Your dog may love swimming in lakes and romping in the woods, but a dangerous disease lurks in these areas – one that can sicken you as well as your dog. Leptospirosis is caused by a bacteria spread through soil, water, and the urine of infected animals. If not caught and treated early it can be deadly. Fortunately, vaccination can protect dogs from leptospirosis. Preventing your dog from drinking from puddles of standing water or from swimming in lakes, streams, or other bodies of water that may be contaminated also reduces his risk of exposure.
Overview
Leptospirosis is a potentially serious disease caused by the bacterium Leptospira interrogans. It affects dogs but can also infect a wide variety of domestic and wild animals, as well as humans.
The organism is usually spread through infected urine, but exposure to contaminated water or soil, reproductive secretions, and even consumption of infected tissues can also transmit the infection. Introduction of the organism through skin wounds can also occur. Carriers of the organism include raccoons, opossums, rodents, skunks, and dogs.
The bacteria can survive for long periods of time in water and are frequently found in swamps, streams, lakes, and standing water. The bacteria also survive well in mud and moist soil, and localized outbreaks can occur after flooding.
Once a dog is infected, the leptospirosis organisms rapidly advance through the bloodstream leading to fever, joint pain, and general malaise. Because the organism settles in the kidneys and actually reproduces there, inflammation and even kidney failure may develop. Liver failure is another common consequence of infection.
Symptoms and Identification
Clinical signs typically develop 2 to 12 days after exposure to the bacterium. In many dogs, infection may remain subclinical (without clinical signs) or chronic. In acute, or more serious cases, dogs may experience potentially fatal kidney or liver disease.
Signs include:
Weight loss
Fever
Inappetence (appetite loss)
Vomiting
Lethargy
Muscle and/or joint pain
Diarrhea
Bloody urine
Excessive thirst
Jaundice
Excessive bleeding
Leptospirosis can be diagnosed through blood tests; however, tests may need to be performed multiple times to confirm a diagnosis.
Affected Breeds
Dogs of any breed are susceptible to infection with leptospirosis. Dogs used for hunting or other outdoor sporting activities may be at increased risk due to exposure to potentially contaminated areas.
Treatment
Treatment typically consists of a regimen of antibiotics. Complications such as liver or kidney damage or spontaneous bleeding are treated with fluid therapy and other treatments that are appropriate for the individual patient. Hospitalization is required in many cases.
Prevention
Exposure to leptospirosis can be reduced by preventing your dog from drinking from puddles of standing water or from swimming in lakes, streams, or other bodies of water that may be contaminated. Unfortunately, for dogs that are accustomed to an active outdoor lifestyle that includes swimming, these precautions may not be practical.
Prevention of leptospirosis is complicated by the fact that there are more than 200 different subtypes of the Leptospira interrogans bacterium that can cause illness in animals and people. The available vaccines only protect against a handful of the most common subtypes that infect dogs, which can limit the protective value of the vaccines. Nevertheless, the available vaccines are effective and safe when used as directed, and many veterinarians recommend the vaccination for dogs at risk for exposure. Annual re-vaccination is required.
The leptospirosis vaccine is not required for all dogs. Your veterinarian may recommend this vaccine based on your dog’s lifestyle and exposure risk.
Because humans can also become infected with leptospirosis, dogs suspected of having the disease should be handled with care. Adhere to good hygiene techniques, such as frequent hand washing and avoiding contact with potentially contaminated urine.
A urinary blockage occurs when there is an obstruction in the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. When this happens it is difficult or impossible for a cat to empty the bladder, making it a life-threatening emergency. If your cat is having trouble urinating (see list below), do not delay in having him or her checked by your veterinarian.
Why Blockages Occur
Although both male and female cats can develop urethral obstructions, the urethra is particularly narrow in male cats as it must pass through the penis and this makes male cats more prone to urinary blockage. Regardless of gender, the signs in both male and female affected cats are the same.
The material blocking the urethra can comprise several things, including:
Small bladder stones
Mucus
Inflammatory cells
Urinary crystals
Blood clots
Bacteria (usually a plug of bacteria combined with inflammatory cells and proteins)
Heartworm disease is a serious disease that results in severe lung disease, heart failure, other organ damage, and death in pets mainly dogs and cats. It is caused by a parasitic worm called Dirofilaria immitis. The worms are spread through the bite of a mosquito. The dog is the definitive host, meaning that the worms mature into adults, mate and produce offspring while living inside a dog. The mosquito is the intermediate host, meaning that the worms live inside a mosquito for a short transition period in order to become infective (able to cause heartworm disease). The worms are called “heartworms” because the adults live in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels of an infected animal.
What are the Symptoms of Heartworm Disease in a Dog?
The severity of heartworm disease is related to how many worms are living inside the dog (the worm burden), how long the dog has been infected, and how the dog’s body is responding to the presence of the heartworms.
Symptoms of heartworm disease may not be obvious in dogs that have low worm burdens, have been recently infected, or are not very active. Dogs that have heavy worm burdens, have been infected for a long time, or are very active often show obvious symptoms of heartworm disease.
There are four classes, or stages, of heartworm disease. The higher the class, the worse the disease and the more obvious the symptoms.
Class 1: No symptoms or mild symptoms such as an occasional cough.
Class 2: Mild to moderate symptoms such as an occasional cough and tiredness after moderate activity.
Class 3: More severe symptoms such as a sickly appearance, a persistent cough, and tiredness after mild activity. Trouble breathing and signs of heart failure are common.
Class 4: Also called Caval syndrome. There is such a heavy worm burden that blood flowing back to the heart is physically blocked by a large mass of worms.
When Should a Dog Be Tested for Heartworms?
Annual testing of all dogs on heartworm prevention is recommended and this test is carried out at our clinic, the results are ready in 10 minutes. Based on the results if negative you can get the heart worm/ tick & flea prevention for the summer and protect your loved one!
Summer is here, and so are the mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks!
Fleas cause skin irritation and a lot of discomfort to your pet.
Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme, Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis.
