Leptospirosis Vaccinations?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

At Jackdoodle's annual check-up yesterday, the vet had me read some printed material that the office has started to present to all their clients about an increase in incidents of leptospirosis among their patients in the past year. Evidently, where they rarely saw a case from year to year among suburban house dogs (the majority of their patients), they have now seen 6 cases in the past few months, all house pets like Maltese & Bichon Frises who are not out hunting or swimming in rivers. Due to the extremely serious nature of the disease, they are recommending that all dogs that spend any time at all outdoors, even just neighborhood walks or the backyard, get the shots, although in JD's case, they want me to ask his specialist. I know that in the past there has been controversy about the lepto vaccine due to many possibly severe side-effects, but my vet tells me that there is a newer vaccine out that is much safer.
Jackdoodle does love to visit the forest preserves, and we are hoping to resume doing that if he can tolerate it...his immunotherapy shots start tomorrow, we are very hopeful! Last spring, he did lie down in a big mud puddle in the woods and started drinking the water! The first thing that came into my mind was lepto, although he was fine. I will ask the specialist's opinion, but I am wondering if any of you here have vaccinated for leptospirosis, or if your vets are recommending it? Thanks for any input.

PS I should also mention that lepto is a zoonotic disease that can spread to humans.

[Adina P]

Our vets do recommend this so I let them give it to Rosco. Clark is more of a minimalist when it comes to vacs, so Thule and Cass don't get revaccinated as often. It is supposedly not uncommon in my area.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Has Rosco had any side effects, Adina?

[Pauline Rackley]

Its's my understanding that there are many strains of this disease and it is impossible to vaccinate against them all. There may be newere information regarding this, but I'm not aware of it. We do not vaccinate against it in our clinic.

[Christa]

My husband is Patti Cake's dad and veterinarian. He made sure she got the Lepto vaccine. We live in Wisconsin and he recommends it for all of his clients. He has seen an increase in the disease and has seen it first hand. He told me he has seen 4 kidney failures and 2 liver failures in his patients over the last few years. Patti had no adverse events to the shot. Glad you have a good vet in your area who offers the education and the options for your doodle.

[Marion Carmickle]

Riley was vaccinated for lepto as this was the recommendation from our vet. She rec'd a small amount of benedryl prior to the shot and she did not have any reactions.

[Anna and Achilles]

our Vet has also reccomended this vaccination for Achilles.We live in Bergen County NJ not so rural. I was not sure what to do. Did you choose to get this for your Jackdoodle or not? If you did were there any side effects? I''m very confused!!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Jack did not get it, even though Jack's specialist was adamant that if he goes into natural bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, ponds, etc., he absolutely should be vaccinated, because lepto is a really nasty disease. At that point, I chose not to vaccinate him and not to allow him access to streams, ponds, etc. I'm going to have to revisit it this spring.
If he were a healthy dog, I think I would definitely have it done, though. His regular vets strongly recommend it for their healthy patients.

[F, Calla & Luca]

See below. I live in Bergen County also.

[Anna and Achilles]

Thank for the advice about the Lepo vaccine, After reading some more about it, too scary not to.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I had been reading about the vaccine and there are lots of rodents around. Field mice, etc. They excrete the organism in their urine so it doesn't necessarily have to be from swimming. I talked to my vet last spring and she said a dog in her practice had just died of lepto. She vaccinated her dogs and I vaccinated mine. They had no problems from the vaccine.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

From what I understood, the spring thaws cause runoffs which are what pollute the bodies of water with the urine and waste from contaminated animals. But my vet did say that even dogs that just get walked or hang out in yards in residential neighborhoods should get the vaccine, too, which is what I stated in my original post above when I started this discussion. I think it's just that the likelihood of getting it is even greater when they're swimming and swallowing the contaminated water.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Right.