The reason most vets insist on giving Lepto is because this disease can easily be transmitted to humans. Something as simple as cleaning your dogs urine can transmit the leptospiros to yourself from an infected pet. A vet could be considered not doing his job correctly it he didn't give these shots to dogs and cats because of the human adult/child contamation threat. But still it is your animal therefore it is your decision whether to give the lepto or not. My vet and I have come to a decision. I do not give the lepto to puppies. But he strongly suggests I give lepto to my adult dogs. We live in a rural area and have wild animals wondering on and off the property. Infected wildlife animal urine will transmit the disease to your dog. The lepto shot is painful but rarely does it cause a bad reaction with the first shot. It may be the second or third or even later which can cause a severe reaction. This is because of the immune system and the antibodies it creates. Also to be completely protected lepto must be given every 6 months. This also increases the chance of a bad reaction. Also to lessen the chance of adverse reaction and to isolate the cause one should give the lepto in a single shot only. Not combined with other vaccines. This is difficult because most vets do not order immune shots this way as it is costly. |