What is Leptospirosis and why do we vaccinate against it?

The bacterial species Leptospira is an organism with worldwide distribution that can cause disease in man and animals. The kidneys in particular are vulnerable with kidney failure being the result in severe infections.

The tricky thing about Lepto is that it can be shed in the urine of wild animal such as raccoons and rats with no harm to them. This contaminates the enviroment (ponds, streams, soil) and exposes your dog. If your dog is not vaccinated he or she may or may not become ill from Lepto, but will shed the bacteria in their urine. This puts the rest of the family at risk of exposure and disease.

Vaccination not only prevents the disease but the asymptomatic cases from shedding the bacteria in urine.