Leptospirosis - The Food Borne Bacteria Plunders Dogs!

It's a bacterial infection which can affect a dog's liver, kidneys and blood. The bacteria which causes this illness are carried basically by rodents especially rats, but dogs which are infected with this disease can also infect other dogs too. Ingestion of urine of an infected dog is the very common mean of transmission, but these bacteria might get in through thin and damaged skin too.

It's an odd disease which may often never show signs or symptoms. In these cases bacteria are defeated by the animal's natural defense force. Other times, and mostly, the disease might be a life threatening disease to the infected animal. The 3 main forms of these disorders are hemorrhagic (blood infection, causes bleeding), renal (kidney infection), and icteric (liver infection).

Hemorrhagic Leptospirosis starts with high fever, general lethargy, appetite loss. Small hemorrhages starts to occur from the eyes and mouth too and the dog might develop diarrhea and bloody vomiting. This form is fatal, often.

Icteric Leptospirosis might often start the like the hemorrhagic form; having lethargy, loss of appetite and fever. The whites in the eyes and mouth will take a yellow appearance, like the jaundice victims. In very few cases the animal's skin might also appear yellowish and jaundiced.

Renal too starts with appetite loss, lethargic depression and victims, but eventually, it leads to the failure of kidney.

All 3 forms of this disease are curable and all 3 forms can be fatal too. Often animals which survive renal Leptospirosis have chronic kidney disorder for their remaining lifetime.

Treatment will be accomplished by making use of the antibiotics, also if the disorder is caught early, it's generally very successful. Cases having Leptospirosis in North of America are very rare, thanks to the vaccine development. Puppies would be inoculated for the disorder as early as 6 weeks of age and they will receive an annual renewal shot to maintain the immunity.

Vaccination, clean and hygienic situations are the very best way to avoid this disease in dogs. If the dog isn't able to come into proper contact with the disease carrying rat's urine, the dog won't be infected, even if it's unvaccinated. This leptospirosis vaccine causes an adverse reaction, unlike others, in the dog. The reaction is generally very mild and often includes loss of appetite, depression and lethargy. These effects last only for few days and then the dog are fine, importantly, it is safeguarded from the disorder.

Leptospirosis is the nastiest disease a dog might get and no one would want to witness his\ her pet suffering with this sort of illness. Fortunately, we have a very good vaccine in existence; few animals have to have this life threatening disease in today's age.