VET COLUMN: Disease is rare but it can be fatal

Recently we have been presented with a couple of cases in practice that we believe to have been Leptospirosis, with only one case currently being confirmed.
This is a bacterial disease that should be routinely vaccinated against in dogs annually alongside a yearly check over by the veterinary surgeon.
Leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that primarily causes liver and kidney damage although other organs and the brain can also be affected.
There are mainly two types of this disease, one that is spread from dog to dog and tends to cause kidney damage.
The prevalence of this type of disease is hard to estimate as often the symptoms are not severe and dogs can generally recover although there are some concerns that in some cases this could result in chronic kidney disease.
The other type of disease is mainly spread from rats and causes severe and acute kidney and liver damage (Weil’s disease).
Unless this disease is treated within the first 24 hours of showing symptoms it is very hard to save these poor animals and most will die.
To contract this disease requires close contact with rat urine.
Generally the Leptospira in rat urine will only survive about ten minutes in the environment, although it can last several hours in a warm wet environment.
This is the main reason that this disease has been quite rare.
There are many strains of leptospirosis and until recently only two have been present in the UK and these have been included in the L2 vaccine.
Recent evidence suggests that there are another three strains now entering this country from Europe and are now included in the new L4 vaccine.
There is a level of cross protection between the strains in both vaccines which can be discussed with your vet.
The new L4 vaccine does have an increases number of adverse reactions compared with the L2 vaccine but these are generally mild and animals tend to recover quickly.
However, some owners are reporting more severe reactions such as fits, autoimmune disease, collapse and even death.
These reactions are very low in number and are disputed by the vaccine company.
It should be remembered this disease can be easily treated if caught early with a single dose of a penicillin type antibiotic.
Total recovery without intensive care can occur if this treatment is given within 24 hours of initial symptoms.
However, the symptoms can be non-specific, such as vomiting, diarrhoea, mild abdominal pain, slight temperature and depression. (Many dogs with simple gastroenteritis will show similar symptoms).
Later these cases can develop jaundice and at this point it is very hard to save them.
These L4 vaccinations are now widely available. The L4 vaccine is a bit more expensive and any dog presently on the L2 vaccine will need two injections of the L4 vaccine four weeks apart to change over. For more information please contact your veterinary practice.