Lepto alert for dog owners

[csgray]

OK, so it wasn't enough that one of my dogs had a seizure last weekend, but her twin sister quit eating last week and started acting depressed. When we finally got her into the vet she had jaundice, and it turns out she has lepto, probably from drinking out of a puddle with rat pee in it.

So if your dog stops eating and starts moping around, check their eyes and gums for jaundice and get them to the vet for antibiotics ASAP. Cats are not usually carriers or likely to develop lepto.

We almost lost her, and I don't know if her sister would even want to live without her, we call them One Dog, because they are so connected. We won't know for weeks to a few months if she has kidney or liver damage, but she is responding nicely to the antibiotics and acting much perkier.

Carol

[Kelena]

Mahalo nui for posting this, csgray. And so we need to keep our dogs from drinking out of puddles.....another challenge. My dog was previously diagnosed, incorrectly, with chronic kidney failure, with incidental high blood pressure as a result. In actuality, the blood pressure which was causing the kidney failure, not the other way around. Two pills a day from Costco takes care of it and she came back from the near-dead. I would hate to see anything affect her kidneys again, and so I appreciate the warning.

[robguz]

Do you know if they have a vaccine for Lepto? My dogs get their annual vaccinations but I don't recall if that is one of them. And of course not all vaccines are are as effective as the best ones. Thanks for posting this.

Ok, well it took me all of a minute to find this. I need to check my records to make sure my dogs have gotten this vaccination annually. http://www.pet-health-care-gazette.com/2...-and-cons/

[mailesomaha]

I take my new rottweiler to Aloha Vet and she got that vaccine.

My neighbor says she takes her Italian Greyhounds to the Keaau Vet, but she also told me that the vet diagnosed a couple of her dogs with Lepto....I don't know what's up with that!?

I love my new dog, she's amazing. Only 10 weeks old and smarter than my 3 year old cat and cost more than my 1st car.

Hard to tell her not to drink out of a puddle at my house...puddles everywhere. Especially this week.

We bought these rat stations and put them all over the yard when we found our neighbor's cat tearing up a poor little rat. http://www.amazon.com/Motomco-Tomcat-Rodent-Station-33475/dp/B000FBKUV8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1330074980&sr=8-2

We screwed them onto a 2' piece of 2x4 and we glue the rodenticide onto the board with a hot glue gun so they can't take off with the bait. The glue peels off with human fingers to refill.

[terracore]

In the dog's shot regimen, make sure you get the "7" (multi shots are usually 'called' by the disease they are most likely given to protect against, usually parvo or distemper but protect against multiples. The 7 (sometimes called a "super 7" or "univac 7" etc protects against:

Canine Distemper, Hepatitis (CAV-1), Adenovirus Type 2, Parainfluenza, Parvovirus Vaccine (MLV & KV) and Leptospira Bacterin (and/or sometimes coronovirus).

Rabies is ALWAYS given by itself. If your dog has had a rabies shot, it has been immunized against the disease it will probably never be exposed to in Hawaii. The other shots are more important.

[csgray]

We thought we were on top of our dogs' medical care, but NO ONE every told us about this risk or that there was a vaccine, including our vet. I'm still trying to process that.

Carol

[Devany]

So sorry to hear this Carol. Our dogs are inside dogs and we get the vaccine. It was one of the first things the vet suggested when we brought them for their first checkups. I hope that your dog comes through this! Hugs!

Aloha au i Hawai`i,
devany

www.SassySpoon.wordpress.com
www.myhawaiianhome.blogspot.com
www.EastBayPotters.com

[terracore]

quote:

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Originally posted by csgray

We thought we were on top of our dogs' medical care, but NO ONE every told us about this risk or that there was a vaccine, including our vet. I'm still trying to process that.

Carol

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Same thing happened to me, and I lost a dog to parvo. Now, I usually vaccinate our dog myself. There are numerous places on the internet that sell the single super 7 with syringe. Not only cheaper than going to the vet (even after prioriy mail shipping) but less stress on the animal too.

Note: don't ever vaccinate your dog against rabies yourself. As far as the law is concerned, it doesn't "count".

[Lucy]

I am sorry that this happened to your dog Carol and hope that she will fully recover back to complete health.

There are 8 Lepto types that a dog can contract. Usually the vaccinations contains 1-2 of those types, but might not cover the kind that your dog contracted. Your vet can confirm the type by tests. Plus once vaccinated it only lasts about 6-8 months. They can also contract it through wading through Lepto infected water through a cut or break in the skin. That is how people probably get it most often. There are hundreds of types of Lepto worldwide. This chart might be of help to you.
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+1556&aid=454

I would also be aware/concerned with the many loose dogs in the area being carriers of this, besides the rats. Dog have to go and sniff and pee on others prior spots and this could be the way it was transmitted if they got some on their nose or mouth.

I would also be concerned to rid the yard of it:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8042305_disinfec...rosis.html

Lucy

Having another Great day in Paradise, Wherever that Maybe!

[csgray]

I sincerely want to thank everyone for both their practical information, and words of sympathy. Little Lika is much perkier although still not eating much, we just have to wait to see the prognosis on her liver and kidneys.

Carol