they are not pure and have all kinds of contaminants. Some companies are working on making"pure" vaccines.... Mine get all of the vax, but often split up.


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## Golden123 (Dec 6, 2009)

Sadie had one vaccine when we got her, I believe it was DHLPP, which is Distemper, Hepatitis (CAV-2), Leptospirosis, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus (combined canine *vaccine*). Our vet does DA2PP, which she will be getting every 3 years. Our Min Pin is 7 and never had the Lepto vaccine.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

I feed kibble, do minimal vaccines and my dogs also have a very robust immune system but there are some things I will not take chances 
with.[/QUOTE]

I agree, Thats why i don't vaccinate for it....I have known more dogs damaged from the vaccine than from the disease. 
Anytime you inject anything into a patient you have the potential of killing them. Prof. Ron Schultz phd.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

Sally's Mom said:


> What Dr Schultz does is his own opinion on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Many many vets and epidemiologists as well as owners and lay people will disagree.


Dr Ronald Shlutz is a pioneer and expert in the field of veterinary vaccines , he has been studying the effectiveness of canine vaccines since the 1970`s 
so i highly respect his "opinion".


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Fatal bacterial disease claiming pet dogs in metro Detroit | Michigan Radio

All I can say... 

I opt out of getting the kennel cough vaccine for my dogs, simply because in all of the years we've owned dogs and taken them out and about everywhere including dog class, shows, parks, petstores... we've only had to deal with KC twice and it went away after 10 days or so. 

Lepto does kill the dogs if not caught soon enough. Or it really messes up their systems (kidneys), even if caught early on. Why take that risk?


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## Maxs Mom (Mar 22, 2008)

We have been giving the Lepto vaccine for years. I remember my vet being concerned because there were cases in Livonia where I live. He gave us all the information about it, and the cautions, my dogs did just fine. My vets give it apart from all the other vaccines so if they do react they know it was the lepto. Never have. Both Quinn and Gabby had their first when they were about 5 1/2 months, the second closer to 6. Even with Gabby. They kept trying to blame her meningitis outbreak on her vaccines but it was at least 6 weeks post lepto. Nope no relation. 

The risk of the lepto disease far out weighs the risk of the vaccine.


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I should mention that I also give the dogs a benedryl before they are vaccinated, and with the puppies made sure I had liquid children's benedryl on hand, just in case.

The only reaction I have seen in my guys to date is when poor Bug's head swelled up like a balloon! Only thing we could figure was a spider bite of some kind  She ended up with a shot of benedryl plus benedryl pills.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

Megora said:


> Fatal bacterial disease claiming pet dogs in metro Detroit | Michigan Radio
> 
> All I can say...
> 
> ...


I could ask you the same question.... A not-vaccinated dog has one risk, catching the disease.... 
A vaccinated dog has two risks, catching the disease and vaccine reaction.

Anaphylasxis,anorexia,fever,dehydration,autoimmune disease,digestive issues,limping,acute organ failure,renal failure,liver failure,pancreatitis,death,dermatitis,puritis,cancer,degeneration of soft tissue,; all of these have been reported following administration of the lepto vaccine.

To me its like playing Russian roulette, you don't know how your dog will react to the vaccine.
One of my dogs developed a seizure disorder after being vaccinated for Rabies....hes 8 yrs old now, never been exposed to rabies but is disabled from the vaccine, another vaccine could kill him...would you take the chance of vaccinating him again, if he were your dog? 

What if your dog developed one of the serious conditions listed above? Would you still be glad you vaccinated? 

we also don't know anything about the dogs in that news story; age of dogs, vaccine history,health history,what they ate, how long they showed symptoms before being taken to a vet or the strain they contracted?There are over 200 serovars.
Optimal nutrition is the key to immune health and prior genetic damage from vaccines is also of consequence.


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## BeckyB (Jan 21, 2008)

Megora said:


> Fatal bacterial disease claiming pet dogs in metro Detroit | Michigan Radio
> 
> All I can say...
> 
> ...


I could ask you the same question.... A not-vaccinated dog has one risk, catching the disease.... 
A vaccinated dog has two risks, catching the disease and vaccine reaction.

Anaphylasxis,anorexia,fever,dehydration,autoimmune disease,digestive issues,limping,acute organ failure,renal failure,liver failure,pancreatitis,death,dermatitis,puritis,cancer,degeneration of soft tissue,; all of these have been reported following administration of the lepto vaccine.

To me its like playing Russian roulette, you don't know how your dog will react to the vaccine.
One of my dogs developed a seizure disorder after being vaccinated for Rabies....hes 8 yrs old now, never been exposed to rabies but is disabled from the vaccine, another vaccine could kill him...would you take the chance of vaccinating him again, if he were your dog? 

What if your dog developed one of the serious conditions listed above? Would you still be glad you vaccinated? 

we also don't know anything about the dogs in that news story; age of dogs, vaccine history,health history,what they ate, how long they showed symptoms before being taken to a vet or the strain they contracted?There are over 200 serovars.
Optimal nutrition is the key to immune health and prior genetic damage from vaccines is also of consequence.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

> What if your dog developed one of the serious conditions listed above? Would you still be glad you vaccinated?


Having lost one dog to kidney disease, I'm terrified of anything that could possibly cause that condition. It's a hundred times worse than cancer. 

All our dogs have gotten vaccinated with little or no reactions to the vaccinations. 

They used to have a reaction to the rabies shot (big lump on the site of the shot, lasting a week or so), but even that has not happened since our vet switched to a 3 year shot instead of the yearly one.


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