Could he have caught canine leptospirosis.

Question:

Last October my dog fell into a foul-smelling garden pond and I gave him a bath as soon as I got home. The only symptoms that he displayed from his misadventure were a wart on his side (which completely cleared with antibiotics), a lump on the back of his neck (which was put down to the flea drops), and what appeared to be a lower back ache which disappeared with rest and a painkilling injection.

 Because my dog has had the occasional reaction to being vaccinated, I was contemplating not having him done again, but after reading about leptospirosis I'm worried that he may have caught it from the pond. Should I have him tested for the disease just in case?

 Can a dog appear to be healthy and yet have caught this disease and be in need of treatment?

Answer:
Firstly I do recommend that owners keep their dogs up to date with their yearly vaccinations. Adverse reactions to vaccinations are uncommon, and serious adverse reactions extremely rare, so even with a dog that may have had an adverse reaction before I would certainly consider continuing with vaccinations, depending on the severity of the reaction.

It's not necessary to give all the components of the vaccine every year; the distemper and hepatitis portions last for at least two years in most dogs, and the parvovirus portion may last two years so, depending on the vaccine brand, it should only really be necessary to vaccinate against leptospirosis and Para influenza virus every year, and the other components every other year, which may allay some concerns about vaccine reactions.

Leptospirosis is easily contracted from contaminated water, and causes severe and potentially life-threatening liver disease in unvaccinated dogs, with symptoms ranging from vomiting to collapse. It can also be transmitted to humans.

From your description I think it's extremely unlikely that your dog is suffering from canine leptospirosis is contracted from rats via their urine, and it can affect many mammals, including man. The disease causes jaundice and, if untreated, kidney failure. Infected dogs can excrete traces of the organisms (Leptospira icterohaemorrhagiae) that cause the disease for long periods after recovery.

Leptospirosis, but symptoms of slight malaise could result from a number of mild illnesses. A blood screen to check your dog's liver and kidney function, and to ensure that all his blood cells are all working properly, might put your mind at rest.

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