Leptospirosis

What is Leptospirosis?

The disease is caused by bacteria that spreads through infected rat urine. Dogs can contract it via food, bedding, or most commonly stagnant water that has become contaminated. It enters the body by contact with the mouth, entering through broken skin or by swallowing infected water.

The symptoms are generally seen 7 days after exposure to the bacteria and include being off food, lethargic, vomiting, diarrhoea and yellow colouring to the whites of the eyes. 

What can I do to protect my dog?

There is a vaccine available to protect against a common strain of this disease. This is an additional vaccine that often is not part of the standard vaccination protocol for many pets so please ask your vet about it if you live in an area where Leptospirosis has been detected.

If your pet visits areas where Leptospirosis has been detected, or locations where there are a lot of rats, we strongly recommend vaccination to protect your pet from Leptospirosis. 

We recommend the following to keep your pet safe:

• Vaccinate your dogs, especially in high risk areas – vaccination is the best prevention
• Walk your dog on a lead in high risk areas- especially those dogs that love chasing rats and those that like swimming in ponds/rivers
• Don’t allow your dog to drink from stagnant water that may be contaminated e.g. ponds, lakes or puddles
• Make sure you visit your vet if your dog shows any signs of illness e.g. not eating, lethargy, vomiting or diarrhoea. Don’t delay treatment even if signs are mild.