Lepto Vaccine

[RileyDC]

Riley is due for his yearly exam and vaccines end of August. He turned 1-year old in May. So far he will be getting his rabies, dhpp and bordetella. I do bordetella because I take him to a lot of different Meet-Ups, monthly.

I remember when I got Riley, I ran into a girl that lives 2 buildings down. We were walking our pups together and she mentioned that her Pup got Lepto and how it was Really Nasty! She almost lost him....

Everything i had heard about the lepto vaccine was about how terrible it was and that it could give a really really bad reaction.

I also know there are a TON of Rats in my neighborhood and in the park.... one can running right at Riley and myself. Thankfully there was a plastic barrier in front of me and I was holding Riley.
We also have "2" Opposum right around the corner from me. The neighbors are putting moth balls in their yards because that will apparently keep the opposums out of it.

I have also been reading that a lot of vets in this area give the vaccine to their dogs......

I am thinking now that maybe I should do the Lepto.... I won't do the Lyme since I give him his Frontline Plus monthly.

Does anybody have anything they can share.... good or bad?!

[107barney]

I struggled with this recently when my dog Barney threw a positive on a leptospirosis http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ospirosis.html

After all was said and done, I was advised to give the vaccine and then I was advised not too - my vets could not agree. Over the years, I've had more vets tell me to give the vaccine than not, but I have decided against it. The older ones have had it in the past but my youngest dog has not.

This is a tough one. Leptospirosis is a horrible disease. The dog is usually very sick when the vets diagnose it. I still am not giving the vaccine at this point and I really hope I don't come to regret it.

Good luck with your decision!

[jp4m2]

I understand your ambivalence when it comes with making the decision as to allow the administration of a vaccine or not. If you don't allow the administration and the disease is contracted you feel guilt. If you do allow the administration and an adverse reaction should occur there is guilt.
All we can do is do our research and do what is best without letting fears guide us.

You could call your state health dept. and see how many cases have been reported in your area. Some area are higher risk for Lepto than others. For instance in Texas Lepto cases are very rare. Dr. Schultz lives in an area that would be considered high risk, but he still does not administer this vaccine.


According to Dr. Schultz there are too many negatives to allow this vaccine to be given.:

There are over 200 different strains of Lepto but there are only four available vaccine serovars of leptospirosis: L. Canicola, L. Gripophytosa, L. Icterohemorrhagiae, and L.Pomona. However, there are two more that are causing disease in dogs, L.Autumnalis and L. Bratislava, for which we have no vaccines.

This vaccine has more adverse effects reported than all other canine vaccines combined...Anaphylaxis, anorexia, fever, dehydration, autoimmune disease, digestive issues, limping, loud vocalization following vaccination, acute organ failure, renal failure (within 48 hours of injection), liver failure, pancreatitis, death, dermatitis, puritis, cancer, degeneration of soft tissue: all of these have been reported following administration of the Leptospira vaccine.

Immunity to bacteria is only temporary. So the immunity will always wear off over time, sometimes in less than a year. This means that you have to repeatedly vaccinate for leptospirosis in order to maintain immunity. Repeated vaccination of course increases the chances there will be an adverse reaction.

The vaccine causes shedding of the bacteria into the environment which makes them a risk to other animals and people,Lepto is transmissible to humans.

Lepto vaccines do not protect the dog from infection with Lepto. In the Canine Health Concern vaccine survey, 100% of dogs with Leptospirosis contracted it just after being vaccinated against it


Once vaccinated, the patient’s serum can no longer be a useful record for diagnostic tests, as the serum antibody titer from the vaccine cannot be distinguished from antibody caused by natural infection. This leads to interpretation problems when trying to diagnose the presence of infection or disease.

Maybe a better defense against Lepto other than vaccination is awareness. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of Lepto: fever, joint pain, and general malaise, loss appetite, vomiting, diarrhea,increased water consumption and urine output while others may have a decreasing output of urine. The organism settles in the kidneys and begins to reproduce, leading to further inflammation and then kidney failure. Antibiotic treatment is quickly effective for Lepto, Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice.

[YorkieRose]

I have spoken to 3 local vets recently in different clinic..(a personal survey) none suggest yearly boosters except for rabies and bordella. Two suggested the 3 yr rabies and said reseachers were working on a 10 yr rabies.

I think it depends on where you live and your dogs life style.

[107barney]

Originally Posted by YorkieRose

I have spoken to 3 local vets recently in different clinic..(a personal survey) none suggest yearly boosters except for rabies and bordella. Two suggested the 3 yr rabies and said reseachers were working on a 10 yr rabies.

I think it depends on where you live and your dogs life style.

This isn't true for lepto which requires boosters as another poster said.
If there is a gap, meaning you stop the vaccine and then start it up again, you need a new 2-shot series.

[YorkieRose]

Originally Posted by 107barney

This isn't true for lepto which requires boosters as another poster said.
If there is a gap, meaning you stop the vaccine and then start it up again, you need a new 2-shot series.

I am only telling you what many vets in my area do...so far none give lepto that I have used...there are so many I like to try them all out...
I took Pinkie to be spayed...heard about a great new vet...breeder himself. Before I could say a word he told me what he believed...no DHL boosters, no letpo and did I have a problem with that???LOL

[107barney]

Originally Posted by YorkieRose

I am only telling you what many vets in my area do...so far none give lepto that I have used...there are so many I like to try them all out...
I took Pinkie to be spayed...heard about a great new vet...breeder himself. Before I could say a word he told me what he believed...no DHL boosters, no letpo and did I have a problem with that???LOL

Well there you go - none give lepto - and therefore of the vax they give, they don't do annual boosters. That makes sense. But to be clear, if one gives the lepto vaccine, it requires boosters or is useless.

I like your new vet - mine is the same way, she is not into pumping up my dog for the sake of the bill and plus we spend enough anyway LOL Unfortunately, I've had other vets who did not have this attitude, always looking for the cash cow.... Disgusting.

[Britster]

I will never personally give lepto again only because Jackson had a terrible reaction to it at 12 weeks. From my understanding, a second time would be a worse reaction, I think. So it's not something I'm willing to do. He also had lymes disease and was caught early and treated with 30 days of antibiotics and is now kept on preventatives year-round so I also don't do the lyme vaccine. I, too, am really for as less vaccines as possible. But I do think lepto in this area is more frequent so I also am really indifferent about it.... did he get lepto as a pup?

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by 107barney

I struggled with this recently when my dog Barney threw a positive on a leptospirosis http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sic...ospirosis.html

After all was said and done, I was advised to give the vaccine and then I was advised not too - my vets could not agree. Over the years, I've had more vets tell me to give the vaccine than not, but I have decided against it. The older ones have had it in the past but my youngest dog has not.

This is a tough one. Leptospirosis is a horrible disease. The dog is usually very sick when the vets diagnose it. I still am not giving the vaccine at this point and I really hope I don't come to regret it.

Good luck with your decision!

I'm so sorry you had to go through this....
It is a really tough decision....

[YorkieRose]

Originally Posted by 107barney

Well there you go - none give lepto - and therefore of the vax they give, they don't do annual boosters. That makes sense. But to be clear, if one gives the lepto vaccine, it requires boosters or is useless.

I like your new vet - mine is the same way, she is not into pumping up my dog for the sake of the bill and plus we spend enough anyway LOL Unfortunately, I've had other vets who did not have this attitude, always looking for the cash cow.... Disgusting.

I read on the internet that many, if not most vet schools have now changed the vaccine protocal...so I think we will see younger vets with different ideas...
I have had 3 pet owners that had my old Yorkies...in the 11 to 13 yr range die within 3 days of a booster.
I have not given a Yorkie any vaccine except rabies in 25 yrs...of course, they had puppy shots and a one year booster...nothing after that...and no rabies after 7..the 7 yr rabies shot is a 3 yr vaccine...and no way I am giving a 10 yr old anything.
I may have to eat my words tomorrow, but with my 4 girls..in the 11mo to 6 yr range...none have seen the vet for anything except spaying, dental and rabies, heartworm...no sick visits in 6 yrs.

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by Britster

I will never personally give lepto again only because Jackson had a terrible reaction to it at 12 weeks. From my understanding, a second time would be a worse reaction, I think. So it's not something I'm willing to do. He also had lymes disease and was caught early and treated with 30 days of antibiotics and is now kept on preventatives year-round so I also don't do the lyme vaccine. I, too, am really for as less vaccines as possible. But I do think lepto in this area is more frequent so I also am really indifferent about it.... did he get lepto as a pup?

I thought he had received DHLPP as a pup, but looking through his records, it was just DHPP....and I remember my vet saying they should not get Lepto until at least 6-months old....?!?!
She did want to give him the canin influenza, which I said No to. She said if I changed my mind...I could just drop him by, at anytime.

She also gave him the Rabies Shot and his last DHPP shot the same day. I am now hearing that shots should be broken up, at least 3 - 4 weeks apart.

I made an appointment with a new vet down where my parents are for end of August and am looking forward to it. He came highly recommended.

[Ellie May]

Ellie had a severe reaction to the lepto vaccine, so never again for her.

It is a major problem in Michigan, so I would likely choose to give it if there was no history of reaction. My other small breed is getting it...

That said, I did not know Schultz had made a position about this public and will be looking into it. He and my vet are the people I listen to when it comes to vaccines.

[RileyDC]

Originally Posted by jp4m2

I understand your ambivalence when it comes with making the decision as to allow the administration of a vaccine or not. If you don't allow the administration and the disease is contracted you feel guilt. If you do allow the administration and an adverse reaction should occur there is guilt.
All we can do is do our research and do what is best without letting fears guide us.

You could call your state health dept. and see how many cases have been reported in your area. Some area are higher risk for Lepto than others. For instance in Texas Lepto cases are very rare. Dr. Schultz lives in an area that would be considered high risk, but he still does not administer this vaccine.


According to Dr. Schultz there are too many negatives to allow this vaccine to be given.:

There are over 200 different strains of Lepto but there are only four available vaccine serovars of leptospirosis: L. Canicola, L. Gripophytosa, L. Icterohemorrhagiae, and L.Pomona. However, there are two more that are causing disease in dogs, L.Autumnalis and L. Bratislava, for which we have no vaccines.

This vaccine has more adverse effects reported than all other canine vaccines combined...Anaphylaxis, anorexia, fever, dehydration, autoimmune disease, digestive issues, limping, loud vocalization following vaccination, acute organ failure, renal failure (within 48 hours of injection), liver failure, pancreatitis, death, dermatitis, puritis, cancer, degeneration of soft tissue: all of these have been reported following administration of the Leptospira vaccine.

Immunity to bacteria is only temporary. So the immunity will always wear off over time, sometimes in less than a year. This means that you have to repeatedly vaccinate for leptospirosis in order to maintain immunity. Repeated vaccination of course increases the chances there will be an adverse reaction.

The vaccine causes shedding of the bacteria into the environment which makes them a risk to other animals and people,Lepto is transmissible to humans.

Lepto vaccines do not protect the dog from infection with Lepto. In the Canine Health Concern vaccine survey, 100% of dogs with Leptospirosis contracted it just after being vaccinated against it


Once vaccinated, the patient’s serum can no longer be a useful record for diagnostic tests, as the serum antibody titer from the vaccine cannot be distinguished from antibody caused by natural infection. This leads to interpretation problems when trying to diagnose the presence of infection or disease.

Maybe a better defense against Lepto other than vaccination is awareness. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms of Lepto: fever, joint pain, and general malaise, loss appetite, vomiting, diarrhea,increased water consumption and urine output while others may have a decreasing output of urine. The organism settles in the kidneys and begins to reproduce, leading to further inflammation and then kidney failure. Antibiotic treatment is quickly effective for Lepto, Doxycycline is the antibiotic of choice.

Great Info.!!!! Thaniks!

[YorkieRose]

Originally Posted by Britster

I will never personally give lepto again only because Jackson had a terrible reaction to it at 12 weeks. From my understanding, a second time would be a worse reaction, I think. So it's not something I'm willing to do. He also had lymes disease and was caught early and treated with 30 days of antibiotics and is now kept on preventatives year-round so I also don't do the lyme vaccine. I, too, am really for as less vaccines as possible. But I do think lepto in this area is more frequent so I also am really indifferent about it.... did he get lepto as a pup?

I lived in southern MD for 35 yrs when I was breeding and showing...been gone 7 yrs..so I am not up on lepto in MD today.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by YorkieRose

I read on the internet that many, if not most vet schools have now changed the vaccine protocal...so I think we will see younger vets with different ideas...
I have had 3 pet owners that had my old Yorkies...in the 11 to 13 yr range die within 3 days of a booster.
I have not given a Yorkie any vaccine except rabies in 25 yrs...of course, they had puppy shots and a one year booster...nothing after that...and no rabies after 7..the 7 yr rabies shot is a 3 yr vaccine...and no way I am giving a 10 yr old anything.
I may have to eat my words tomorrow, but with my 4 girls..in the 11mo to 6 yr range...none have seen the vet for anything except spaying, dental and rabies, heartworm...no sick visits in 6 yrs.

My vets office follows the every 3yr protocol. When Jackson got his 1 year booster of rabies and DHPP, they told me both were good for 3yrs. However I am not sure if I will be getting the DHPP again or not. I haven't decided. Rabies is a must simply because of the law. I am thinking I MAY get one more round of DHPP when he turns 4, which would have been the 3yr mark since last getting them, and then be done with them for the rest of his life. But have not made a decision yet.