Newswise — If your dog is in the wrong place at the wrong time, its life could be in danger from exposure to leptospirosis.
Because many veterinarians see only one or two cases of leptospirosis each year, it is easy to miss the diagnosis.
Dr. Kenneth Harkin, a veterinarian at Kansas State University's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, suggests dog owners ask their veterinarian for a lepto test if the dog shows: * unexplained fever * increased thirst and urination * lumbar (back) pain
or if the dog is diagnosed with: * kidney failure * liver failure * uveitis (inflammation of the eye)
There are a number of tests for lepto. Harkin said the "gold standard" is a serological test, the microscopic agglutination test, which is used by all veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
Harkin, one of the nation's foremost experts on leptospirosis, developed the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, test that can identify infection in some cases before they are serologically positive.
He said it is important to find a lab experienced in doing the PCR test. Other tests for lepto include the fluorescent antibody test and culture. The culture takes at least two weeks. The fluorescent antibody test andculture are not recommended for routine diagnostics.
There are numerous strains of leptospirosis and a vaccination has been available for two of them for 30 years. Today there is a newer vaccination that protects against four of the most common strains of lepto, and is said to cause fewer side effects. Harkin recommends vaccinating dogs against leptospirosis.
"Most cases result from contact with urine in contaminated water," Harkin said.
If your dog drinks from a contaminated pond, or has a cut on its foot and walks through a contaminated puddle of standing water, the dog can become infected.
Rainy weather provides conditions ideal for lepto, which can live in moist soil for up to 120 days.
A research study conducted by Harkin and colleagues found that housing developments that encroach on wildlife habitat lead to greater exposure of dogs to lepto carried by wildlife. Raccoons, possums, voles and rats are reservoirs of disease.
"This exposure is probably greater during the warm months of late spring through early fall, because of increased time spent outdoors by dogs," Harkin said.
A retrospective study of 1.8 million dogs examined at 22 veterinary teaching hospitals showed a significant increase in lepto in the U.S. and Canada since 1983. Male dogs of working and herding breeds were atgreater risk.
There is no reason to panic, Harkin said. If you identify lepto early, it can be cured with antibiotics.
Harkin's research found that German shepherd dogs contract lepto in greater proportion than other breeds.
"German shepherd dogs seem uniquely susceptible to the disease." Harkin said. "For this reason, I recommend that all German shepherds be vaccinated regularly for leptospirosis."
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG HAS LEPTOSPIROSISIf your dog is infected with leptospirosis, it is important to prevent infection of other dogs and to protect yourself. Lepto is a zoonotic disease -- one that can be passed from dog to human through contact with contaminated urine.
Harkin has the following recommendations:
* Have your other dogs tested to see if they have been exposed.
* Ask your veterinarian if other dogs in your home should be given doxycycline or other antibiotics for a week or more as a preventive.
* Protect yourself from contact with urine. Wear eye protection, disposable latex gloves and consider a surgical mask while cleaning up urine. Cleaning with a household bleach solution will kill the lepto bacteria.
* If you develop flu symptoms, tell your doctor that your dog has lepto so that you can get antibiotics as a precaution.
* When bathing your dog, soap the dog before adding water. The soap will kill the lepto bacteria, and prevent the water from turning the bacteria into an aerosol that could infect you.
* Keep your dog away from other dogs until your veterinarian says it is safe.
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