Denise Wall Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Hi All, Three and a half weeks ago I almost lost my eight year old open trial dog Mick to Lepto. He had high titers to serotypes L. grippotyphosa and L. pomona. Years ago I had decided the risk was too great for the benefit and made a decision not to vaccinate for Lepto. I?m sharing this information below in case anybody would like to re-evaluate their situation with regard to the risk vs. benefit of the newer vaccines for this disease. In my dog, the symptoms were few and easy to miss at first. I noticed he was drinking and urinating more for about two days. Then one morning after he seemed perfectly normal while working sheep, I noticed his urine was dark red. I called the vet immediately. Mick?s lab work showed he was hemolyzing his red blood cells, his blood was not clotting very well, and he was in acute kidney and liver failure. He spent three days in the ICU on IV fluids and antibiotics. Although he lived, and seems to be doing pretty well, not all of his lab values have returned to normal. It?s still unclear whether he?ll end up with significant organ damage from this devastating disease. I hope he?ll be one of the lucky ones to have a full recovery. Below is a good link with current information on Lepto and the newer vaccine, including some figures on side effects (near the bottom). I now feel that the benefits outweigh the risk in my situation and will vaccinate my dogs yearly for Lepto. Fort Dodge has a Lepto only vaccine called LeptoVax 4 that provides protection for four common serovars (including the ones Mick had). From: http://www.cpvh.com/Articles/88.html CANINE LEPTOSPIROSIS Leptospira is a gram negative spirochete bacteria that is very common in this region of the United States. There are over 250 different serovars (subtypes) and it is a zoonotic (meaning that people can contract this) disease. There has been increased prevalence of Leptospira disease since 1983 due to urbanization of rural areas, increasing contact between dogs and wildlife. Leptospira penetrates through the mucosal membranes?eyes, conjunctiva, mouth, any breaks in the skin. After disseminating in the blood, leptospira tends to target the liver and kidneys but can also go to other organs in the body such as the spleen and central nervous system (CNS). A reservoir host is an animal that harbors the organism with no clinical signs of disease. The organism is shed in high quantities in the urine. Dogs, rats, pigs, cattle, raccoons, deer, skunks, possums and small rodents (mice) can all serve as reservoir hosts for the different serovars. Man and dog can be an incidental host, in which clinical disease occurs, but the organism is not shed in high quantities. Leptospira generally targets adult animals one to six years of age, but all ages can be affected. Dogs who are most commonly infected are those who are outdoors with exposure to surface water, dogs over 15 pounds, males, hounds, and hunting, working, or herding breeds. However, all dogs are susceptible. If a house or apartment has a problem with mice or rats, dogs and humans that live there are at risk of exposure. Environmental risk factors include rural areas; housing developments that encroach on areas previously inhabited only by wildlife, leading to greater exposure of dogs to this organism; and areas with poor drainage or that frequently flood. Leptospirosis can cause kidney failure, inflammation/toxicity of the liver (hepatitis), inflammation of the blood vessels (vasculitis) causing hemorrhage, inflammation of muscle tissue (myositis and myalgia), inflammation in the eye (uveitis) causing blindness, inflammation in the nervous system (meningitis), abortion in food animals and immune mediated illness with chronic disease. The most common route of disease transmission is indirect, by contact with stagnant or slow moving water contaminated by urine . Wildlife urinate in a small pond or lake that people and dogs swim in. Leptospira organisms are able to survive for long periods in surface water. Transmission can also occur by direct contact with infected urine; bacteria enter through damaged skin or mucous membranes. Prevalence of the disease varies markedly and usually correlates with rainfall and warm weather. Incidental host infections can be either sporadic or epidemic. The organism can live for long periods of time in warm water. Freezing will kill it. It is endemic in the wildlife population with infection rates as high as 30-40 percent. In dogs, the incubation period (time from exposure to signs of clinical disease) varies between 3 and 20 days; therefore, this is the relevant period of exposure that must be considered. The most common signs of disease early on are anorexia, lethargy, vomiting and fever. Also seen are weight loss, increased drinking and urinating (polydipsia/polyuria), diarrhea, abdominal/lumbar pain, icterus/jaundice, stiffness/reluctance to walk (myalgia), enlarged kidneys (renomegaly), small areas of hemorrhage (petechia) or sometimes severe hemorrhage, and low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Diagnosis can be made from several different types of diagnostic tests with the most common test involving serology. Treatment involves supportive care and antibiotics. Dogs that recover are carriers of the disease and still shed the organisms when they go home. Prognosis depends upon how early treatment begins. Diagnosis of this disease can sometimes be difficult if the patient is seen early in the disease before increases in kidney and liver values occur and the symptoms are vague. Even after treatment with antibiotics, liver or kidney disease may still develop. Up to 25% of infected dogs will not survive the initial infection. Thirty-three to 40% of infected dogs will develop chronic renal failure. Leptospira bratislava and L. icterohemorrhagia were the leading serovars causing disease in the mid 1970?s. Since the mid 1990?s, Leptospira grippotyphosa and L. pomona are the leading infectious causes of acute renal failure in dogs. Prevention in animals: Avoid exposure Isolate suspected cases in the hospital Quarantine carriers (shedders) in the home or kennel Vaccination Owners of infected pets need to wear gloves and masks when cleaning cages and handling bodily fluids/waste. Do not hose down cages of infected animals because it can aerosolize the organism. Vaccination of dogs for leptospirosis has been a controversial issue for the past several years. Early vaccines protected against strains bratislava and canicola. However, there is no cross protection between the various serovars in vaccines. It was also suspected that older leptospira vaccines caused a large number of vaccines reactions. It has been determined that it was the cellular debris in the vaccine (contaminants) and not the leptospira which caused the reaction. Fort Dodge?s vaccine, Duramune Max 5-CvK/4L, is a killed vaccine that protects against the four most common serovars: L. grippotyphosa, L. pomona, L. icterohemorrhagia, and L. cannicola. This newer vaccine incorporates state of the art sub-unit technology. This involves separating the surface immunogens from the extraneous cellular debris and reducing the level of contaminants in the vaccine; thereby reducing the potential for adverse reactions while maintaining immunogenicity. Efficacy studies with the vaccine demonstrated a 90% reduction in clinical signs in the vaccinated animals compared to control animals (those exposed to disease with no prior vaccination). All vaccinated animals were able to clear the infection before it could cause disease. Vaccination with the new Fort Dodge vaccine also prevented clinical shedding by infected dogs. Numerous safety studies demonstrated less than 1.1% incidence of adverse effects (vaccine reactions) from vaccination. Adverse reactions can include injection site pain and swelling less than 24 hours duration, pruritis (itching) at the injection site immediately, lethargy for one day, increased thirst and anaphylaxis (shock). Banfield Veterinary Hospitals performed their own safety study involving 144, 387 doses of Duramune Max5-CvK/4L to their patients. They estimated less than 0.27% reaction rate over all with 0.01% rate of anaphylaxis. Of those patients that had reactions, small breeds did have a slightly higher reaction rate of 1% compared to 0.25% with large and mixed breed dogs. Interestingly enough, their rabies vaccination (brand not stated) had a slightly higher reaction rate than did the leptospira vaccine. Vaccination with DHPPC (again, brand used not stated) produced the same percentage of reactions as did those vaccinated for leptospira. Who should be vaccinated? It is recommended that all dogs be vaccinated because of the zoonotic potential of the disease. We strongly recommend that all dogs used for hunting and working, dogs taken camping, dogs living in rural/farm areas, and dogs with access to ponds, lakes, or drainage ditches be vaccinated. Dogs housed where there are problems with rodents, raccoons and wildlife exposure should also be vaccinated. Vaccines protecting against viral diseases, such as Parvovirus and Distemper virus, are given once every three years after an initial puppy series and a booster vaccination one year later. However, Leptospira is a bacterin, not a virus, and it needs to be given more frequently. Leptospira vaccine initially should be given two times at three weeks apart and then annually. Those dogs that receieved the older leptospira vaccines should still receive the two boosters of the newer vaccine because of the added serovars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kajarrel Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Oh, Denise, that sucks . . . My vets recommend Lepto for "farm dogs," although they have increased the interval for most other vaccines (except rabies). Thanks for the info. I hope that Mick has a complete recovery. Kim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 So sorry to hear this - I hope he recovers well. I had not heard anything about this and am grateful to be made aware. Best wishes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted July 25, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Thanks Sue and Kim. It's been a rough time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack & Co. Posted July 25, 2006 Report Share Posted July 25, 2006 Thanks for sharing this important information. Best wishes to Mick for a continued recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Denise, Do you want to split a 25x1mL pack of the lepto 4way or two (since most of us will need to due to doses right away). Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Thanks, Jack and Co. Mark, I would love to split a 25 vial pack since I only have three to vaccinate but I'm having trouble getting the Lepto only vaccine. It's backordered at Jeffers. I'm calling around now. Will let you know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 KV vet seems to have the Fort Dodge Duramune Max5-CvK/4L vaccine in stock... But I'd love to know if ther's a "just lepto" vaccine out htere, as well. BTW, my daughter works at a vet clinic in Leesburg VA and says there are quite a few cases coming through there - even in "apartment pets" with no known exposure to ponds or stagnant water. http://www.kvvet.com/KVVet/productr.asp?pf%5Fid=18301&gift=False&0=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D197%26Tree%3D%2CMost%20Popular&1=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D979%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D0% 2CVaccines%2A&2=dept%2Easp%2Cdept%5Fid%3D180%26menu%5Fid%3D%26Tree%3D1%2CCanine%20Vaccines&3=product%5Ffamily%2Easp%2Cfamily%5Fid%3D217%26Tree%3D2%2CFort%20Dodge%20Vaccines%20for%2 0Dogs&HSLB=False&mscssid=00A88EE4FDFBCF4FC191CC9B5D698654://http://www.kvvet.com/KVVet/productr...191CC9B5D698654 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Laurie, Yes there is a lepto only vaccine: Duramune? LeptoVax 4. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Originally posted by Pipedream Farm:Laurie, Yes there is a lepto only vaccine: Duramune? LeptoVax 4. Mark found it here http://www.entirelypets.com/leptovax4.html# Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hmmmm...Farleigh has had a mystery illness that seems to be responding to antibiotics. I asked the vet about lepto and she didn't think so, in spite of known exposure to pond water. I am now wondering if I caught it before the kidney/liver involvement (bloodwork was rather nonspecific, with just one liver enzyme elevated) and am now thinking maybe I better go back and ask specifically for a lepto test. Denise, I hope Mick is okay. What a terrible thing to have to go through with him. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Good Lord, Denise! Your luck never ceases to amaze me. Thanks for warning us. charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hi Laurie, It seems like I'm hearing about quite a few cases of Lepto in this area. I wonder if it's worse this year? Mark, I think I found a source for the Duramine Lepto only vaccine. Julie, you might consider it. It can be a mild case or difficult to diagnose at first. The scary thing is it can progress so quickly and cause severe consequences. Charlie, I don't know if it's my bad luck rubbing off on him or what but Mick is an unlucky dog. Among other unusual things that have happened to him, he almost died from a Black Widow Spider bite when he was young. For anyone else interested, here is another good link of a discussion between experts about Lepto: http://www.vetmedpub.com/vetmed/data/artic...331/article.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hey Denise - is the vaccine in short supply or something? I'm seeing it listed with lots of different online stores. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted July 26, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Hey, Robin, I don't know if in short supply or not. All I know is it was listed at Jeffers, I ordered it over night delivery, got a tracking number and verification that it had been sent, and then they called me and said it was on indefinite backorder from Fort Dodge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Ooh, i hate to hear that. I'm planning to do mine as soon as i get back from Canada. Maybe i'll go ahead and get it ordered before i go. I'll let you know if find it somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Originally posted by Denise Wall:Hi Laurie, It seems like I'm hearing about quite a few cases of Lepto in this area. I wonder if it's worse this year? From what I understand from my daughter; the new strains are becoming more prevelant, and also are being diagnosed more frequently as vets become more aware of the signs and symptoms. One of the vets she works with contracted it from a patient and diagnosed herself. She went to her Doctor and had to INSIST on the test/treatment - very scary! Apparently, it can come on so acutely (as you found) and kill so quickly that many cases just did not get diagnosed and owners did not bother with post mortem confirmations. I, too never bothered to vaccinate for Lepto, since (until recently) I considered the side effects of the vacine worse than the probability of contracting the disease. I'm going order the lepto vac if I can get it. Does anyone but Fort Dodge make a Lepto-only vaccine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Okay, i just got off the phone from ordering a 25 dose pack. healthypets.com has plenty, they checked in the warehouse for me. Phone number is 800-889-9475 or you can do online ordering. Price is 113.99 plus 15.95 shipping and someone must be there to sign for the vaccine, so keep that in mind when you order. I've ordered tons of stuff from this site, and they're reliable. They have really excellent prices on Frontline and Synovi-G3 if you use that stuff too. The guy i talked to had a little trouble finding the product when he first started looking, but here's the actual web address for it. http://www.healthypets.com/levax425do.html Unless this vaccine has a pretty long shelf life, i'll have about 10 doses left over if anyone wants them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Oh, BTW, healthypets.com will usually match the price of any other online competitor but i couldn't even find the lepto vax on the Jeffers site any more so they couldn't do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurie etc Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Originally posted by Shoofly:healthypets.com has plenty, they checked in the warehouse for me. Phone number is 800-889-9475 or you can do online ordering. Price is 113.99 plus 15.95 shipping and someone must be there to sign for the vaccine, so keep that in mind when you order. http://www.healthypets.com/levax425do.html here's a competitor price to throw into the mix - if you haven't already ordered - plus shipping is $20 I think. http://www.atozvetsupply.com/Products.html...82370&scat=3245 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shoofly Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 They wouldn't match that one since there's no physical address on the website and they only match US companies. Oh well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pipedream Farm Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Robin, I found an address on the prescription form. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bc friend Posted July 26, 2006 Report Share Posted July 26, 2006 Denise - I'll keep Mick in my prayers; I hope he makes a full recovery. When my vet went to the 3 yr vaccine schedule, she recommended continuing lepto annually and I agreed to it. I'm really glad I did considering Katie's recent experience with the armadillo since they also carry some strains of lepto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrid Posted July 27, 2006 Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Denise, thanks for letting us know about Mick's misfortune. I made arrangements to have all my dog's vaccinated for Lepto as soon as I read your message. I hope Mick is on his way to a full and speedy recovery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Wall Posted July 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 27, 2006 Thank you, bc friend and jrid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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